We have been working with dentists since 2002. The costly mistakes are not the clients we lose, it’s the clients we should never have taken on in the first place. So here is our honest list.

If the fee is your main question

We are not the cheapest dental accountant in the UK, and we are nowhere near the cheapest accountant in your town. If you are switching to save a few hundred pounds a year, you will find someone cheaper than us, and you should take it.

One thing worth saying, though. The fee is rarely where the money is. The money is in how your practice is set up, how and when you take your income, what you do before you buy or sell rather than after, and whether anyone looks at your numbers between year-ends. An accountant who files on time and says nothing else is not saving you money. They are just not costing you much.

But if you have thought about that and still want the lowest fee, we are not your firm.

If you want an accountant who only files

Some dentists and practice owners genuinely want the accounts done, the tax return filed, and no phone calls. No strategy chats, nobody asking about the five-year plan. That is a perfectly reasonable way to buy accountancy, and plenty of good firms do exactly that, often for less than we charge.

We work the other way round. We will ask about the plan. If you do not want to be asked, we will irritate you.

Our team comprises accountants, tax planners, growth strategists, finance brokers, start-up consultants, acquisition experts and a network of dental industry suppliers. We don’t just file accounts, we help you build a better business.

If you are not in dentistry

Our whole business is UK dental and healthcare practices. The benchmarks, the tax planning, the lender contacts, the sale experience, the software. All of it comes from dentistry. If you run something outside healthcare, a general firm that knows your sector will do a better job than a dental specialist stretching to fit.

If you need clinical help

We are accountants, not clinicians. We do not advise on clinical decisions and we keep away from patient records. Your GDC and CQC duties are yours. If what you need is clinical compliance support, that is a different supplier entirely.

If you want to move accountants mid-year for no particular reason

Switching is not free, even when the new firm is better. There is a handover, there is a spell where two firms each hold half the picture, and if you move at the wrong point in your year-end cycle you can end up paying twice for the same work.

Sometimes moving mid-year is clearly right. If the relationship has broken down, or you are about to buy a practice and need a specialist in the room now, do it. Often the sensible answer is to move at your year-end instead. We will tell you which we think it is, including when the answer is “not yet”.

If you want us to be aggressive with HMRC

We plan tax properly and we plan it hard. What we will not do is sign off something we think will not survive a closer look, whatever you have been told is possible elsewhere. If your aim is to pay less tax than the rules allow, we are not the firm for you, and it is better you know now than in a letter from HMRC in three years.

If you want everything done without any involvement from you

The clients who get the most from us send their information on time, take a call when we ask, and make decisions.

We do offer bookkeeping, and it takes a lot off your hands. But if your books are a year behind and what you really want is an accountant who also chases you every month to do your part, there is a level of disengagement where no accountant can help. It is fairer to say so than to bill for it.

If you have already decided we are not right

Then do not switch. This is a relationship that lasts years, and how it feels matters more than the credentials on the website.

So who are we for?

Dental associates, practice owners and groups who want an accountant who knows dentistry inside and out, who want more than a filing service, and who have plans for what comes next. That might mean buying or starting a practice, growing, restructuring or eventually selling.

In practice, we tend to suit you if:

• You are a dental associate who wants more than annual accounts and a tax return.
• You own a practice or group, or you are preparing to buy your first.
• You want proactive tax planning and advice, not just compliance.
• You want better visibility of your numbers and what they mean.
• You are happy to be asked awkward questions about your finances and plans.
• You would rather hear “don’t do that” early than “we should have talked” late.

Samera was started in 2002 by a chartered accountant and a dentist, and we still run our own practices. That is why we can be this blunt about fit. We have sat on your side of the table.

What next

If you think we might suit you, the first call is free and takes half an hour. Sometimes the honest outcome of that call is us telling you we may not be the best fit together. You can also fill in the contact form, call, email or WhatsApp is if you’d prefer.

Get in touch

• Book a call: Contact the team
• Email: info@samera.co.uk
• Phone: (+44) 20 7100 8788
• WhatsApp: Message us on WhatsApp

If you would rather do your own homework first, our fees page and calculators are there with no form to fill in.

Take a look at our main services to find out more about how we can help you.