The Tax Implications of Starting a Dental Practice Transition

The decision to begin the process of transitioning your practice into the hands of your successor is a tough one, of course. It’s been the center of your life for years, and even if you’re totally ready to ride off into the sunset of retirement, it can be tough. If you don’t have your financials in order before you start the process, it can be torture. That includes your taxes.

The way your practice is structured as a business will have a major impact on your tax obligations after selling. There’s a significant difference between what you’ll owe after selling a C-corporation and what you’d own from selling a sole proprietorship, for example. And that all needs to be taken into account before making the sale.

There are two ways to sell your practice – by selling a partnership interest or stock, or by selling off the practice’s assets. Generally you as the seller will prefer the first option, as it carries with it a capital gain treatment of 15-20%. The buyer, on the other hand, will prefer a sale of assets, because then they will reap the benefits of depreciation. If it is not pre-determined by the transition structure in place, you can negotiate with your buyer, and find a level of price and sale type that suits you both the best.

You’ll also need to negotiate the method of financing your buyer will use. In the event that they cannot or prefer not to go through a bank, it’s possible they could pay through seller financing – that is, essentially you would hold a note on the purchase price as negotiated, loan the money to the buyer, and they would pay you back over time. You get the benefit of keeping the bank out as a middleman, and won’t have to recognize the gain from the sale all at once. The flip side to this option, however, is that you lose the time value of money of getting that money to work for you in the market. There are times when seller-financing is ideal, but for the most part, it is not the first choice by anyone because it muddies the relationship between partners.

But when negotiating price, remember this – you won’t be keeping all of the money paid, no matter what. Even if the bank’s not involved, it’s income and you will be taxed for it. So don’t start eyeing that yacht or Lamborghini until the whole procedure is complete – including your tax liability.