Outdoor attractions & tours
Books and taxes for wildlife parks and sanctuaries.
Gate admission, adopt-an-animal sponsorships, encounter add-ons, and a feed and veterinary bill that runs every single day of the year. 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
June came in at $25,300. The new enclosure fencing for the tiger habitat is booked as equipment this month, not repairs.
- Gate admission depositAdmission
- Adopt-an-animal sponsorshipsSponsorship income
- Restaurant Depot meat orderAnimal feed
- Exotic animal vet visitVeterinary care
- Habitat fencing contractorEnclosure and habitat upkeep
Why your books are different
Wildlife park books go wrong in the same five places.
A generalist sees admission and a gift shop. Your business feeds large or exotic animals every day, keeps up enclosures that double as security, and takes in sponsorship and donation money tied to specific animals. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell if the park is actually covering what the animals cost.
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1
Feed costs swing hard with the diet on hand
A carnivore-heavy collection can mean weekly meat orders running into thousands of dollars, bought unevenly as suppliers have stock available. One large order can make a month look like a loss even with strong attendance.
What we doKeeps animal feed in its own steady line and tells you when a big order, not a bad month, is why the number looks thin. -
2
Adopt-an-animal sponsorships get mixed with gate admission
A donor who sponsors a rescued lion for the year pays money tied to that animal's specific care, not a general ticket. Lumped in with admission, you cannot see whether sponsorships are actually covering what that animal costs.
What we doKeeps sponsorship and adoption income in its own line, separate from admission, so you can see whether it is covering the animals it is meant to support. -
3
Habitat and enclosure work looks like routine maintenance
New fencing, a rebuilt enclosure, or a secure holding area is a significant capital cost tied to safety and licensing, not a repair line item.
What we doFlags large enclosure and habitat work, books it as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on how it gets written off. -
4
Veterinary bills for exotic animals get buried in general supplies
A specialist vet visit for a big cat or a rescued primate can cost far more than a routine farm call, and if it disappears into general supplies you lose track of what animal care actually runs each year.
What we doKeeps veterinary care in its own line, separate from feed and general supplies, so the real cost of the collection is visible. -
5
A summer peak carries months of year-round animal care
Attendance may spike hard in summer while the animals need feeding, vet care, and habitat upkeep every day of the year regardless of the gate.
What we doTracks the season as a whole and helps plan a set-aside so the slower months, which still carry full animal care costs, do not drain the account.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a wildlife park or sanctuary.
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
- AdmissionGate tickets, walk-up and prepaid online.
- Sponsorship incomeAdopt-an-animal and donor sponsorships tied to specific animals.
- Encounter add-onsPaid feeding experiences and close encounters.
- Group and school bookingsField trips and camp visits booked ahead.
- Gift shopMerchandise sales.
Money out
- Animal feedMeat, produce, and specialty diets from suppliers like a restaurant supplier or feed distributor.
- Veterinary careSpecialist exotic animal vet visits and medication.
- Enclosure and habitat upkeepFencing, secure holding areas, and habitat construction.
- WagesAnimal keepers, handlers, and guides.
- InsuranceLiability coverage, often high given the animals involved.
- LicensingExhibitor and wildlife permits.
- UtilitiesWater, heating, and climate control for habitats.
What we watch for you
- Feed cost trend
Animal feed cost tracked over time, so a heavy ordering month does not look like an operating problem.
- Sponsorship coverage
Whether adopt-an-animal income is covering what that animal's care actually costs.
- Labor against attendance
Keeper and guide wages compared to admissions, since animal care staffing rarely shrinks in the off season.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things wildlife park 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.
No. I kept it in animal feed, its own line, and it was a bulk order, not a bad month. Attendance was actually up.
No, I keep sponsorship money separate so you can see whether it is actually covering what that animal costs to feed and treat.
I logged it as equipment, since it has real useful life and safety value beyond one season. The accountant decides how it gets written off.
The tax side
The tax side of a wildlife park or sanctuary.
Most of what goes wrong here is keeping animal-specific costs and income visible instead of buried in general categories.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Enclosure and habitat depreciationFencing, secure enclosures, and habitat structures are business equipment. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025, and Section 179 can often write off habitat work in the year it is done.
- Sponsorship and donation incomeMoney received for adopting or sponsoring an animal is usually taxable business income, even when it reads like a donation, and how it is reported depends on how the organization is structured.
- Worker classification for keepers and handlersAnimal keepers and handlers who work your schedule and follow your safety procedures are usually employees, even part time.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators 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 wildlife parks and animal sanctuaries miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Meat, produce, and specialty feed
- Exotic animal vet care
- Enclosure and fencing repair
- Habitat heating and cooling
- Wildlife exhibitor licenses
- Uniforms and staff shirts
- Liability insurance
- Signage and wayfinding
- Water troughs and feeding equipment
- Security systems for enclosures
- Gift shop fixtures
- Booking app fees
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 wildlife park year, kept every month.
The animals need care every day of the year. Your taxes come on a schedule too. 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, the 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so a quiet winter does not catch you short.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed before the busy spring school trip season picks up.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at the height of summer attendance, and whether feed and vet costs are tracking with it.
- October
Before the slowdown
A look at habitat or enclosure work worth doing before winter and anything 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 wildlife parks and animal sanctuaries. 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 wildlife park owners ask first.
Can Gus keep adopt-an-animal money separate from admission?
Yes. Sponsorship and adoption income gets its own line, so you can see whether it is actually covering what that animal costs to care for.
Our feed bills swing hard depending on what we can source. Does that mess up the books?
No. Gus keeps feed in a steady line and flags when a big order, not a bad month, is behind a thin number.
We spent $18,000 rebuilding an enclosure. Is that deductible right away?
Usually. Habitat and enclosure work has real useful life, so it gets logged as equipment, and the accountant decides how much can be written off this year.
Do specialist vet bills for exotic animals count differently than a regular vet?
They get tracked the same way, as veterinary care, but kept separate from general supplies so you can see the real cost of caring for the collection.
Our books are behind after a busy season. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand within 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 outdoor attractions & tours
We keep books for the business next door too.
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- Skydiving centers
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- Esports & LAN gaming centers
- Haunted houses & haunted attractions
- Ice skating rinks
- Indoor go-kart tracks
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