Accountants for Private Practice Doctors
We work with doctors who earn income outside standard NHS payroll, including private consultants, private GPs, medico-legal experts, clinic owners, specialist surgeons, anaesthetists, psychiatrists, radiologists and doctors providing private hospital, advisory or consultancy services.
We support doctors whose income is no longer just one NHS payslip.
Private practice can create a more complex tax position. Income may come from private hospitals, clinics, insurers, medico-legal agencies, direct patients, limited companies, partnerships or consultancy contracts. The tax position needs to reflect how the work is actually carried out and how the money is received.
Private income needs to be matched to the correct reporting route.
A private practice doctor may need self-employment pages, partnership pages, employment pages, company accounts or director entries depending on the structure.
Higher income can affect pension tax, payments on account and cashflow.
Private income can increase income tax, payments on account and NHS pension annual allowance exposure, especially for consultants and higher earning GPs.
Good records protect the position if HMRC asks questions.
Private hospital statements, invoices, bank receipts, secretary costs, indemnity, room hire and expense evidence should be organised before the tax return is prepared.
We look at the full position: income, structure, expenses, pension tax, VAT risk and HMRC compliance.
Private practice tax should not be treated as a simple add-on to an NHS salary. We review the commercial arrangement, how you are paid, what expenses are supported, whether a company is useful and whether any pension or VAT issues arise.
Income map
Private hospital fees, clinics, medico-legal reports, advisory work, waiting list work and consultancy income.
Structure review
Self-employed, company, partnership, GP practice, employment, agency or mixed income routes.
Expense review
Indemnity, GMC, BMA, Royal College, secretary, billing, room hire, software, travel and equipment.
Pension and VAT
Annual allowance, tapering, Scheme Pays, VAT exemptions and non-clinical service risk.
Filing and planning
Tax return, accounts, Corporation Tax, payments on account, disclosure notes and next-year planning.
We work with private practice doctors at different stages of their practice.
The right support depends on whether you are starting private work, growing an established practice, using a company, receiving medico-legal income or dealing with historic tax issues.
Doctors starting private practice
Registration, income tracking, expense categories, first tax return, payments on account and initial structure review.
Private tax →Established private consultants
Ongoing accounts, income reconciliation, expense review, pension tax, tax planning and HMRC-ready records.
Accounts →Doctors using a limited company
Company accounts, Corporation Tax, salary, dividends, director loan account, pension contributions and extraction planning.
Company accounts →Medico-legal and expert witness doctors
Fee income, report writing, expert witness work, VAT review, expense treatment and tax return reporting.
Review income →Services commonly needed by private practice doctors.
These are the main service pages that connect with private practice doctors. The right combination depends on your income route and tax position.
Private Practice Tax for Doctors
Tax advice for doctors with clinic income, private hospital work, medico-legal income, consultancy fees and private GP income.
View service →Self Assessment for Doctors
Tax return preparation for doctors with NHS income, private income, pension tax, rental income, foreign income or capital gains.
View service →GP and Consultant Accounts
Accounts and tax support for private consultants, GPs, specialists, partnerships and doctors with trading income.
View service →Limited Company Accounts for Doctors
Company accounts, Corporation Tax, salary and dividend planning, director loan account review and company compliance.
View service →NHS Pension Annual Allowance
Annual allowance, tapered annual allowance, pension savings statements, carry-forward and Scheme Pays review.
View service →Tax Planning for Doctors
Planning for private income, company structure, pension tax, property, capital gains, family tax and HMRC risk.
View service →A private practice doctor may need more than one tax treatment in the same year.
A doctor may have NHS PAYE income, private hospital income, medico-legal fees, company dividends, rental income and NHS pension annual allowance exposure in the same tax year. Looking at one part in isolation can lead to poor advice.
We connect the tax return, accounts, PAYE position, company structure, pension tax and HMRC compliance position so the overall tax treatment is consistent.
Payments on account can surprise doctors starting private work.
A first year of private income can create a balancing payment and advance payments for the next year. We help estimate this before the deadline.
Private income can affect NHS pension tax.
Additional income can affect threshold income, adjusted income and tapered annual allowance calculations.
Not all medical-related income has the same VAT treatment.
Clinical care, medico-legal reports, expert witness work, consultancy and management services may need separate VAT review.
Historic private income errors should be dealt with carefully.
If earlier private income was missed, the correct amendment or disclosure route should be checked before contacting HMRC.
What private practice doctors usually need to provide.
The exact records depend on whether you operate personally, through a company, through a partnership, or receive private income through payroll.
Private hospital statements, clinic income, invoices, medico-legal fee notes, remittance advice and bank receipts.
Indemnity, professional subscriptions, secretary costs, room hire, billing fees, travel, software, equipment and training costs.
P60, payslips, pension statements and NHS employment details where the private income affects wider tax or pension position.
Company bank statements, bookkeeping records, payroll, dividends, director loan account and previous accounts if a company is used.
Previous tax returns, HMRC statements, coding notices, pension tax calculations and any HMRC letters.
A practical process for private practice doctors.
We start with how the income is earned, then prepare accounts, tax returns and planning advice around the actual records.
Understand the private practice arrangement
We review how you are paid, who pays you, whether you use a company, and what other income affects the tax position.
Review income and expenses
We organise income streams, check expense evidence and identify any VAT, pension or HMRC risk points.
Prepare the filing position
We prepare the tax return, accounts, company filings, pension tax entries or disclosure notes as required.
Plan the next year
We confirm payments on account, record keeping, company extraction, pension tax exposure and practical next steps.
Common questions from private practice doctors.
These answers are general only. The correct position depends on your contracts, income route, expenses, company structure, VAT position and pension position.
Do private practice doctors need a tax return?
Usually, yes, where private income is not fully taxed through PAYE. The tax return may need self-employment, partnership, employment or company-related entries depending on how the income is received.
Can a private practice doctor use a limited company?
Sometimes, but it should be reviewed carefully. The answer depends on contracts, IR35 risk, profit level, pension position, VAT, extraction needs and compliance cost.
What expenses can private practice doctors claim?
Common areas include indemnity, room hire, secretary support, billing fees, software, professional fees, travel, equipment and training. Each cost should be supported and linked to the income route.
Can private practice income affect NHS pension annual allowance?
Yes. Private income can affect adjusted income and tapered annual allowance calculations, so pension tax should be reviewed for higher earning doctors.
Can you help if private income was missed from earlier tax returns?
Yes. We can review whether an amendment, disclosure or HMRC response is needed, depending on the tax year, behaviour, amount and whether HMRC has already contacted you.
Need an accountant for private practice income, accounts or tax planning?
Send a short summary of your private practice income, how you are paid, whether you use a company and the tax year involved. We will confirm the records needed and the next step.