MTA
Medical Tax Accountants
Specialist accountants for healthcare professionals

Every medical professional,
not just the doctors.

Physios, nurses, psychologists, therapists, optometrists, podiatrists and more — if you work in healthcare and have income beyond PAYE, we handle the tax side properly.

The healthcare tax problem

Mixed income is normal in healthcare — and it's exactly what trips people up.

NHS employment plus a private clinic. Bank shifts plus agency work. A therapy practice built up alongside a salaried role. Healthcare careers rarely fit in one tax box, and the rules around them keep changing.

Several income types at once

Employment, agency, bank and private work are each taxed differently — and most healthcare professionals have at least two on the go. The tax return has to stitch them together correctly, or you overpay quietly.

Making Tax Digital is here

From April 2026, sole traders with gross income over £50,000 must keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC. The threshold drops to £30,000 in 2027 — catching most established private practices.

Under-claimed expenses

Registration fees, indemnity, room hire, equipment, CPD — the allowable list for private work is long, and most professionals claim a fraction of it. The rules for employment income are different again, which is where the confusion starts.

How we help

Everything a healthcare professional actually needs, in one place.

We work exclusively with medical and healthcare professionals — physiotherapists, nurses and midwives, psychologists and therapists, optometrists, podiatrists, sonographers, paramedics and more.

Self-assessment done properly

Employment, agency, bank and private income brought together in one correct return — with payments on account managed so January never surprises you.

Structure advice

Sole trader vs limited company modelled on your actual figures as the private practice grows — including the pension and NI angles most generic advice skips.

MTD-ready bookkeeping

Digital records set up on Xero or QuickBooks with quarterly updates handled — compliant with Making Tax Digital from day one, not scrambling at the deadline.

Expense reviews

A proper review of what your profession can claim — registration, indemnity, room hire, equipment, training — against both your private and employment income.

Company accounts & tax

Where a limited company is the right structure — formation, annual accounts, corporation tax and dividend planning, all handled as one service.

Year-end planning

A review before each tax year end — pension contributions, timing of income and equipment purchases — while your options are still open.

The big decision

Private practice: sole trader or limited company?

As a private clinic or therapy practice grows, this question arrives for every healthcare professional. Here's the honest side-by-side.

Sole trader
Limited company
Setup complexity
Minimal. Register as self-employed with HMRC.
Moderate. Companies House registration, business bank account, corporation tax registration.
Ongoing admin
Light. Digital records plus self-assessment — quarterly MTD updates once your income passes the threshold.
More involved. Annual accounts, corporation tax return, dividend paperwork, possible payroll.
Tax on profits
Income tax plus Class 4 NI on all profits — and with a PAYE salary alongside, private profits often land straight in the higher bands.
Corporation tax first, then tax only on what you extract — retained profits aren't taxed on you personally.
Pension angle
Personal contributions from taxed income, with tax relief.
Employer contributions paid directly by the company — often the strongest single reason to incorporate.
Privacy
Your figures stay between you and HMRC.
Accounts filed at Companies House are publicly visible (in summary form).
Best for
Smaller or newer private practices, and anyone wanting minimal admin.
Established practices with profits you don't need to draw in full, or where company pension contributions are attractive.
The honest answer: most healthcare professionals should start as sole traders and revisit the question as the private practice grows. The company case gets strong when meaningful profit can stay in the business or fund pension contributions. We model both on your actual figures whenever you're ready to look at it.
Making Tax Digital

The biggest change to self-employed tax in a generation.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is now live. From April 2026, sole traders and landlords with combined gross income over £50,000 must keep digital records and send HMRC quarterly updates through compatible software — the single annual tax return is being replaced.

The threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027, with £20,000 to follow — which brings in most established private clinics, therapy practices and freelance healthcare work. Spreadsheets and shoebox receipts don't meet the requirements; the records themselves must be digital.

What we do:

  • Check whether and when MTD applies to you based on your actual gross income across self-employment and property.
  • Set up compliant digital bookkeeping on Xero or QuickBooks — bank feeds connected, receipts captured on your phone.
  • Handle the quarterly updates so the new rhythm runs in the background rather than eating your evenings.
  • Use the data properly — quarterly figures mean real-time tax estimates, so your January bill is a known number all year.

If you're over the threshold and still on annual-shoebox bookkeeping, moving now is far less painful than moving under deadline pressure.

Mixed income & expenses

The bits that catch healthcare professionals out.

NHS job plus private work

The most common pattern we see: NHS employment through PAYE, with a private clinic, agency shifts or freelance work alongside. Each is taxed differently — and because PAYE has already used your personal allowance and bands, private profits are taxed from your marginal rate upwards.

That changes the planning: pension contributions, timing of equipment purchases and (at higher levels) company structures all work harder for mixed-income professionals than the generic guidance suggests.

Agency and bank work adds another layer — it's usually PAYE under the agency rules even though it feels freelance, and mixing it up with genuine self-employment on the return is a classic error.

What you can claim

Typical allowable expenses against private work include:

  • Professional registration (HCPC, NMC, GOC, GPhC and similar)
  • Professional indemnity insurance
  • Room hire and clinic costs
  • Equipment — treatment tables, instruments, testing kit
  • Courses and CPD
  • Professional subscriptions and journals
  • Business travel (not ordinary commuting)
  • Professional use of home
  • Accountancy fees (yes, us)
Frequently asked

Questions healthcare professionals ask us.

I have NHS employment and private work — do I need to register as self-employed?
If your private or freelance income is over £1,000 in a tax year (the trading allowance), you need to register for self-assessment and report it — even if you also pay tax through PAYE on NHS employment. Below £1,000, the trading allowance can cover it with no registration needed. Most healthcare professionals with any regular private work are over the threshold.
Does Making Tax Digital apply to me?
From April 2026, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to sole traders and landlords with combined gross income over £50,000 — meaning digital records and quarterly updates to HMRC instead of one annual return. The threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027. If your private practice income is anywhere near these levels, your bookkeeping needs to be MTD-ready now, not at the deadline.
Should I set up a limited company for my private practice?
At lower profit levels, sole trader is usually simpler and just as efficient. A limited company becomes worth considering at higher earnings, particularly if you can retain profits in the company or make employer pension contributions. Because most allied health professionals also have PAYE income using their tax bands, the arithmetic is individual — we model both before recommending.
What expenses can I claim against private work?
Typical claims include professional registration (HCPC, NMC, GOC and similar), professional indemnity, room hire and clinic costs, equipment, courses and CPD, professional subscriptions, business travel, professional use of home, and accountancy fees. Claims against NHS employment income are much more restricted — mostly flat-rate expenses and professional fees.
How does agency and bank work affect my tax?
Most agency and NHS bank work is taxed through PAYE by the agency or trust, because agency legislation generally requires it where you work under supervision, direction or control. That's not the same as your private clinic work, which is genuinely self-employed. Many professionals have all three at once — employment, agency and private — and the tax return has to stitch them together correctly.
Does private work affect my NHS pension?
Your NHS pension continues through your NHS employment as normal — private self-employed income isn't pensionable in the NHS scheme. For growing private practices this makes personal pension planning increasingly important, and pension contributions are also one of the most effective tax planning tools available to higher earners.
How much do you charge?
Fees depend on what you need. Self-assessment-only services start at a fixed annual fee; sole trader and limited company packages (bookkeeping, accounts and tax) are fixed monthly fees quoted after the free consultation — no hourly billing surprises.
Can I switch to you if I already have an accountant?
Yes — switching is straightforward. We handle the professional clearance letter and paperwork transfer from your existing accountant. Most switches complete within 2–3 weeks with no gap in your compliance.
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Prefer to talk? Call 01709 224982 or message us on WhatsApp.