Category Archives: Selling

It’s tax season.

For most practice owners, that means gathering documents, reviewing numbers, and trying to minimize what goes out the door to the IRS.

But here’s something many dentists don’t fully realize:

Your tax return is one of the most important documents in determining the value of your practice.

If you’re thinking about selling in the next few years, what’s on that return matters — sometimes more than you think.

Let’s break down why.

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📊 Buyers and Banks Rely on Tax Returns — Not Just Your Word

When a buyer makes an offer on your practice, their lender doesn’t base approval on optimism.

They base it on documentation.

Banks typically request:

• The last 3 years of business tax returns

• Year-to-date profit and loss statements

• Production and collection reports

• Personal financial statements

Your tax return becomes the foundation for underwriting. If the numbers don’t support the purchase price, the deal becomes harder to finance — even if the practice looks strong operationally.

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🧮 Taxable Income vs. True Earnings (Understanding “Add-Backs”)

Many practice owners run legitimate business expenses through the practice that are partially discretionary:

• Auto expenses

• Travel

• Cell phones

• Continuing education

• Certain family payroll arrangements

In a valuation, these may be considered “add-backs” — expenses that are added back to determine true cash flow.

However, here’s the important part:

Add-backs must be defensible and documented.

Aggressive deductions without clarity create doubt.

Buyers and lenders prefer clean, explainable financials over creative accounting.

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⚠️ The Risk of Over-Minimizing Income

It’s completely legal — and common — to structure your business in a tax-efficient way.

But if you’re consistently driving your net income down as low as possible, it can impact:

• Practice valuation multiples

• Buyer confidence

• Loan approval strength

• Negotiating leverage

You can’t have it both ways indefinitely.

If you plan to sell in 2–3 years, it may make sense to start thinking strategically about how your reported income reflects your practice’s true earning power.

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📈 Why Planning Ahead Matters

The strongest practice sales I see aren’t rushed decisions.

They’re planned.

When an owner starts preparing 2–3 years in advance, we can:

• Normalize expenses thoughtfully

• Identify opportunities to increase profitability

• Improve hygiene percentage

• Address declining trends early

• Position the practice for maximum lender confidence

Waiting until you’re ready to list often limits your options.

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💡 Your Tax Return Is More Than a Filing — It’s a Story

When a buyer reviews your financials, they’re asking:

• Is this practice stable?

• Is revenue trending up, down, or flat?

• Are expenses controlled?

• Is there upside opportunity?

• Does this support debt service?

Your tax return tells that story.

The cleaner and more consistent the story, the stronger your negotiating position.

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Thinking About Selling in the Next Few Years?

If a transition is even on your radar — whether it’s 12 months away or 3 years out — now is the time to understand how your financials impact your value.

If you’re considering selling your dental practice in the next few years, let’s schedule a confidential review to see how your financials position you in today’s market.

The best exits are intentional.

Spring has a way of making us look at things differently.

You clean out closets. You organize your garage. You start thinking about projects you’ve been putting off.

For many practice owners, spring is also when the thought quietly creeps in:

“Maybe this is the year I start planning my exit.”

Even if you’re 2–3 years away from selling, what you do now can significantly impact the value and marketability of your practice. If you’re even considering a transition in the next few years, this is the perfect time to take a hard look at your practice.

Here are seven areas worth evaluating right now.

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1️⃣ Your Financial Statements (Clean and Clear Wins)

Buyers and banks rely heavily on your tax returns and profit-and-loss statements.

Ask yourself:

• Are expenses categorized properly?

• Are personal expenses clearly identifiable?

• Are there unusual one-time expenses that need explanation?

• Is your CPA producing clean, consistent reports?

The cleaner your financials, the smoother your sale process will be. Sloppy or unclear books create hesitation, delay underwriting, and can reduce perceived value.

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2️⃣ Insurance Participation and PPO Mix

When was the last time you evaluated your participation agreements?

Buyers today are scrutinizing:

• PPO dependency

• Fee schedules

• Reimbursement trends

• Patient retention tied to specific plans

If you are heavily PPO-dependent, understanding your fee structure now gives you time to adjust strategically before going to market.

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3️⃣ Hygiene Production and Recall Effectiveness

A strong hygiene department is one of the most attractive features of a general practice.

Review:

• Hygiene as a percentage of total production

• Pre-appointment rates

• Active vs inactive patients

• Recall system effectiveness

Buyers view hygiene as stability. A healthy hygiene program often translates directly into stronger offers.

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4️⃣ Accounts Receivable (AR)

A bloated or aging AR report raises red flags.

Look at:

• AR over 90 days

• Collection percentage

• Write-offs and adjustments

• Credit balances

Cleaning up AR before listing your practice signals strong operational discipline and avoids unnecessary negotiation issues later.

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5️⃣ Facility Condition and Equipment

You don’t need a full renovation before selling — but deferred maintenance stands out quickly.

Evaluate:

• Flooring, paint, lighting

• Upholstery condition

• Sterilization flow

• Major equipment age (pan, compressor, vac, chairs)

Small cosmetic updates can dramatically improve buyer perception. First impressions matter.

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6️⃣ Technology and Systems

Are you running current practice management software?

Digital radiography?

Intraoral scanning?

You don’t need every new gadget, but outdated systems can make a practice feel harder to step into.

More important than the technology itself is whether your systems are organized and transferable.

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7️⃣ Team Stability

One of the first questions buyers ask:

“Is the staff staying?”

If you have:

• Long-tenured employees

• Clear roles and responsibilities

• Stable compensation structures

• Positive team culture

You have a major selling advantage.

If there are unresolved staffing issues, now is the time to address them — not when you’re under contract.

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Why Planning 2–3 Years Ahead Matters

The strongest practice transitions don’t happen by accident.

They happen when an owner:

• Plans ahead

• Understands their numbers

• Makes small strategic adjustments

• Prepares emotionally and operationally

Spring is a great checkpoint. Even if you’re not ready to sell tomorrow, being proactive now gives you control over your timeline and your value.

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Thinking About Selling in the Next Few Years?

If you’re considering a transition in the next 1–3 years — even casually — a confidential valuation review can give you clarity.

You don’t need to commit to selling.

You just need to understand where you stand.

And sometimes, that clarity alone changes everything.

If you’re considering selling your dental practice in the next few years, let’s schedule a confidential review so you can understand your options and plan strategically.

Many dental practices are busy.

Full schedules. Long days. Production numbers that look solid on paper.

But when buyers describe a practice as “turnkey,” they’re not talking about how hard the current owner works. They’re talking about how smoothly the practice runs without them.

And those two things aren’t always the same.

Busy Doesn’t Mean Transferable

A practice can produce very well, and still feel risky to a buyer.

Why? Because buyers aren’t purchasing your effort. They’re purchasing a business they need to step into and operate immediately. If success depends on the selling doctor holding everything together, buyers notice.

Common signs a practice is busy but not turnkey:

• The doctor personally handles scheduling issues, staffing gaps, or billing problems

• Key processes aren’t documented because “everyone knows how it works”

• Production drops off quickly when the doctor is out

None of these are unusual; but they do affect how a buyer evaluates the transition.

Turnkey Means Predictable

From a buyer’s perspective, a turnkey practice is one where the day-to-day operation is consistent and understandable.

That usually includes:

• Stable scheduling patterns

• A hygiene department that runs independently

• Clear roles and accountability within the team

• Systems that function the same way every day

Predictability reduces risk. Risk affects price, terms, and buyer confidence.

High Production Can Mask Operational Gaps

Strong collections can sometimes hide inefficiencies:

• Backlogged schedules covering up poor recall systems

• Long hours compensating for weak delegation

• Referrals increasing because certain procedures no longer fit the doctor’s schedule

Buyers and lenders look past surface-level performance to see whether the practice can sustain itself under new ownership.

What Buyers Ask Themselves

When evaluating a practice, buyers are quietly asking:

• Can I step in without disrupting patients or staff?

• Can I maintain production while learning the systems?

• What breaks first if something changes?

If the answers aren’t clear, buyers slow down, or adjust their expectations.

Why This Matters for Sellers

Being “not turnkey” isn’t a failure. It’s a snapshot in time.

The good news is that many of the things buyers look for are fixable with planning:

• Documenting workflows

• Adjusting scheduling structures

• Strengthening the hygiene department

• Reducing single-person dependencies

Understanding the difference between busy and turnkey—before going to market—gives sellers the ability to improve how their practice is perceived, not just how it performs.

A practice doesn’t need to be perfect to be attractive. It does need to feel transferable.