Lodging & short-term rentals
Books and taxes for wellness and retreat centers.
A weekend package that bundles a room, meals, and workshops into one price, visiting teachers paid per retreat, organic groceries for every meal, and day guests who never stay the night. 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
May came in at $16,600. Two weekend retreats sold out, and I split each package into lodging, meals, and program fees so you can see what part of the price is actually paying for what.
- Retreat package paymentsRetreat package revenue
- Day workshop feesDay program revenue
- Visiting teacher paymentFacilitator pay
- Organic grocery orderMeal program cost
- Linen service invoiceLodging supplies
Why your books are different
A retreat center's books go wrong in the same few places.
You are selling one price for a bundle of a room, meals, and a program, and each of those pieces has a different cost behind it. A generalist books one lump payment. Your business needs the bundle taken apart, or you cannot tell whether a retreat weekend actually made money.
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1
A package price hides three different businesses
A $600 weekend package covers a room, three days of meals, and a facilitated program, and each has its own cost. Booked as one number, you cannot tell whether the meals or the program are actually eating the margin.
What we doSplits each package into lodging, meals, and program revenue based on a reasonable allocation, so you can see what part of the price is carrying the weekend. -
2
Visiting facilitators are paid in different ways
A yoga teacher or workshop leader might be paid a flat fee, a share of enrollment, or free lodging in exchange for teaching, and each of those arrangements is treated differently at tax time.
What we doTracks how each facilitator is paid and flags the arrangement for the accountant, so 1099 and worker classification questions do not pile up at year end. -
3
Day guests are not the same as overnight guests
Someone attending a single workshop without staying overnight pays differently and uses different resources than an overnight retreat guest, and mixing the two hides which part of the business is actually growing.
What we doBooks day program fees separately from overnight retreat packages so each audience's contribution is visible. -
4
Special diets make meal costs swing hard
A retreat built around a specific diet, whether that is organic, vegan, or otherwise, can have meal costs that vary a lot more than a standard commercial kitchen, and that swing gets lost in general grocery spending.
What we doKeeps meal program costs on their own line so a retreat's food cost is visible against what the package actually charged for it.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a wellness or retreat center.
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
- Retreat package revenueMulti-day bundled packages covering lodging, meals, and programming.
- Day program revenueSingle workshops or classes for guests not staying overnight.
- Merchandise and product salesBooks, wellness products, or class recordings sold on site.
- Private facility rentalsThe space rented to outside groups running their own retreats.
Money out
- Facilitator payVisiting teachers and workshop leaders, however they are compensated.
- Meal program costGroceries and kitchen supplies for the retreat's food program.
- Lodging suppliesLinens, cleaning supplies, and room amenities.
- Program materialsYoga mats, workshop supplies, and printed retreat materials.
- Utilities and groundsElectric, water, and landscaping across the property.
- Marketing and booking feesWebsite, ads, and any booking site commissions.
What we watch for you
- Package margin
What each retreat package actually nets after lodging, meals, and facilitator pay are split out.
- Occupancy rate
Overnight beds filled against beds available, tracked apart from day program attendance.
- Meal cost per guest
What the food program costs per person, worth watching against what the package charges for it.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things retreat center 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.
I split each package into lodging, meals, and program fees, and the meal cost for a full retreat this month ran higher than usual. I can show you the breakdown so you can see exactly where the margin went.
I log the value of the lodging provided as part of what she is paid, since it is compensation either way. I flagged the arrangement so the accountant can confirm how it should be reported.
That would be a facility rental, tracked separately from your own retreat packages. I can set up that category once it happens, and the accountant can weigh in on anything specific to that arrangement.
The tax side
The tax side of running a wellness or retreat center.
Most of what goes wrong here is a bundled price that hides several different kinds of income and pay. Once lodging, meals, and facilitator pay are split apart, the return reflects what actually happened.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Worker classification for facilitatorsA visiting teacher who sets their own schedule and brings their own curriculum often looks like a contractor, while one who follows your program and schedule regularly may look more like an employee. Getting this wrong carries real cost.
- Contractor 1099s for facilitators and vendorsA facilitator or vendor not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026, including the value of any lodging provided as part of their pay, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Depreciation on lodging and studio spaceBuildings, furniture, and equipment used for lodging and programming often qualify for different depreciation treatment, including bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025 on qualifying purchases.
- The pass-through deductionMost profitable retreat centers can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income, with limits above $201,750 taxable income single or $403,500 joint. It comes out right when packages are split into their real components all year.
Deductions wellness and retreat centers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Organic groceries and kitchen supplies
- Yoga mats and program equipment
- Linens and lodging supplies
- Facilitator travel reimbursement
- Printed program materials
- Grounds and landscaping
- Website and booking fees
- Liability insurance
- Music and sound equipment
- Guest WiFi service
- Fire and safety inspections
- Marketing photography
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 retreat center year, kept every month.
Retreat season often follows holidays, new year intentions, and warm weather rather than a typical vacation calendar. Your taxes come on a 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, facilitator 1099s are ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- 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 will owe, and whether this year's retreat calendar is filling up ahead of last year's.
- October
Before the year closes
A look at studio or lodging equipment worth buying before December, and how the year will land.
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 wellness and retreat centers. 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 retreat center owners ask first.
Can Gus split a bundled retreat package into its real costs?
Yes. He splits each package into lodging, meals, and program revenue based on a reasonable allocation, so you can see which part of a retreat is actually driving its margin.
One of our teachers takes free lodging instead of a fee. Does that count as pay?
Yes, the value of lodging provided in exchange for teaching generally counts as compensation. Gus logs it as part of what the facilitator is paid and flags it for the accountant to confirm the reporting.
Do day workshop guests get tracked differently than overnight retreat guests?
Yes. Day program revenue is booked separately from retreat package revenue, so you can see how each audience is contributing apart from the other.
Our meal costs vary a lot depending on the retreat's theme. Is that a problem?
No. Gus keeps meal program costs on their own line, so a retreat with a pricier diet shows its real food cost against what the package charged, rather than blending into an average.
Our books currently lump lodging, meals, and program fees into one number. Can that be fixed?
Yes. Send the statements you have. Gus splits packages into their real components going forward, the accountant checks it, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
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 lodging & short-term rentals
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Bed & breakfasts
- Country inns & lodges
- Event venues with on-site lodging
- Farm stays
- Hostels
- Independent motels
- Mid-term rental operators (travel nurses)
- Airbnb co-hosting businesses
- Boutique hotels
- Extended stay & corporate housing
- Luxury villa rentals
- Short-term rental hosts (Airbnb / VRBO)
- Short-term rental property managers
- Vacation rental management (beach / mountain)
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