Considerations for Buying and Selling a Dental Practice During the Pandemic

It goes with out saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has been an sudden and unprecedented interval in Canada and past. And whilst you may assume that will hinder dental professionals from shopping for or promoting a apply, assume once more.

Over the previous few years, the healthcare trade has undergone an unmatched charge of change however notably throughout the pandemic. Bigger consolidators or platform firms are shopping for or shopping for into a number of practices, aggressively focusing on development by way of acquisitions.

This pattern is much more outstanding within the dental trade. Take Altima Dental for instance. The model was based in 1993 by Dr. Sven Grail and Dr. George Christodoulou, who had been each pushed to pursue development. And so they did simply that. In 2019 alone, Altima Dental celebrated a record-breaking yr by growing its whole variety of dental clinics by 60% and including over $160 million in partnership worth. They now service purchasers at over 100 clinics in six totally different provinces, providing a wide range of providers.

These kinds of transactions will be mutually useful for each events concerned. For these investing in a dental apply, there are some certainties. Canadians will all the time have enamel, and there’ll all the time be a necessity for dentists to look after them. Money stream is robust in consequence. And for sellers, promoting a apply can lead to a as soon as in a lifetime windfall. However notably amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic, it’s vital for patrons and sellers to know all of the variables at play earlier than making a choice.

Listed here are some concerns for patrons and sellers to keep in mind earlier than leaping right into a deal.

Decide Priorities

Shopping for or promoting a apply will be overwhelming, and the pandemic hasn’t made issues any simpler. However don’t panic! Take a second to think about among the issues that matter most to you. Understanding what you wish to obtain out of a transaction is step one to reaching a deal that works greatest for you personally and professionally.

One instance of that is the pandemic-driven pattern of dental professionals accelerating their retirement. Some dentists that will have been 3-5 years away from promoting their apply are selecting to promote now and keep on as an affiliate till they’re prepared to start out that subsequent stage of their lives. If you wish to promote, however don’t wish to retire instantly, that’s a stipulation that it’s best to think about earlier than signing off on a deal.

There are additionally distinctive stipulations for offers performed with consolidators. Some consolidators supply “earnouts”, which is compensation earned over time somewhat than earned upfront. Typically instances a consolidator may also need the vendor to remain on as an affiliate for a time to make sure a seamless transition. And whereas these stipulations may fit for some, they could not work for others.

With that stated, there’s no proper or mistaken reply in relation to shopping for and promoting a apply. What issues is what works greatest for you. When you’re prepared to purchase or promote, don’t choose simply any deal. Ensure that it suits your wants and preferences.

Know your price

Not all value determinations are created equal and must be evaluated by a monetary skilled to make sure that patrons usually are not overpaying, and sellers usually are not underselling. For patrons, this implies critically evaluating all facets of a given apply, notably the pandemic-driven traits that will have emerged throughout the pandemic. Has the apply weathered the storm? Has it been capable of get well?

There are different elements to an appraisal that must be thought-about as properly, notably for these shopping for a apply. For instance, it’s one factor to purchase a apply, however will the infrastructure offer you the choice to develop? And if the present lease is about to run out, will you be confronted with an sudden enhance in prices? There may be a lot extra to think about than merely the financials on a steadiness sheet.

On the finish of the day, guaranteeing a transaction is truthful and equitable for each side is the correct strategy to conduct enterprise, particularly given the tough financial local weather we discover ourselves in.

Be environment friendly

In the case of giant transactions like these, taxes play a giant position and so it’s also vital for patrons and sellers to think about tax efficiencies. These efficiencies can differ primarily based on various totally different variables, equivalent to the kind of deal and the province the deal is being accomplished in.

Sellers, for instance, might qualify for the Lifetime Capital Good points Exemption (LCGE). The LCGE helps decrease the quantity the vendor is taxed on the capital achieve of the sale, or the proceeds from the sale much less the unique buy worth of the apply. Half of the capital achieve is taxed at a marginal charge, which will be as excessive as 53% in Ontario.

This is only one of some ways a monetary skilled can prevent cash. However there are various different tax guidelines and concerns which can be concerned within the sale of a dental apply that won’t solely alter the financials of a sale but in addition the timing of it. That’s why planning forward is so vital.

Shopping for a dental apply will be probably the most vital purchases within the profession of many dental professionals, and the sale of a dental apply is commonly the most important windfall a dental practitioner will fall into. With that stated, these kinds of transactions can’t be taken calmly, particularly given the circumstances created by the pandemic.

In regards to the Writer

Ken is a Companion at BDO Canada with over 27 years of expertise offering Assurance and Accounting providers to companies and professionals. Ken graduated from Confederation Faculty in 1989 with the President’s Medal in Accounting and Finance Administration. Ken obtained his Licensed Basic Accountants designation in 1991 whereas practising with a mid-size agency in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Ken’s main focus is to supply the very best degree of accounting, tax and advisory providers to owner-managed companies and healthcare professionals. His diversified vary of purchasers contains these from the retail and repair industries, in addition to healthcare professionals.

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