Dentists
Accounting for dentists, from the business side of the chair
From your first associate role to selling the practice you built, money decisions add up. These guides cover what dentists actually earn, what practices cost and sell for, and how payroll tax, super and structure work. They're written by an accountant who co-owns and runs a dental clinic.
WeGrow Dental Benchmarks 2026
The numbers, from our dental clients
- Dentist income, 6+ years
- $160k to $300k
- Associate rate, emerging standard
- 35% of billings
- Healthy clinic profit margin
- 10% to 20%
- Practice sale price
- 70% to 120% of revenue
By career stage
Start where you are
Guides
Guides for dentists
What dentists actually earn in Australia
Income by experience, metro vs regional, specialists, and why hours and scope matter more than ownership.
Associate dentists: pay, ABN, tax and agreements
Percentage rates, lab fees, contractor vs employee, structure and what you can claim.
Buying a dental practice
What it costs, how we check the numbers, buying as a non-dentist, and buy-in vs start-up.
How much is a dental practice worth?
Multiples, the buyer question, and why records decide the price, with three scenarios.
Running a dental practice: the numbers that matter
Profit margin, cost ratios, chair revenue, owner pay and the three numbers to watch weekly.
Payroll tax for dental practices
How the contractor rules work, what changed in QLD and VIC, and how to review your arrangements.
Super for dentists
The 2026-27 concessional cap, how contributions are taxed, catch-up contributions, associates and SMSFs.
Using super for dental treatment
When early release applies, why a clinical assessment matters, and what practices can't promote.
Setting up a dental clinic from scratch
Real fit-out, chair, CBCT and scanner costs, and the planning stages.
GST for dental practices
What's GST-free, what isn't, and how cosmetic work and products are treated.
Service trusts for dental practices
How they work, why most owners use one, and what the proposed 2028 trust tax could mean.
Associate dentist pay calculator
Enter billings, lab fees and your percentage to see your pay and a rough after-tax figure.
Payroll tax checklist for practice owners
Seven questions on how your associates are engaged, and which factors to discuss.
Coming soon
- Graduate dentists: your first years
- Selling a dental practice
Why it reads differently
We run a dental clinic too
Inam Asiful, who writes and signs off every page here, is Director of a dental clinic in a metro region that he co-founded. He oversees most of the operational side of the business.
So when we talk about associate rates, chair revenue, marketing spend or what a fit-out really costs, it comes from the same place our clients sit: running a practice week to week. Add that to years of guiding dentists and other medical professionals through every stage of their careers, and you get advice that's practical, not theoretical.
What we look after
- Tax returns, BAS and PAYG instalments for associates and owners
- Associate and practice structure, including PSI and PCG 2025/5
- Bookkeeping, Xero and payroll for practices
- Monthly profit and valuation tracking for owners
- Buying, buying in and selling a practice
- Payroll tax reviews of associate arrangements
- SMSF set-up and administration
Frequently asked by dentists
Do I need a specialist accountant as a dentist?
If your income is a straightforward salary, maybe not. Most dentists, though, end up with contractor income, percentage agreements, lab fee splits, and eventually a practice with staff, equipment and payroll tax questions. An accountant who knows how dental income actually flows helps you set things up properly from the start.
What does WeGrow do for dentists?
Tax returns and BAS, bookkeeping and Xero, payroll, structure advice, associate and practice set-up, buying and selling support, monthly profit reporting for practice owners, and SMSF administration. We don't provide financial or investment advice ourselves; we connect you with specialists.
Do you only work with dentists in Melbourne and Brisbane?
Our offices are in Broadmeadows (VIC) and Woolloongabba (QLD), but most of our work happens online, so we work with dentists across Australia.
How is WeGrow different for dentists?
Our author Inam Asiful co-owns and runs a dental clinic in a metro region as Director. So the advice comes from someone who deals with associates, chairs, marketing and payroll from the practice side every week.
Get a clearer picture in 30 minutes
Tell us where you're at (associate, buying, owning or selling) and we'll show you what's worth doing next. Walk in at Broadmeadows, book a time at Woolloongabba, or meet online.
General information only, not tax, financial or legal advice. Last reviewed 7 October 2026.