Forgotten Tax Deductions

It’s estimated that most dental practices overpay their taxes. We don’t want yours to be one of them!

There are several deductions where your dental practice could be saving money on taxes, even on everyday expenses. Two words to keep in mind when claiming dental tax deductions: ordinary and necessary. Both conditions must apply for the expense to be tax deductible.

Read below for eight dental tax deductions to keep more money in your practice. 

Some tax deductions you’re probably already aware of, like premiums for malpractice insurance or the 50 percent deduction for meals and entertainment.

 Talk to your tax advisor to see what applies in your situation.

Supplies

Everything from toothbrushes to cotton balls to dental eyewear can and should be tracked – and deducted. This includes office stationery and administrative supplies.

Lab Fees

Lab fees can be 10 percent or more of your practice’s budget, so make them count on your taxes. Think x-rays, crowns, partials, molds, and dentures. Keep track of these fees for tax savings.

Continuing Education

Even if you don’t consider yourself a lifelong learner, your office’s yearly subscription to a dental industry magazine could be tax deductible. So could your costs and fees associated with exams, licensing, conferences, and certifications. Go ahead and pursue that specialty!

Vehicles

There are three ways to deduct vehicle expenses: 1) buy the vehicle through your dental practice (if your business structure is a corporation), and include personal vehicle expenses as income on your individual tax return 2) track mileage expenses or 3) track actual expenses.

Number one is complicated and merits a call to your tax advisor. The current mileage rate is 53.5 cents per mile for 2017 (54 cents per mile for 2016). Or, to track actual expenses, keep a log of oil changes, repairs and maintenance, gas, and so on. Note that ordinary trips to and from your office don’t apply for standard mileage rates, but trips to other offices or business meetings do.

Utilities

Keep a record of your dental practice’s water, electric, gas, phone, internet, rent and/or mortgage payments.

Employee salaries, healthcare, and retirement accounts

You probably already know you can deduct the employer’s contributions to retirement and healthcare accounts. But you might not be aware of the recent change allowing employer-funded health savings accounts, or that your spouse can earn a salary that can also save money on taxes (there are many ways to do this; call our office for more information).

Read our blog post on Tax Savings for Dentists for more information.

Advertising and marketing

The cost of promoting your dental practice is tax deductible. So take out that ad in the local business journal, and send those mailers. Then include the fees on your taxes.

Legal and Tax Fees

Finally, you can deduct the cost of your attorney and tax professional. We can show you how – contact us today!