Your trusted local accountants
NHS sight test contract accounting, VAT exemption rules on dispensing, capital allowances on equipment, partnership vs. Ltd structures, and practice sale BADR planning. Built for UK optometrists and dispensing opticians.
Tell us about your business — we'll explain how we can help and what it would cost.
Opticians sit at a unique tax junction — part NHS, part medical, part retail. Each stream has its own rules. These are where we add the most value.
NHS GOS fees are exempt from VAT. Separately-charged dispensing work isn't always. We split the revenue properly, keep the audit trail clean, and defend it in a VAT enquiry.
OCT scanners, digital refractors, edging machines, phoropters, specialist chairs. AIA claimable up to £1m/year. We audit all your equipment on day one — often recovering allowances on kit 2 years old.
Partnership, LLP, Ltd, or mixed. We model each over 5–10 years for your specific income mix, including drawings planning and pension contributions. Then you pick — with a clear picture.
Selling in 3, 5 or 10 years? Business Asset Disposal Relief (formerly Entrepreneur's Relief) needs 2-year structuring in advance. We set you up early so the CGT bill stays at 10%, not 20%+.
Most accountants don't know the optics-specific tax rules, so they default to generic treatment. That costs practices thousands a year.
NHS GOS fees are exempt — if documented correctly. Many practices either charge VAT they shouldn't or don't retain the evidence HMRC asks for. Either way, a VAT review can get nasty.
A £22k OCT scanner silently depreciated over 5 years. An AIA claim would've written it off in year 1 — an immediate 19%+ tax saving. We fix this for every new client, often retroactively.
Frames are standard-rated, prescription lenses are often zero-rated, contact lenses depend. Generalists lump it all at 20%. We split the stock and the till and recover real VAT savings.
Without 2-year BADR planning, a £400k practice sale becomes a £80k CGT bill instead of £40k. Most accountants only think about this once you've signed the heads of terms. Too late.
"My old accountant had been depreciating our OCT scanner for three years. AudTax reopened the return, claimed the AIA properly, and recovered enough to pay for six years of their fees. Now we actually have a plan for the practice sale in 2030."
Exactly as the rules require. NHS GOS sight test fees are VAT-exempt with proper documentation. Private sight tests, dispensing, and retail all have their own treatment. We split revenue at the till/POS level and produce defensible VAT returns every quarter.
Frames — standard-rated. Prescription lenses supplied with a dispensing service — usually zero-rated. Contact lenses — similar, conditional on the dispensing element. We audit your product mix and configure your till categorisation properly.
Yes — up to £1m/year. We audit your equipment register on day one and often reopen prior-year returns to claim AIA on kit the previous accountant depreciated. Real cash back.
Yes — BADR requires 2 years of qualifying holding before the sale to get 10% CGT instead of 20%. We'll map out the structure now, handle the Ltd vs. partnership decision, and make sure you qualify when the buyer turns up.
Fixed monthly fees from £220+VAT for single-site independent practices, £400+VAT for multi-site groups, custom for larger chains. All include Xero, quarterly VAT, NHS-aware treatment and HMRC enquiry defence to £5,000.
From cashflow to business growth, we'll make it feel easy. If you're ready to take the next step and get your business on the path to growth, get in touch today so we can learn about your plans.