Dentists Who Invest Podcast

UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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Selling a dental practice is meant to feel like a win, not a tax ambush, and the October 2026 Budget quietly shifts the goalposts for a lot of UK dentists. We unpack what’s changed and what it means for day-to-day decisions, long-term investing, and your eventual exit, using a simple structure: the ugly, the bad and the good. If you are a dental associate, a practice owner, or running income through a limited company, you’ll hear the parts that actually move your numbers.

First, we tackle the ugly: Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) is being cut, which can materially increase the tax on a practice sale after April 2027 unless you plan early. We talk through the practical planning angles, including spouse transfers, ownership thresholds, and the two-year qualifying rules that can catch people out. We also flag HMRC’s intention to speed up tax collection from April 2029 and why some self-employed dentists could feel a serious cash flow squeeze in the transition year if they have not been saving as they go.

Then we move into the bad and the good: higher tax on rental income and savings interest, why ISA allowance staying at £20,000 matters more than ever, and how HMRC’s bank-interest data matching increases the risk of accidental errors. We cover Making Tax Digital (MTD) threshold changes and the extended soft-landing period, e-invoicing on the horizon, mileage allowance increases, and why electric car benefit in kind rates remain a meaningful lever for limited company owners. We finish with founders’ relief headlines, plus holding company and substantial shareholding exemption considerations for dentists thinking beyond a single sale.

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

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UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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VAT is creeping into places UK dentists never expected and it is rarely obvious until the bill, the threshold, or the HMRC letter arrives. We sit down with Vanessa and VAT specialist Veronica Donnelly to make sense of why “dentistry is exempt” is no longer a safe shortcut, and what dental practices need to check before small edge cases turn into expensive problems.

We unpack the Invisalign VAT ruling and why it matters even if you never register for VAT: suppliers can charge VAT that you cannot recover, quietly raising your cost base. From there we widen the lens to the bigger risks, including reception desk retail sales, cosmetic dentistry services, teeth whitening, and how mixed treatments are judged using the principal purpose test. The key message is simple: VAT is standard rated by default unless you can prove an exemption applies.

Then we get practical on compliance. We talk reverse charge VAT on overseas services such as Google advertising, marketing and offshore “shared services”, and why those costs can count towards your VAT registration threshold on a rolling 12-month basis. We also cover what HMRC look for in patient notes, why written diagnosis and medical purpose matter, what “retrospective” can mean in real terms, and how confidentiality works if HMRC request records.

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

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UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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Mortgages are supposed to be boring. Instead, they’re one of the easiest places for UK dentists to lose money, waste time, or delay a big life move because of bad assumptions. We sit down with independent mortgage broker Daniel Marks to make the mortgage journey simple, clear, and dentist-specific, whether you’re buying your first home, moving up the ladder, considering a buy-to-let, or staring down a remortgage deadline.

We get practical about what lenders actually look for when your career path goes from foundation training to self-employed associate work. Daniel explains why the “you need two years of accounts” advice is often wrong for dentists, how some lenders can work from just three months’ pay schedules, and what changes once your first self-assessment is filed. We also unpack the reality behind low deposit lending, including 95% and 99% loan-to-value products and the conditions around 0% deposit mortgages, plus the real risk of negative equity and why underwriting gets tighter at the top end.

If you’re moving home, we talk through the planning that saves you thousands: checking for a porting clause, understanding early repayment charges, and thinking smartly about stamp duty and cashflow. For anyone approaching renewal, we share a simple remortgage rule that protects you when rates move: mark six months before your product end date, secure an offer, then keep reviewing. We also cover product transfers vs switching lenders, and when tracker rates or interest-only thinking can fit a disciplined long-term plan.

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

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UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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Retirement talk usually starts with pensions, drawdown, and the NHS scheme, but the real risk often shows up on a quiet Monday morning. You retire on Friday, and by 10am the next week there are no appointments, no inbox, and nobody “needs” you in the way they used to. That can feel like relief, or it can trigger a flicker of panic, and it has surprisingly little to do with how much money you have.

We sit down with financial planner Luke Hurley to unpack why retirement success is not directly correlated with wealth, and why dentists can struggle even after doing everything “right”. Luke explains the hidden pay cheque work provides: identity, routine, mental stimulation, effortless social contact, status, and purpose. When that disappears, retirement can feel like a loss, so we talk about how to replace it with intention, not guesswork.

We also tackle the biggest misconceptions: retirement is rarely a single event, you might not get to choose the exact timing, and couples often have different visions of what a good life looks like. We explore phased retirement, second careers, volunteering, and building a social portfolio before you leave practice life behind. Along the way we address saver’s paralysis, the shift from accumulation to decumulation, and how to give yourself permission to enjoy life now while still building financial independence.

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

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UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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Your dental practice is probably not short on software, it is short on connected software. When your PMS, X rays, CBCT, HR tools, compliance systems, dental CRM, call tracking, and reporting all live in different places, you pay twice: once in subscriptions and again in duplicated admin, missed follow ups, and a team that spends too much time switching tabs instead of caring for patients.

We sit down with Samantha Stone and Dr. Zahir Kaderbhai to unpack what a modern dental practice operating system can look like when it is built for today’s digital dentistry workflows. We talk about the shift from reactive “systems of record” to proactive platforms that flag what matters, automate routine tasks, and turn reporting into clear actions. Think dashboards that highlight diary utilisation issues, treatment conversions that stall, or patients who have not progressed after consults, without someone spending hours pulling reports and building spreadsheets.

We also get specific about AI in dentistry: why “AI native” software matters, what you can realistically delegate right now, and where the human touch still wins. You will hear practical examples like lab work tracking that helps fill diary gaps safely, app based patient self service that reduces routine phone calls, and AI supported clinical notes that can free up chairside time while improving the patient experience. We also cover risk reduction, from digital consent forms that cannot go missing to medical history change alerts that help protect clinicians under real world time pressure.

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

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UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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Turnover looks impressive on paper, but it can still leave you stressed, underpaid, and unsure what to do next. We sit down with Dr Barry and Shishir to get brutally clear on what drives dental practice profitability in the real world: margins, delivery costs, overheads, and the decisions principals avoid when they do not trust their numbers.

We unpack why improving the patient journey and the way you talk through treatment can lift daily production without adding more clinical days, and why “charging an hourly rate” often traps owners in a ceiling they cannot break. From there, we go deeper into associate performance and the awkward conversations around splits, expectations and underperformance. When you have accurate data, the conversation shifts from emotion and fear to fairness, clarity and long-term stability for the team and patients.

We also explore how modern dental finance software can close the gap between information and implementation. Shishir explains the value of real-time reporting and fast month-end management accounts, while Barry shares a practical warning about AI tools that are not accurate or contextual. We talk about Dentpulse, scenario planning (fees, hiring, profit targets), and why choosing the few biggest needle movers beats trying to fix everything at once..

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

Send us Fan Mail

UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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You can spend weeks choosing the “perfect” scanner, chair, or imaging kit, then accidentally overpay for it in the finance paperwork. We wanted to fix that gap. We’re joined by asset finance broker Gavin Kirkwood to break down equipment finance for dentists in plain English, from the first questions a lender asks to the decisions that quietly shape the total cost of borrowing.

We talk through what funders typically request (think recent business bank statements and filed accounts), why your business structure and trading history can open up better lenders, and how quickly a quote and approval can happen when the information is clean. We also get into the reality of broker versus direct deals: what a broker’s panel of funders actually changes, why disclosure matters, and how comparing the market helps you judge whether a “good” rate is genuinely good.

Then we zoom in on deal design. We cover typical fixed rate terms (often 24 to 60 months), how to think about cash flow versus paying down quickly, and why the asset itself affects pricing. If you’ve ever wondered why software can price differently to a recoverable piece of equipment, we explain the idea of hard, medium, and soft assets. We also touch on deposits, including when VAT upfront is common on hire purchase, and when a lease might allow lower or even zero deposit depending on profile.

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

Send us Fan Mail

UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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Your bookkeeping is no longer a dusty spreadsheet you revisit at year end. With Making Tax Digital and tighter margins, the numbers behind your dentistry decide how calm you feel about tax, how confident a lender feels about backing you, and how attractive your practice looks to a future buyer.

We sit down with Darren Nicholson from Azets to map out what “good management information” looks like at each stage of a dental career. We start with associates and the practical realities of quarterly reporting, then move into what changes the moment you become a principal: monthly management accounts, clean categorisation, and a simple rhythm that turns compliance into control. We talk about forecasting your tax bill 12 to 18 months ahead, so 31 January stops being a panic and becomes a plan.

From there, we get specific about dental practice KPIs and benchmarking. We discuss turnover against target, direct costs like materials and labs, staff costs, marketing effectiveness, EBITDA, and why context matters when you’re trying to judge whether your numbers are “normal”. We also cover how practice management software can link into Xero or QuickBooks for better drill-down, including income by chair and utilisation gaps, plus the common set-up mistakes that make reports misleading.

If you want stronger cash flow, better tax planning, and lender-ready reporting that supports growth or an eventual exit, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a practice owner friend, and leave a review with the one KPI you want to get under control next.

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

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UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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You can spend months hunting for the “perfect” dental practice, then lose thousands by saying yes to the wrong loan structure or the wrong assumptions. James sits down with Dan Fearon from Saroma Finance to pull back the curtain on dental practice finance in the UK, focusing on the real world pitfalls that trip buyers up right before they sign. If you’re planning a first practice purchase, or you’re refinancing ahead of growth, this is the practical checklist you want in your pocket.

We get specific about practice valuation and the numbers that drive bank lending. Dan explains how EBITDA is used to judge serviceability, why “add backs” can be legitimate or dangerously optimistic, and how projected figures in sales particulars can inflate confidence without improving your chances with a lender. We also talk through independence and small print: what to watch for if a sales route funnels you into an in house finance team, and how to keep your options open so you can compare terms properly.

Then we move into loan structure and what many dentists do not realise is possible: interest only periods at the start of a loan, longer terms that reduce monthly repayments, fixed versus variable rate trade offs, and the ability to make lump sum overpayments. Finally, we demystify 100% finance on goodwill and freehold and why it’s less about headlines and more about whether the practice can cover your drawings and the repayments.

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

Send us Fan Mail

Special Offer: Get 15% OFF your first FIGS order with code FIGSUK at checkout.
Shop now at https://www.wearfigs.com/

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UK Dentists: Collect your verifiable CPD for this episode here >>> https://courses.dentistswhoinvest.com/smart-money-members-club

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London can feel like noise until you realise it’s also a massive amplifier. We sit down in the new studio, swap interviewer and interviewee roles, and unpack what genuinely changed once we prioritised real-world conversations over staying entirely online. If you’re a UK dentist trying to build confidence, grow a business, or simply make smarter decisions with money, the thread running through everything is simple: proximity to the right people speeds up learning, clarity, and opportunity. 

We get practical about the internal stuff that holds most of us back. Fear is not a character flaw, it’s often an outdated survival response, and it shows up hardest when you want to be visible: networking, public speaking, posting content, or walking into a room where you don’t know anyone. We talk through how to reframe those feelings, how reps build competence, and why making “learning” the win helps you escape analysis paralysis and actually move. 

From there we zoom out to what Dentists Who Invest has become: a community plus education that includes verifiable CPD through the Smart Money Members Club, with a focus on dental finance, tax efficiency, investing, and building a healthier relationship with income and time. We also share why Business of Dentistry exists, what’s different about our events, and why The Entrepreneur’s Den aims to bring ethical profitability and dental innovation into the same room. If this sparks something, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave us a review so more dentists can find it.

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Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education purposes only and does not constitute an investment recommendation or individual financial advice. For that, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, so you may get back less than you invest. The views expressed on this channel may no longer be current. The information provided is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in the future. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment, you should speak to a regulated, independent professional. Investment figures quoted refer to simulated past performance and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results/performance.

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