Fitness & Personal Trainer

Bookkeeping for Sydney fitness businesses and personal trainers

You track reps, sets, and recovery. Someone should be tracking your revenue, expenses, and cash flow with the same discipline.

Sound familiar?

If any of these describe your week, you are not alone — and you do not have to keep doing it yourself.

Membership revenue is deferred, not earned

A client pays for 10 sessions upfront. That is not $1,000 of revenue today — it is revenue earned over 10 sessions. If you recognise it all at once, your profit-and-loss lies.

Cash and app payments mix together

Cash at the door, bank transfers, and third-party apps like Mindbody or Acuity all settle differently. Reconciling them is messy and most PTs just stop trying.

Contractor vs employee — again

Do your trainers set their own hours and bring their own clients? Or do they work your schedule, in your space, with your branding? The answer determines their tax and super treatment.

What we handle for you

Every item below is done by our team and reviewed by your CPA. You do not touch any of it.

  • Membership and session-pack revenue tracking (deferred and earned)
  • Multi-payment-method reconciliation
  • Payroll or contractor payments for trainers and staff
  • BAS preparation with correct GST on memberships and services
  • Equipment depreciation tracking
  • Monthly report showing active members, revenue per head, and cash flow

The outcome

Your revenue is recognised correctly. Every payment method reconciles. Your trainers are classified and paid compliantly. And you know your revenue per member — the number that drives the business.

They set up deferred revenue tracking and I realised I was overstating profit by $4K a month. Painful to learn, but critical.

Gym owner, Bondi Junction

Common questions from fitness & personal trainers

Are personal training sessions subject to GST?

Yes. Personal training, group fitness classes, and gym memberships are all subject to GST. They are not health services for GST purposes (unlike physiotherapy or dietetics with a GP referral). We ensure your invoicing and BAS reflect this correctly.

Can I claim gym equipment as an instant write-off?

Equipment costing less than the instant asset write-off threshold (currently $20,000 for small businesses) can be claimed in full in the year of purchase. Above that threshold, it is depreciated over its effective life. We time purchases to maximise the deduction.

How do I handle memberships paid in advance?

Advance payments are deferred revenue — recognised as income only as sessions are delivered. This is an accounting standard requirement, not optional. We set up the tracking so your profit and loss reflects reality, not just cash received.

Need tax and advisory too?

Tax structuring, advisory, and strategic planning for your industry — from the same team.

Ready to talk?

15 minutes. No obligation. We assess whether our specialisations match your situation. If they don't, we'll tell you straight.