Dentists: Your Best Tax Savings Happen Before December

Many dental practice owners wait until tax season to make moves, but by then the best options are often gone. October and November are the real planning months—when you still have time to lower taxable income, protect cash flow, and make smarter decisions before the year ends.

Tax planning clock for dentists

1. Time equipment purchases carefully

Planning to buy a scanner, chair, or imaging upgrade? If the equipment is purchased and placed in service before December 31, it may qualify for bonus depreciation or Section 179 treatment, which can create a large first-year deduction. Wait until January, and you may wait another full year for the tax benefit.

2. Review retirement plan contributions

A 401(k), profit-sharing plan, or cash balance plan can move money out of current taxable income and into your future. The key is starting early enough to confirm cash flow, payroll settings, and contribution targets before deadlines get tight.

Payroll and tax records for a dental practice

3. Check payroll, owner comp, and year-end deductions

If your practice is an S-corp, your salary should still be reasonable for the work you perform. Year-end is the last good time to review owner compensation before W-2s are set. This is also the moment to look at charitable gifts and any qualifying expenses you can prepay, such as supplies, insurance, or other routine costs, if your accounting method allows it.

4. Learn from the practices that plan ahead

Picture two dentists: one waits until April, opens the tax return, and discovers the year is already over. Another meets with an advisor in October, buys needed equipment, adjusts compensation, and funds retirement before the deadline. The second practice usually keeps more of what it earned.

If you want a clearer year-end plan, now is the time to act. Schedule a tax strategy conversation before December closes the window, so your practice can finish the year with more control and less regret.

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