What we handle
A complete payroll and pensions service for dental practices
Managing payroll for a dental practice involves more than just paying staff on time. PAYE submissions, pension auto-enrolment, P60s, P11Ds for benefits in kind, and the ongoing compliance requirements of running a payroll are all details that carry penalties if they go wrong. We take the whole thing off your plate.
Payroll and pensions sits within our dental accountancy service – the operational workstream that handles staff pay, tax and pension compliance.
- Monthly payroll processingPayslips, calculations and PAYE submissions for all staff every pay period.
- Pension auto-enrolmentSetting up and managing workplace pension schemes and ongoing compliance with auto-enrolment duties.
- PAYE submissionsReal Time Information (RTI) submissions to HMRC every pay period, accurately and on time.
- Year-end payrollP60 preparation and distribution for all employees at year end.
- P11D and benefits in kindAnnual reporting of company cars, private medical and other employee benefits to HMRC.
- New starter and leaver processingP45s, starter declarations and all the compliance that goes with staff changes.
- Variable pay and timesheetsProcessing variable hours, overtime, bonuses and other non-standard pay elements.
- HMRC correspondenceHandling any queries or notices from HMRC relating to your payroll.
Also looking after associate pay?
Associate pay is a separate process from staff payroll – it involves calculating self-employed associate earnings from clinical activity data rather than processing employed staff wages. Samera offers a dedicated automated associate pay service that connects directly to Dentally, SOE Exact and Xero. Many practice owners use both services together.
Why it matters
Can a general payroll provider handle a dental practice?
Technically yes – but there are specific areas where a generalist will either get it wrong or not know to flag it. NHS pension contributions, the treatment of associates alongside employed staff, and the correct classification of variable hours workers are all areas where dental payroll differs from standard payroll. A general payroll provider processes what you give them. A specialist knows what questions to ask before anything goes to HMRC. The consequences of errors in these areas are not theoretical – they show up as penalty notices, backdated contributions and staff disputes that take significant time to resolve.
NHS pension contributions
NHS employees require specific pension handling. The rules around NHS pension contributions, tiered rates and employer contributions are different from standard workplace pensions and need to be managed correctly.
Variable hours and shift patterns
Dental nursing and reception staff often work variable hours, part-time arrangements or irregular shifts. Payroll that does not handle this accurately creates underpayment and overpayment risks.
Mixed workforce complexity
Most practices employ a mix of full-time, part-time and sometimes temporary or locum staff alongside self-employed associates. The payroll treatment differs for each category and needs careful management.
Auto-enrolment compliance
Missing auto-enrolment deadlines or failing to enrol eligible workers correctly results in HMRC penalties. The thresholds and rules around postponement, re-enrolment and contribution levels need active monitoring.
How it works
A straightforward monthly process
- You send us your payroll informationEach pay period you submit hours worked, any changes to staff, new starters, leavers and any variable pay elements through our secure online portal. No emails back and forth.
- We process and reviewKaryn and the payroll team process everything, check for errors, calculate PAYE and pension contributions, and prepare payslips and RTI submissions.
- You approveYou review the payroll summary through your employer portal and approve it. You keep full visibility of everything without having to do the work.
- We submit and distributeRTI submissions go to HMRC, payslips go to staff, and pension contributions are processed. Everything is documented and stored in your secure portal.
Client reviews
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
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
Who you’ll work with
Speak to the payroll and pensions team
Book a free, no-obligation call directly with the team member whose work matches what you need. Karyn leads the payroll service – get in touch via the form below to speak with her directly.
Client Service Manager · Payroll and Pensions Lead
- Payroll Processing and PAYE Compliance
- Pension Auto-Enrolment and Submissions
- HMRC Correspondence and Client Services
Accountancy Senior Manager
- Dental Accountancy and Tax for Practice Owner
- Finance Director Services
- Samera AI – Automation of Financial Systems
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
Dental accountants
Full dental accounts and tax service – payroll is one operational work stream.
Automated associate pay
AI-powered associate pay calculations via Dentally, SOE Exact and Xero.
Related reading
Guides to dental practice payroll and pay
Payroll for dentists
The full guide to dental practice payroll – HMRC compliance, NHS pensions and auto-enrolment.
Automating dental associate pay with AI
How Samera AI handles self-employed associate pay alongside your staff payroll.
Bookkeeping tips for dentists
The financial admin foundations that sit alongside payroll compliance.
Taxes for dental practice owners
How PAYE, employer NI and payroll-related tax sits within the wider practice tax picture.
See all our payroll and accounts resources →
FAQs
Does Samera handle NHS pension contributions?
Yes. NHS employees require specific pension handling that differs from standard workplace pensions. We manage NHS pension contributions, tiered contribution rates and employer obligations correctly alongside standard auto-enrolment requirements for non-NHS staff in the same practice.
We have a mix of full-time, part-time and zero hours staff. Can you handle this?
Yes. We process payroll for dental practices with all types of employment arrangements – full-time, part-time, variable hours, zero hours contracts and temporary staff. Each employee’s pay is calculated correctly based on their actual hours and contractual terms.
Is the payroll service included in the accounts packages?
Payroll is available as a standalone service or alongside an accounts package. Our practice owner accounts packages include payroll as an integrated part of the service. If you already have an accounts package elsewhere and just need payroll, speak to us about a standalone arrangement.
What is the difference between payroll and associate pay?
Staff payroll covers employed members of your team – nurses, receptionists, treatment coordinators – who are paid a salary or hourly rate through PAYE. Associate pay covers self-employed dental associates who are paid a percentage of their clinical activity, which requires a completely different calculation process. Samera handles both – see our automated associate pay service for detail on how we handle the associate side.
How do you handle auto-enrolment if we are a new employer?
We set up your workplace pension scheme, register with The Pensions Regulator, assess your eligible workers and manage the enrolment process from the start. We then handle ongoing compliance – re-enrolment every three years, managing opt-outs and keeping your records in order for audit purposes.
Can you take over payroll from our existing provider?
Yes. We handle the transition from your existing payroll provider, request the necessary records, and make sure nothing is disrupted during the handover. Most switches take two to three weeks. We will tell you in advance exactly what we need from your current provider to make it smooth.
Take payroll off your plate
Book a free call with Karyn to discuss your practice payroll requirements. We will explain exactly what is involved, what it costs, and how the transition works.