What this means
Accounts payable, explained for dental practice owners
Accounts payable (AP) is the part of your finance function that handles money going out – receiving supplier invoices, checking them against what was ordered, scheduling payments, and keeping a clean record of every supplier transaction. For a busy dental practice, AP typically involves invoices from lab partners, materials suppliers, IT and software vendors, equipment maintenance providers, utilities, professional services and waste collection – often 20-40 different suppliers paid each month.
Accounts payable is an operational add-on to our dental accountancy service packages – taking supplier bills off your desk entirely.
Done badly, AP becomes a recurring problem: late payments, damaged supplier relationships, duplicate payments slipping through, VAT reclaimed incorrectly, and an admin burden that lands on whoever happens to have time (usually the practice manager or principal). Done well, it disappears – invoices arrive, get verified, get paid on time, and reconcile cleanly into your management accounts each month with no input from you.
This is not a separate Samera service
Accounts payable is one of the things we handle as part of our monthly accounts packages for practice owners. It’s included as standard in our Grow and Expand packages, and available as an add-on on Kick-Start. This page exists to explain what’s involved if you’re considering outsourcing it.
What we handle
Everything from invoice receipt through to reconciliation
- Invoice receipt and verificationWe receive supplier invoices directly, check them for accuracy, and flag any discrepancies before they become problems. No more chasing paper invoices around the practice.
- Supplier payment runsScheduled payment runs through Xero, processed via Wise for cost-effective domestic and international transfers. Suppliers paid on time, every time.
- Expense tracking and categorisationEvery payment categorised correctly against your sector-specific chart of accounts so your management accounts and VAT returns are accurate the first time.
- Supplier reconciliationMonthly reconciliation of supplier statements against your Xero ledger to catch missing invoices, duplicate payments and errors before year-end.
- Supplier communicationWe act as the liaison with your suppliers on payment queries, disputes and statement reconciliation. Your team does not get pulled into chasing it.
- AP reporting in your management accountsOutstanding payables, supplier ageing and cash outflow trends visible in your monthly management accounts so you can see what is going out before it goes out.
Why this is part of accounts, not a standalone service
AP cannot be done well in isolation
Outsourcing your accounts payable to a third-party AP-only provider sounds appealing – but in practice it creates more work, not less. Here is why we deliver AP only as part of a full accounts package:
- The reconciliation problemA separate AP provider pays suppliers from your bank account but does not own your management accounts. That means month-end reconciliation between what they paid and what your accountant records becomes your job – or it falls through the cracks and ends up as a year-end mess.
- VAT and tax implicationsWhether a supplier invoice can be reclaimed for VAT, allocated as a capital expense, or treated as a deductible cost is a tax decision. AP providers without accountancy qualifications cannot make those calls correctly – which results in over- or under-paying VAT and incorrect corporation tax.
- No financial oversightA separate AP function processes invoices but does not flag when supplier costs are rising faster than revenue, or when one category of spend is creeping outside your normal pattern. Inside an accounts package, your accountant sees both sides and tells you.
For dental practices in particular, where lab costs, materials and equipment financing all interact with profit margins and tax planning, splitting AP from your accounting function tends to cost more than it saves. We handle it as one connected service.
Tools and technology
Xero and Wise – the AP stack we deploy for dental practices
We do not use bespoke or proprietary software – we use the same tools you can verify yourself, configured properly for a dental practice.
Xero Partner
Samera is a Xero Partner. We use Xero as the system of record for every transaction, configured with a dental-specific chart of accounts and tracking categories so your AP data feeds directly into your management accounts and VAT returns.
Wise for payment processing
Supplier payments are processed through Wise for low-fee domestic transfers and competitive rates on international payments (useful for lab partners or equipment imports). Faster and cheaper than typical bank payment runs.
Where this sits
AP is included in Grow and Expand – and an add-on on Kick-Start
If you are considering outsourcing accounts payable, the answer for most practices is to take our Grow or Expand accounts package, which includes supplier payment runs and the full AP function as standard. The Kick-Start package can add AP as an optional extra.
Package
Kick-Start
£500/month + VAT
- AP coverage: Available as an add-on
- Best for: Smaller practices wanting essential compliance with AP added when needed
Package
Grow (Most popular)
£650/month + VAT
- AP coverage: Included – supplier payment run support
- Best for: Most established practices wanting AP handled as part of monthly accounts
Package
Expand
£950/month + VAT
- AP coverage: Included – full supplier payment runs + supplier reconciliation
- Best for: Larger practices, groups and DSOs with high invoice volume
For full package details, pricing and what’s included, see our packages:
Accounts for dental practice owners Accounts for dental groups
Who you’ll work with
Speak to the accounts payable team
Book a free, no-obligation call directly with the team member whose work matches what you need.
Accountancy Senior Manager
- Dental Accountancy and Tax for Practice Owner
- Finance Director Services
- Samera AI – Automation of Financial Systems
Business Development Executive – Accountancy and Tax
- Dental Accountancy and Tax for Dental Associates
- Making Tax Digital Expert
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
Client reviews
What our clients say
Samera have been my accountant for 7 years and have continued to provide me with accurate accounts and timely submissions. Their digital workflow eases the management of receipts and filing. I have found them to be supportive and knowledgeable particularly during the recent crisis.
Patrick, 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
Related services
Other ways Samera supports practice owners
Further reading
Guides to dental practice bookkeeping and tax
Bookkeeping for Dentists
Why good bookkeeping is the foundation of a well-run practice and how to keep your records in order throughout the year.
How to Manage Your Dental Practice Accounts
Six steps to managing the finances and accounting of your dental practice effectively.
Taxes for Dental Practice Owners
Corporation tax, VAT, capital allowances and how practice owners should think about VAT on supplier invoices.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just outsource accounts payable without using Samera for the rest of my accounts?
We do not offer AP as a standalone service, and we would not recommend a separate AP-only provider for a dental practice either. The reason is that supplier invoices have VAT and tax implications that only your accountant should be making decisions on – splitting AP from accounts tends to create reconciliation problems, incorrect VAT treatment and a year-end clean-up bill. AP is included in our Grow and Expand accounts packages.
How does the invoice receipt process actually work?
We set up a dedicated email address or Xero inbox where your suppliers send invoices directly. For paper invoices that still arrive at the practice, your team forwards them to us (or scans via the Xero app). Either way, the invoices land with our team for processing rather than piling up on your practice manager’s desk.
What about urgent or emergency supplier payments?
Standard payment runs are scheduled weekly or fortnightly depending on your package and supplier terms. For genuine emergencies (an engineer arriving, an equipment failure), we can process payments same-day through Wise. We agree the workflow with you at setup.
Will my suppliers know they are dealing with Samera rather than the practice?
We communicate with suppliers in your name and on your behalf – we are not asking suppliers to think of us as a third party. Most do not need to know who is processing the payments, only that the payments arrive correctly and on time.
What if a supplier invoice is wrong or there is a dispute?
We flag it to you with the discrepancy identified and our recommendation, and handle the back-and-forth with the supplier on resolution. You make the final call on whether to pay; we manage the legwork.
How does this integrate with my management accounts?
Every supplier payment is categorised correctly in Xero as it goes out, so your management accounts show real-time accounts payable position, supplier ageing, and category-level spend trends. No separate reports to chase – it is all in the monthly management pack.
Take supplier payments off your desk – properly
Accounts payable is one of the easiest things to outsource badly and one of the most useful to outsource well. Book a free 30-minute call with our team and we will look at your current AP volume, recommend the right package level and tell you what handover would involve.