Gyms & fitness studios
Books and taxes for yoga studios.
Monthly memberships, class packs, a teacher training program that runs months ahead, and a retreat deposit collected now for a trip next spring. Gus sorts all of it, and an accountant checks every transaction.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
October came in at $7,400. A deposit for next spring's Costa Rica retreat came in this month, and I'm holding it as a liability, not income, until the trip actually happens.
- Mindbody membership draftMembership dues
- Retreat depositRetreat deposits
- Studio lease paymentRent
- Teacher payroll runInstructor pay
- Yoga mat restockRetail
Why your books are different
A yoga studio's books go wrong in the same recurring places.
A generalist sees deposits and a rent bill. Your studio sells unlimited memberships, runs a teacher training program that spans months, and collects retreat deposits for trips that haven't happened yet. When the books miss that, cash on hand and real income get confused.
-
1
A retreat deposit counted as income today
A student who pays a $500 deposit for a retreat six months out has handed you money you're holding for a trip that hasn't happened, not income you've earned yet. Counted as a sale, it inflates this month and leaves nothing behind for the trip's actual costs.
What we doHolds retreat deposits as money owed for a future trip, not income, until the retreat actually happens. -
2
Teacher training tuition paid up front but delivered over months
A 200-hour teacher training program often collects full tuition before day one, for a program that runs eight or twelve weeks. Counted all at once, that revenue doesn't match when the training is actually being delivered.
What we doSpreads teacher training tuition across the weeks the program actually runs, so income lines up with the work. -
3
Unlimited memberships get treated like class packs
A monthly unlimited membership is straightforward dues, but studios that also sell ten-class and twenty-class packs often mix the two together, which hides how much of the studio's income is steady versus one-time.
What we doKeeps memberships and class packs in separate lines so you can see how much of the month is recurring. -
4
Instructor pay looks like one flat number
A teacher paid a flat rate per class, plus a cut of private sessions or workshops she leads, shows up as a single payroll line, which buries what class time actually costs against what it brings in.
What we doKeeps per-class pay, workshop fees, and private session commissions in their own lines, separate from base wages.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a yoga studio.
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
- Membership duesMonthly unlimited or limited plans drafted through Mindbody or Momence.
- Class packsTen- or twenty-class packs, kept apart from ongoing dues.
- Drop-insSingle-class payments from walk-ins and visitors.
- Teacher training tuitionSpread across the weeks the program actually runs.
- Retreat depositsHeld as a liability until the retreat happens.
- RetailMats, blocks, straps, and apparel sold at the desk.
Money out
- Instructor payPer-class pay, workshop fees, and private session cuts, kept apart from wages.
- Rent and utilitiesThe studio space and heating costs for a hot yoga room.
- SoftwareMindbody or Momence scheduling and payment fees.
- Retail inventoryMats, blocks, and apparel restocked for the shop.
- InsuranceGeneral liability and professional liability for teachers.
- Retreat costsLodging deposits and travel costs tied to a specific trip.
- MarketingLocal ads and referral incentives for new students.
What we watch for you
- Recurring share
How much of the month is membership dues versus one-time class packs and drop-ins.
- Retreat deposits held
Money collected for future trips that isn't yet earned income.
- Instructor pay share
What teaching costs against what class and training revenue bring in.
- The set-aside
What you'll owe in taxes, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things yoga studio 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.
Because that money is being held for a trip that hasn't happened yet, not income you've earned today. Once the retreat runs, it'll count.
No. I spread it across the weeks the training actually runs, so each month reflects the part of the program that was delivered, not the whole tuition at once.
If she's not on payroll and you pay her $2,000 or more this year, yes, by January 31. I keep that list running so it's ready.
The tax side
The tax side of running a yoga studio.
Most of what trips up a studio is timing. Deposits and tuition counted before they're earned, and instructor pay tangled with wages.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Teacher or employeeA teacher who leads your class schedule in your studio usually counts as an employee, not a contractor, no matter what the pay arrangement is called. Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- Contractor 1099sA guest teacher or retreat co-leader not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31 if paid $2,000 or more in 2026. Gus keeps that list all year.
- Sales tax on retailMats, blocks, and apparel sold at the desk are usually taxed even when class fees aren't, and the rule varies by state. Gus keeps retail separate so that number is easy to find.
- The pass-through deductionMost owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when memberships, training tuition, and retreats are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions yoga studios miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Studio heating for hot yoga
- Mindbody or Momence fees
- Liability insurance
- Teacher training curriculum materials
- Flooring and mirrors
- Retail mats and props
- Business phone and booking line
- Cleaning service
- Marketing and referral incentives
- Website and booking widget
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 yoga studio's year, kept every month.
Retreats and trainings run on their own calendar. Your taxes run on theirs. 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 the New Year's class-pack rush 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 teacher training and retreats are pulling their weight.
- October
Before year-end
Before the calendar closes, Gus looks at equipment or props 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 yoga studios. 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 yoga studio owners ask first.
Can Gus hold retreat deposits until the trip actually happens?
Yes. Deposits collected for a future retreat are tracked as money you're holding, not income you've earned, until the retreat happens, so your monthly number isn't inflated by a trip months away.
Our whole class calendar lives in Mindbody. Will that get in the way?
No. Keep running the studio the way you do. Gus works from your bank statement and payouts, and when a deposit is unclear he asks you once and remembers the answer.
My teacher training program collects tuition up front. How does that get tracked?
Gus spreads that tuition across the weeks the training actually runs, so each month's income reflects the part of the program that was delivered, not the full amount collected on day one.
My teachers are paid per class plus workshop fees. Does that change the books?
It changes where the money goes, not what you do. Gus keeps per-class pay and workshop fees apart from wages so teaching cost stays visible.
I'm behind on bookkeeping since we opened the studio. Is that fixable?
Not at all. Send the statements you have, even if it's been a while. Gus works through the backlog, the accountant checks it, and the studio's real picture comes together quickly.
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