Why it matters
Practice ownership brings a different set of financial responsibilities
Owning a dental practice means managing the finances of a business, not just your own income and tax. You have payroll, corporation tax, VAT across exempt and taxable treatments, monthly associate pay and management accounts that should tell you how the practice is actually performing.
This is one part of our full dental accountancy service and is specifically for dentists who own a practice, whether you operate as a sole trader or through a limited company.
Most practice owners we speak to are getting the basics done – accounts filed, tax paid – but not much more than that. Reports are late, tax planning is reactive, and there is little visibility into whether the practice is performing as well as it should. Often the issue is not the quality of the accounting itself, but a lack of dental-sector knowledge and the benchmarks needed to understand what good performance actually looks like.
Samera has worked with practice owners since 2002. We understand NHS contracts, associate splits, mixed VAT and the financial decisions that come up at each stage of practice ownership. We also own and operate The Neem Tree Dental Group, so the advice we give is grounded in first-hand experience of running dental practices ourselves.
What we handle
What should a dental practice accountant actually do for you?
A dental practice accountant should do more than file your year-end accounts and tax return. You should have current financial information, proactive tax planning and someone who understands the numbers behind a dental practice. That means helping you understand what is happening now, identify problems early and make better financial decisions throughout the year.
- Annual accounts and corporation tax – prepared accurately and filed on time. We make sure you are not paying more than you need to.
- Management accounts – provided monthly or quarterly depending on your package, giving you a current view of revenue, costs and profitability.
- Payroll and pensions – Payroll, PAYE and pension support can be managed alongside your accounts, keeping your practice payroll and financial reporting joined up.
- Associate pay calculation – available as an add-on, including UDA adjustments and other agreed deductions or adjustments.
- VAT – dental practices have a mixed VAT position across exempt healthcare treatment and any taxable cosmetic or non-healthcare work. We manage this correctly.
- Tax planning – corporation tax, dividend strategy, capital allowances and pension contributions planned in advance rather than managed after the fact. For a full breakdown of the tax planning strategies available to practice owners, see our tax planning for dentists page.
- Making Tax Digital – for practice owners who fall within MTD for Income Tax requirements as a sole trader, we handle the Xero setup and quarterly filing on your behalf.
- HMRC correspondence – any queries, investigations or letters handled directly by our team.
- Dedicated dental accountant – one named contact who knows your practice, not a different person every time you call.
Why Samera
We own dental practices. That changes the quality of the advice.
We own dental practices
We built, own and operate The Neem Tree Dental Group. When we advise on practice finances, it comes from first-hand experience of the decisions practice owners face, not just the theory of running a dental business.
Fellow of the ICAEW
Arun Mehra FCA is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, with extensive experience advising dental practice owners. Our accounts team is trained specifically in dental sector work.
Dental sector specialists
We work extensively with dental businesses, so NHS contracts, mixed VAT, associate agreements and CQC-related costs are familiar territory for our team.
Management accounts that mean something
We report against dental-specific KPIs such as chair utilisation, revenue per UDA and associate pay as a proportion of revenue, giving you a clearer view of how the practice is actually performing.
Packages
Choose the level of support that fits your practice
All packages are fixed-fee plus VAT. Start with the level of support that suits your practice now and move up as your needs grow.
Dental Practice
Kick-Start (Basic)
From £500/month + VAT
Ideal for start-up and newly established dental practices that need core accounting, reporting and compliance support.
Operational accountancy
- Monthly bookkeeping
- Quarterly management accounts (P&L, balance sheet)
- Quarterly balance sheet reconciliations
- Bookkeeping software and support
- Tracking categories
Annual compliance
- Annual financial statement
- Corporation tax
- Company secretarial (basic)
- Personal tax return (1 director)
Tax planning
- Basic tax estimation and planning
- HMRC investigation cover
Client care
- Dedicated dental accountant
- Email and phone support
- 48-hour response time
- Support with HMRC correspondence
Setup
- Sector-specific chart of accounts
Samera Alliance
- Access to Level 1 – Dental Buying Group
Optional add-ons – available on Kick-Start and Grow
Operational
- Monthly management accounts (Kick-Start only)
- Supplier payment run (Kick-Start only)
- Staff payroll and pension administration
- Associate pay calculations
- VAT returns and mixed VAT work
- Standard financial ratio analysis
- Sector-specific KPIs for dental practices
- Advanced tax estimation and planning
- Initial system health check and data clean-up (Kick-Start only)
Strategic
For practice owners who need support beyond day-to-day accountancy, we can also provide strategic financial analysis and advisory as optional add-ons.
- Virtual Finance Director (FD) services
- Chair time revenue analysis
- Treatment mix profitability review
- Pricing benchmark analysis
- Practice valuation support
- Cash flow analysis (actual vs projected + 12-month forecast)
- NHS UDA analysis and planning
- Profit per clinician report
- Exit and succession planning advisory
- Cost benchmarking and overhead analysis
- Financial training (workshops or 1:1)
Run more than one practice? Our Dental Group accountancy packages are built specifically for multi-site accounting, consolidated reporting and group tax structure, from £950/month.
Not sure which package is right for your practice? Book a free 30-minute call and we will recommend the right starting point based on your practice size, current setup and what you are trying to achieve.
AI for practices
Clever Practice AI add-ons
We are building AI-powered tools to give practice owners live visibility of their financial performance – EBITDA tracking, real-time tax liability, cash flow forecasting and profit per clinician. Add-on packages will be available through Clever Practice.
If you are a self-employed associate rather than a practice owner, our accounts for dental associates packages are designed for your situation. If you run more than one practice, see our accounts for dental groups packages.
How it works
Up and running within two weeks – including the handover
- Book a free call – A 30-minute conversation with our accounts team. We will ask about your practice, your current setup and what is not working.
- We handle the handover – If you are switching from another accountant, we manage the transfer. We contact your previous accountant, request the relevant records and make the switch as straightforward as possible.
- We set up your systems – We get your Xero environment configured correctly for a dental practice – with the right chart of accounts, tracking categories and reporting structure for your specific setup.
- Ongoing support from there – Your accounts, reporting and tax are handled on a rolling basis, with payroll, associate pay and other services added where required. We flag issues and opportunities as they arise rather than waiting for year end.
Who this is for
We work with practice owners at every stage
Whether you have just bought your first practice or have been running one for years, we support practice owners at every stage of ownership.
- First-time practice owners
- Established practice owners
- NHS practices
- Private practices
- Mixed NHS and private practices
- Squat practices
- Recently acquired practices
- Practices preparing for sale
- Practice owners considering expansion
Client reviews
What our clients say about working with Samera
Arun Mehra and his friendly team … helped and advised me in all matters of accountancy, raising finance, payroll, furlough support and general business advice. The whole teams collective vast experience and knowledge in all business matters and dentistry is invaluable when you are running any type or size of business. …
Antimos, Dentist – 5 Stars
Arun, Natasha and all the team at Samera have provided outstanding service to me over a number of years – they are experts and are friendly and easy to deal with – would thoroughly recommend.
Peter, Dentist – 5 Stars
We finally have an accountant who is actively trying to help us keep our tax bills low, as well as giving us good business advice.
NH, Dentist – 5 Stars
Huge thanks to Natasha, Aditi, Arun, Karyn, and the entire Samera team for their outstanding support and guidance. Their professionalism, responsiveness, and deep expertise is a great support for our business. I truly felt supported every step of the way. Highly recommended!
Rajvansh, Dentist – 5 Stars
Who you’ll work with
Speak to our dental accountancy team
Book a free, no-obligation call directly with the team member whose work matches what you need.
Director of Operations – Accountancy and Tax
- Dental Accountancy and Tax for Practice Owners
- Accounts Automation (Samera AI)
- Tax Saving Advice
CEO
- Dental Accountancy and Tax for Dental Groups and DSOs
- Samera AI – Automation of Financial Systems
- Dental Practice Sales – £1m+ Only
Business Development Executive – Accountancy and Tax
- Dental Accountancy and Tax for Dental Associates
- Making Tax Digital Expert
Get in touch
Or send us a message
If you’d prefer to send us your details rather than book a call, fill in the form below and our team will be in touch as soon as possible.
- Phone: (+44) 20 7100 8788
- WhatsApp: Message us on WhatsApp
Related services
Other ways Samera supports practice owners
Accountants for associates
For self-employed dental associates who need accounts, tax and MTD support.
Samera Growth Advisory
Ongoing strategic support for practice owners looking to grow revenue, improve profitability and scale.
Tax planning for dentists
More detailed support with Corporation Tax, remuneration, capital allowances and other dental tax planning.
Making Tax Digital
Xero setup and quarterly filing support for dentists affected by MTD for Income Tax.
Automated associate pay
Automated associate pay calculations using practice-management and accounting data.
Dental practice finance
Funding for acquisitions, equipment, refurbishments and expansion.
Cash flow forecasting
12-month forecasts to help with planning, funding and financial control.
Dental practice valuations
Dental practice valuations for buying, selling or planning ahead.
Accountants for Dental Groups
Multi-entity accounting, consolidation and group reporting for dental groups and DSOs.
Further reading
Guides to dental practice accounts and tax
Taxes for Dental Practice Owners: Corporation Tax, VAT, and Capital Allowances
Corporation Tax, the director’s loan account, VAT exemption, and capital allowances – the tax obligations that come with running a dental practice as a limited company.
Sole Trader, Partnership, or Limited Company: Choosing the Right Structure for Your Dental Practice
Compare Sole Trader, Partnership, and Limited Company structures for your dental practice. Learn how to minimise personal risk and maximise tax efficiency as you grow.
Payroll, Pensions and Staff Compliance for Dental Practices
PAYE, RTI, NHS pensions, auto-enrolment, and IR35 – the compliance obligations that come with employing staff and associates in a dental practice.
The Most Common Accounting and Tax Mistakes Dentists Make
Poor record-keeping, missed deadlines, mixed finances, wrong employment status – the 11 accounting and tax mistakes that cost UK dental practices the most.
Frequently asked questions
Dental practice owner accounts FAQs
How much does an accountant cost for a dental practice?
Our practice owner packages start from £500 per month plus VAT for Kick-Start and £650 per month plus VAT for Grow. These are starting fees. We scope your practice based on factors such as transaction volumes, turnover, complexity and the services required, then agree your fixed monthly fee upfront. If you run more than one practice, our Dental Group packages start from £950 per month.
What is the difference between a dental accountant and a general accountant for a practice owner?
A general accountant will file your accounts and corporation tax return. A dental specialist will also understand NHS contract income, mixed VAT across exempt and taxable treatments, associate pay structures, CQC costs and the sector-specific benchmarks that tell you whether your practice is performing well. That depth of knowledge directly affects the quality of the advice you receive.
I already have an accountant – is it worth switching?
If your current accountant does not specialise in dentistry, common gaps we see are limited proactive tax planning, management accounts that arrive too late to act on, and no sector-specific benchmarking. Book a free review of your current setup and we will give you an honest view.
Do I need management accounts for my dental practice?
If you are making decisions about staffing, equipment or pricing based only on your year-end accounts, you may be working with information that is many months old. Regular management accounts, monthly or quarterly depending on your package, give you more current data so you can act on what is happening in the practice rather than what happened last year.
Can Samera help if I am thinking about selling my practice?
Yes. Exit planning is available as an add-on to any package. We work with practice owners on the financial preparation for a sale – normalising accounts for a buyer, advising on Business Asset Disposal Relief and making sure the practice valuation reflects the work you have put in. Starting this process 12 to 24 months before you want to sell gives you significantly more room to improve the financial presentation of the business before it goes to market.
How long does it take to switch my practice accounts to Samera?
Most transitions are completed within two weeks. We contact your existing accountant, request the relevant records and get your Xero environment set up correctly before we start. Most practice owners find it takes less effort than they expected.
Speak to an accountant who actually understands running a dental practice
Book a free 30-minute call with Natasha or the team. We’ll review your current setup, explain where we think improvements can be made and give you a clear picture of what working with Samera would cost.