For California dental practice owners
Dental Practice Accounting, Tax & Real Estate Planning
Reliable monthly books. Coordinated business and personal tax returns. Tax planning before the next real estate decision.
One financial system for the practice and its owner.
JH Group CPA provides bookkeeping and part-time CFO services to dentists and dental practices.
“From our first meeting, Jeff was always patient and took his time to answer my questions.”
This service is designed for dental owners who want monthly accounting, tax-return preparation and owner-level planning coordinated by one CPA-led team. The work connects the practice ledger, payroll, debt, business return, individual return and real estate instead of treating each as a separate year-end event.
The relationship begins by assessing what is reliable now. Recurring work, historical cleanup, tax returns and transaction planning are then defined separately so the owner knows what is included, what requires a separate project and what decisions need attention first.
Three coordinated responsibilities
What the relationship can cover
Monthly accounting
Reconciled accounts, balance-sheet support, financial statements, exception review and a dependable close calendar for the dental practice and agreed property entities.
Tax preparation
Coordinated practice, owner and agreed real-estate returns using books and schedules prepared for tax reporting—not reconstructed at the filing deadline.
Forward planning
Tax projections and decision modeling before owner compensation changes, major purchases, property acquisitions, refinancing, sales or exchanges.
Changing accountants
A controlled takeover starts with an accounting quality assessment.
We first identify every entity, account, return, deadline and system in scope. Prior returns, ledgers, reconciliations, payroll records, loan statements and fixed-asset schedules are compared to determine the last reliable reporting period and the condition of the opening balances.
If prior periods contain unreconciled accounts, unsupported balances, missing records or payroll, debt and fixed-asset differences, that correction work is documented and proposed as a separate cleanup project before the recurring close is treated as reliable.
What is recurring—and what requires a separate scope?
| Workstream | Typical recurring responsibility | Separate-scope trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly accounting | Agreed accounts, reconciliations, financial statements, close review and exception follow-up | Added entities, locations, accounts or unusual transaction volume |
| Historical cleanup | Not part of routine recurring work unless expressly included | Unreconciled periods, missing records, unsupported balances or corrected filings |
| Tax returns | Returns specifically listed in the engagement and a defined preparation calendar | Late, amended, additional, multi-state or transaction-specific filings |
| Routine tax planning | Agreed projections and owner-compensation or estimated-tax reviews | Entity restructuring, ownership changes or complex modeling |
| Real estate planning | Coordination of agreed property books and returns | Purchase, refinance, cost study, sale, Section 1031 exchange or ownership restructuring |
How dental-practice and real-estate planning connect
A dental office building or rental property can affect cash reserves, debt capacity, rent, depreciation, passive activity, estimated taxes and the owner’s exit plan. The review should connect the property entity, dental practice and individual return before a binding transaction.
- Keep separate books, bank activity, debt schedules and depreciation records for each entity and property.
- Document related-party rent and payments between the practice and property owner.
- Model the after-tax cash requirement before buying or refinancing.
- Review adjusted basis, depreciation, debt payoff, withholding and available proceeds before selling.
- Begin Section 1031 exchange analysis before the sale closes and proceeds become available to the taxpayer.
Read the Dental Practice Owner Real Estate Tax Planning Guide.
From introductory call to implementation
A four-step start
Introductory call
Confirm fit, urgency, decision authority, entities, immediate deadlines and whether the combined service matches the owner’s needs.
Paid diagnostic
Assess accounting quality, returns, property records, open risks and transition requirements using requested documents.
Written scope
Define recurring work, cleanup, returns, planning projects, responsibilities, timing, fees and communication expectations.
The fourth step is implementation: secure access, assigned responsibilities, a close and filing calendar, and written follow-through on the first priorities.
Frequently asked questions
Can one CPA firm handle dental bookkeeping and tax returns?
Yes, when the engagement clearly defines monthly accounting, business and individual tax-return preparation, planning responsibilities, deadlines and who reviews the work. Historical cleanup and transaction projects should be scoped separately.
What happens when a dental practice changes bookkeepers or CPAs?
The transition begins with prior returns, ledgers, reconciliations, payroll records, loan and fixed-asset schedules, system access and open deadlines. An initial quality assessment determines whether recurring work can begin or whether separate cleanup is required.
Is accounting cleanup included in monthly bookkeeping?
Not automatically. Cleanup involves prior-period problems such as unreconciled accounts, unsupported balances, missing records, payroll differences or incorrect loan and fixed-asset schedules. The affected periods and deliverables should be defined before work begins.
How is real estate tax planning coordinated with a dental practice?
The review connects property ownership, financing, rent, depreciation, passive activity, cash flow and transaction timing with the dental practice and the owner’s individual return. Planning should occur before a purchase, refinance, sale or exchange.
What happens after the introductory call?
If there is a potential fit, the next step is a paid Accounting, Tax & Real Estate Diagnostic. It defines the entities, records, deadlines, risks, cleanup needs and recommended ongoing or project scope before implementation.
Start with a focused introductory call.
We will confirm whether the service fits your practice, entities, deadlines and real-estate planning needs. Detailed analysis and recommendations begin after documents are reviewed under a written engagement.
Request a Dental CPA Intro Call