Hair & grooming

Books and taxes for trichologists and hair loss consultants.

A paid scalp consultation, a laser cap or supplement sold at retail, a referral to a dermatologist, and a client plan that runs for months. Gus sorts all of it, 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
JanuaryExample month
$12,000
what you made

January came in at $12,000. New Year hair loss consultations ran high like they usually do, and three clients bought laser caps at the same visit, so I kept that retail spike apart from the consultation fees.

  • Initial consultation feesConsultation fees
  • Laser cap sale, retailRetail treatment devices
  • Follow-up plan paymentsClient treatment plans
  • Trichoscope maintenanceDiagnostic equipment
  • Supplement inventory orderRetail inventory
Money in$28,000
Money out$16,000
Set aside for taxes$3,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A trichology practice's books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees a consultation fee and a product sale. Your business runs on diagnostic consultations, retail devices and supplements that carry real cost, and treatment plans that stretch over months of follow-up visits. When the books cannot see the plan, one strong sign-up month hides what is actually happening with clients.

  1. 1

    Treatment plans counted as income up front

    A client pays for a multi-month hair loss treatment plan with several follow-up visits built in, but booking the whole payment as income the day it is paid overstates that month and understates the follow-up months.

    What we doHolds treatment plan payments against the visits they cover, recognizing income as each visit happens.
  2. 2

    Retail devices and supplements blur into consultation revenue

    A laser cap or supplement sale often happens in the same visit as a consultation fee, and rung up together, it is hard to see whether retail is actually a meaningful part of the business.

    What we doSplits retail device and supplement sales from consultation fees, so each shows its own real numbers.
  3. 3

    Diagnostic equipment gets buried in supplies

    A trichoscope or scalp analysis camera is a real piece of equipment, often costing more than a routine supply order, but it can get logged the same way as a box of consumables.

    What we doFlags diagnostic equipment purchases separately, so the accountant can decide how it gets written off.
  4. 4

    Referral relationships create untracked money movement

    Referring a client to a dermatologist or getting referrals from one can involve fee-sharing arrangements that vary by state and get easy to lose track of.

    What we doKeeps any referral-related income or payments in their own line and flags anything that needs the accountant's eye on legality in your state.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a trichology practice.

Set up once for how visits get paid and what the practice spends. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Consultation feesInitial and follow-up scalp and hair loss consultations.
  • Retail treatment devicesLaser caps and at-home devices sold to clients.
  • Retail supplementsSupplements and topical treatments sold at retail.
  • Client treatment plansMulti-visit plans, held against the visits they cover.

Money out

  • Diagnostic equipmentTrichoscopes, scalp cameras, and analysis tools.
  • Retail inventoryLaser caps, supplements, and topical treatments bought to resell.
  • Booking softwareScheduling app subscription and card processing fees.
  • Continuing educationTrichology certification and continuing education hours.
  • Office rent and utilitiesLease, water, and power for the practice space.
  • Liability insuranceCoverage specific to a consultation and treatment-based practice.

What we watch for you

  • New consultation volume

    New client consultations booked, since it is the leading sign of upcoming treatment plan sales.

  • Retail attach rate

    Share of consultations that lead to a device or supplement sale.

  • Plan completion rate

    How many clients complete a full treatment plan versus stopping early.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things trichologists 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.

A client just paid for a six-month treatment plan up front. Is that all income this month?

Not all at once. I hold it against the visits it covers and recognize it as each one happens, so your months stay accurate over the plan's life.

Laser cap sales were unusually high this month. Does that skew anything?

It shows up clearly since I track retail device sales apart from consultation fees, so you can see it was a retail month, not just more consultations.

I get referrals from a local dermatologist sometimes. Is there anything I need to worry about with that?

That is worth a real conversation with the accountant. Referral fee arrangements vary a lot by state, and I will flag anything that looks like it needs a closer look.

The tax side

The tax side of running a trichology practice.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing on treatment plans and keeping retail separate from consultation fees.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Income recognition across a treatment planA prepaid multi-visit plan is not fully earned the day it is paid for. Tracking revenue against visits delivered keeps monthly numbers, and the resulting tax picture, accurate.
  • Self-employment taxRunning an independent consulting practice rather than working for someone else's clinic means self-employment tax of 15.3 percent applies on top of regular income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Section 179 on diagnostic equipmentTrichoscopes and scalp analysis equipment can usually be written off the year they are bought, with 100 percent bonus depreciation for property bought after January 19, 2025.
  • The pass-through deductionMost consultants can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions trichologists and hair loss consultants miss

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

  • Trichoscope and diagnostic tools
  • Laser cap inventory sold
  • Supplement and topical inventory
  • Certification and continuing education
  • Liability insurance
  • Booking software subscription
  • Card processing fees
  • Office rent and utilities
  • Trade conferences
  • Marketing and website costs
  • Client intake and consultation software
  • Professional association dues

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 trichology practice's year, kept every month.

New Year resolutions and seasonal hair shedding drive consultation swings more than one single busy stretch. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax side of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled, right as New Year consultations pick up.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether new consultation volume changed the number.

  4. October

    Before year-end

    Gus looks at equipment or certification worth doing and any moves worth making before December.

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 trichologists and hair loss consultants. 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 trichologists ask first.

I sell multi-month treatment plans. How does that get booked?

The payment is held and recognized as each visit in the plan happens, not counted in full the day it is paid. That keeps the sign-up month and the follow-up months both accurate.

Does retail need to be tracked apart from consultation fees?

It helps a lot. Gus splits device and supplement sales from consultation revenue, so you can see whether retail is actually a meaningful part of the practice.

Is my trichoscope a deductible business expense?

Usually yes, and it can often be written off in the year you buy it since it is genuine business equipment, not a routine supply.

I get client referrals from a local dermatologist. Does Gus handle that?

Gus tracks any related income or payments in their own line, but referral fee arrangements vary by state and are worth a direct conversation with the accountant.

My books have never separated retail from consultation fees. Can that get fixed?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts retail from consultation fees going forward, and most practitioners see the difference within a month or two.

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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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