Gyms & fitness studios
Books and taxes for triathlon and endurance coaches.
Monthly coaching plans across three disciplines, a training camp that runs for a weekend, and a bike fit service billed on the side. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
February came in at $7,800. Your winter training camp deposit landed this month, and I'm holding it as money owed for the camp, not income, until the weekend actually happens in March.
- TrainingPeaks coaching payoutCoaching plans
- Training camp depositCamp deposits
- Bike fit session paymentBike fit services
- TrainingPeaks app feeCoaching software
- Bike fit tool calibrationEquipment
Why your books are different
A triathlon coach's books go wrong around camps and three disciplines.
A generalist sees deposits and a software bill. Your business coaches three disciplines under one plan, runs training camps that collect deposits months ahead, and sometimes offers bike fit services as a separate line of work. When the books miss that, a camp deposit looks like income before the camp even happens.
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1
Camp deposits counted as income today
An athlete who pays a deposit for a training camp two months out has handed you money you're holding for an event that hasn't happened, not income you've earned yet. Counted as a sale, it inflates this month and leaves nothing set aside for the camp's actual costs.
What we doHolds camp deposits as money owed for a future event, not income, until the camp actually happens. -
2
Bike fit services blend into coaching income
A bike fit session is a different service from ongoing coaching, priced and delivered differently, and when it's mixed into the same coaching revenue line, you can't tell how much that side of the business actually contributes.
What we doKeeps bike fit income in its own category, separate from coaching plans, so each service's contribution stays visible. -
3
One coaching plan covers three disciplines with different costs
A triathlete's plan includes swim, bike, and run programming, but the costs behind each (pool time consulting, bike fit tools, running gait analysis) are different, and lumped together, it's hard to see which discipline actually costs more to support.
What we doTracks discipline-specific costs like bike fit tools or gait analysis equipment separately, so you can see what supporting each discipline actually runs. -
4
Coaching income arrives with nothing held back
Between coaching plan payouts, camp deposits, and bike fit fees, none of it comes with taxes already withheld the way a paycheck would, so the full bill can land at once if there's no running plan for it.
What we doTracks a set-aside every month across all three income sources, so the number owed in April was already known well ahead of time.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a triathlon or endurance coach.
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
- Coaching plansMonthly subscriptions through TrainingPeaks or a similar app.
- Camp depositsHeld as money owed for a future camp until it actually happens.
- Bike fit servicesStandalone sessions, kept apart from ongoing coaching.
- Race-day supportOne-time fees for on-course coaching at a specific event.
Money out
- Coaching softwareTrainingPeaks or a similar app's subscription fee.
- Camp costsLodging deposits and venue costs tied to a specific training camp.
- Bike fit equipmentFit tools and calibration, tracked apart from general coaching costs.
- Continuing educationCoaching certifications and clinics across all three disciplines.
- MarketingWebsite hosting and social content tools.
What we watch for you
- Camp deposits held
Money collected for a future camp that isn't yet earned income.
- Bike fit contribution
How much that service is adding on top of regular coaching income.
- The set-aside
What you'll owe in taxes, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things triathlon coaches 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.
Because that money is being held for a camp that hasn't happened yet, not income you've earned today. Once the camp runs, it'll count.
I keep bike fit income separate from coaching plans, so you can see exactly what that service brings in on its own, instead of it blending into the bigger number.
I track that every month based on what you're actually earning, so it's not a guess. You'll see the number update as the year goes.
The tax side
The tax side of coaching triathletes.
Most of what trips up a solo endurance coach is camp deposits counted too early, and nobody withholding anything on your behalf.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Self-employment taxAs a solo coach taking profit directly, you owe self-employment tax of 15.3 percent on top of regular income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
- Quarterly estimated taxesWithout an employer withholding anything, taxes are generally due four times a year: April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
- Bike fit and coaching equipmentFit tools, power meters, and similar coaching equipment can often be deducted, sometimes in the year you buy them. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant sorts out how much counts.
- The pass-through deductionMost solo coaches can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when coaching, camps, and bike fit income are tracked all year.
Deductions triathlon and endurance coaches miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- TrainingPeaks or coaching app fees
- Bike fit tools and calibration
- Coaching certifications
- Camp venue deposits
- GPS and power meter equipment
- Business phone plan
- Website hosting
- Marketing and social content tools
- Mileage to camps and events
- Liability insurance
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 triathlon coach's year, kept every month.
Camps and race season build through spring and summer. Your taxes come on a fixed schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, and you get a monthly set-aside so camp deposit season doesn't turn into an April surprise.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you'll owe, and whether this year's camps ran ahead of or behind budget.
- October
Before year-end
Before the year closes, Gus looks at any equipment worth buying before December.
What you get
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 triathlon and endurance coaches. 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 triathlon coaches ask first.
Can Gus hold camp deposits until the camp actually happens?
Yes. Deposits collected for a future training camp are tracked as money you're holding, not income you've earned, until the camp happens, so your monthly number isn't inflated by an event weeks or months away.
I coach swim, bike, and run under one plan. Does that complicate the books?
Not for you. Athletes still pay one rate. Gus tracks discipline-specific costs like bike fit tools behind the scenes, so you can still see what supporting each discipline actually costs.
Does bike fit need its own category?
Yes. It's priced and delivered differently from ongoing coaching, and keeping it separate shows you exactly what that service contributes on its own.
Between coaching and camps, I have no sense of what to set aside. Can Gus help?
Yes. He updates your set-aside every month using what's actually coming in from coaching, camps, and bike fits combined, so the number is never a guess and April holds no surprise.
My income swings a lot around camps and race season. Is that a problem for Gus?
Not for him. A big camp month and a quiet off-season month both just get read for what they are, and the set-aside recalculates each time, so the swings don't cause any confusion in your numbers.
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.
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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