Campgrounds, RV parks & glamping

Books and taxes for tent and primitive campgrounds.

No hookups, a self-pay envelope box at the entrance, firewood bundles by the fire ring, and a camp host trading work for a free site. Gus sorts every dollar, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
SeptemberExample month
$3,700
what you made

September came in at $3,700. The self-pay envelopes matched the site log almost exactly, so no adjustment needed this month.

  • Self-pay envelope depositSite fees
  • Firewood bundle salesFirewood and ice
  • AAA Septic vault pumpVault toilet service
  • Camp host site creditCamp host compensation
  • County landfill feeTrash and waste disposal
Money in$9,800
Money out$6,100
Set aside for taxes$700
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Primitive campground books go wrong around cash, not complexity.

You are not running hookups or a store, you are running a self-pay box, a handful of vault toilets, and maybe a camp host who trades work for a site. When the books do not know that, cash goes missing between the envelope and the deposit, and free rent for a camp host disappears instead of getting counted.

  1. 1

    The self-pay envelope box does not always match the deposit

    Campers drop cash or a check into an iron ranger box after hours, and if nobody reconciles the envelopes against what actually gets deposited, a busy weekend can quietly lose money to a torn envelope or a missed pickup.

    What we doCompares envelope counts against deposits when you send them, and flags a gap so you can check the box sooner next time.
  2. 2

    A camp host's free site is not tracked as pay

    A camp host who checks in campers and empties trash in exchange for a free site is being compensated, even though no cash changes hands. Left untracked, it is a blind spot at tax time.

    What we doBooks the value of the site given to a camp host as compensation, so it is on the record the way any other labor cost would be.
  3. 3

    Vault toilet and water costs get lost in general upkeep

    Pumping vault toilets and testing a well are recurring costs unique to a campground without full hookups, and they are easy to bury inside a catch-all maintenance line where nobody notices them creeping up.

    What we doKeeps vault toilet service and water system costs in their own line so you can see the real cost of running without utilities.
  4. 4

    Firewood sales look too small to track separately

    A few dollars a bundle feels too minor to bother categorizing, but across a season firewood and ice sales can add up to a meaningful slice of income that gets lost inside site fees if nobody separates it.

    What we doKeeps firewood and ice sales in their own line even when the dollar amounts are small, so nothing gets missed.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a primitive campground.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Site feesSelf-pay envelope and any online reservations.
  • Firewood and iceBundles sold at the entrance or by the camp host.
  • Day-use and parking feesHikers and day visitors who never camp overnight.
  • Group site rentalsScout troops and church groups booking a block of sites.

Money out

  • Vault toilet serviceRegular pumping for sites without full plumbing.
  • Water system upkeepWell maintenance and water testing where offered.
  • Camp host compensationThe value of a free site given in exchange for work.
  • Trash and waste disposalLandfill and dumpster fees for the property.
  • Trail and site maintenanceFire ring repair, brush clearing, and walk-in path upkeep.
  • Self-pay suppliesEnvelopes, the iron ranger box, and site tags.
  • InsuranceProperty and liability coverage for the campground.

What we watch for you

  • Envelope reconciliation gap

    Any difference between site log counts and actual cash deposited.

  • Cost per site night

    What it really costs to keep one site open and serviced.

  • Firewood and ice margin

    Whether the small stuff is actually worth the trip to restock it.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.

Ask Gus

Things primitive campground owners ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

The envelope count was off by two this weekend. Is that a problem?

Small gaps happen with a self-pay box. I flagged it so you know, but it is not enough to chase down unless it becomes a pattern.

Our camp host stays for free in exchange for checking people in. Does that need to go anywhere?

Yes, I book the value of that site as compensation, the same way I would if you paid her in cash. It keeps your labor costs honest.

Do I owe the guy who pumps our vault toilets a 1099?

If you pay him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, he gets one by January 31. I am tracking that total as we go.

The tax side

The tax side of a primitive campground.

Most of what goes wrong here is small and easy to overlook: cash that never gets logged, and labor paid in a free site instead of a paycheck.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Camp host compensationA site given in exchange for work is a form of pay and generally needs to be accounted for, even without cash changing hands. The accountant can help you value it correctly.
  • Lodging or occupancy taxMany states and counties tax overnight stays even at primitive sites without hookups. It is collected from campers and usually filed separately from your business return.
  • Contractor 1099sA septic pumping service or trail contractor paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Self-employment taxAn owner-operator not structured as an S corp pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, on wages up to the $184,500 Social Security base.

Deductions tent and primitive campgrounds miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Vault toilet pumping
  • Well testing and maintenance
  • Fire ring materials
  • Self-pay envelopes and boxes
  • Trail clearing tools
  • Firewood inventory
  • Trash and dumpster fees
  • Site signage
  • Camp host site value
  • Business liability insurance
  • Hand tools and brush cutters
  • Directional and safety signage

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

A primitive campground year, kept every month.

A small operation still owes taxes on the same schedule as a big one. Gus keeps the number simple even when the business is. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan before the thaw

    Last year's return gets started, the contractor 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside before the season opens.

  2. April

    Filed and done

    Your return is filed and signed, well before the busy hiking and camping months begin.

  3. July

    Midseason check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether the self-pay reconciliation has looked steady all summer.

  4. October

    Before you close for the season

    A look at what the season brought in and whether the camp host arrangement or vault toilet contract needs adjusting for next year.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for tent and primitive campgrounds. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions primitive campground owners ask first.

We only take cash through a self-pay box. Can Gus still do our books?

Yes. Send the envelope counts or a simple log along with your bank deposits, and Gus sorts it the same way he would with any other payment method.

Does a camp host who stays for free need to be on payroll?

Often the value of the site should at least be tracked as compensation. Whether it needs to run through formal payroll depends on the arrangement, and that is worth the accountant's read.

Our income is small, firewood bundles and a few dollars a night. Is it still worth tracking closely?

Yes, small amounts add up over a season and matter at tax time just like larger ones. Gus tracks it the same way regardless of size.

We do not have hookups or a store. Does that make the books simpler?

In some ways, yes, there are fewer categories to track. Gus still keeps site fees, firewood, and service costs like vault pumping clearly separated.

How does Gus handle a busy weekend where the cash count seems off?

He flags the gap so you can see it, but a small difference from a self-pay box is common and not automatically a problem unless it becomes a pattern.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

More in campgrounds, RV parks & glamping

We keep books for the business next door too.

What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for

Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever