29/09/2026
Specialist Accountants for GPs, Consultants & Locum Doctors
Accountants for Doctors in Location
If you work as a doctor in Location, your financial affairs are rarely simple. NHS pay, private fees, locum shifts, consultancy work, pension contributions and professional expenses often sit alongside one another, each with its own tax treatment. As specialist Accountants for Doctors in Location, CruseBurke helps you make sense of it all — from Self Assessment and accurate bookkeeping to tax planning, allowable expense claims and clear, timely compliance. Whether you are salaried, self-employed, or juggling several income streams at once, the aim is straightforward: your records stay organised, your tax position is properly understood, and you spend your time on medicine rather than paperwork.
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Which Doctors Do We Support?
Doctors rarely fit into a single financial category, and accounting support should reflect that. We work with GPs and GP partners, hospital doctors, consultants, locum doctors, salaried doctors within NHS trusts, private practitioners, and doctors who combine NHS and private work — sometimes across several roles in the same tax year. The accounting considerations differ in each case. A salaried hospital doctor may primarily need support with Self Assessment, medical indemnity, professional subscriptions and pension annual allowance questions, while a locum doctor often needs help tracking irregular income, travel and mileage, and allowable expenses across multiple engagements. A GP partner or private practitioner may need partnership accounts, practice bookkeeping, VAT advice and tax planning, and a doctor running a limited company for private or consultancy work may need annual accounts, Corporation Tax returns and payroll alongside their personal tax position. Because treatment depends on factors such as employment status, income sources, business structure and individual circumstances, we take the time to understand how you actually work before recommending an approach. If your circumstances change — a new contract, a change in hours, locum work starting or stopping — your accounting support can adapt with you.
GPs
Accounting and tax support for GPs with NHS income, private work, practice interests or additional professional earnings.
Hospital Doctors
Support with Self Assessment, professional expenses and tax matters alongside employment income and other professional earnings.
Consultants
Accounting support for consultants managing NHS employment, private practice income, professional expenses and tax obligations.
Locum Doctors
Support with Self Assessment, locum income, allowable expenses, bookkeeping and relevant business structure considerations.
Salaried Doctors
Tax and accounting support for salaried doctors with additional professional income or expenses requiring reporting.
Private Practitioners
Accounting support for doctors providing private medical services through individual practices, partnerships or companies.
Accounting And Tax Services Built Around Doctors' Careers
Our accounting services for doctors are designed to fit the way medical careers actually work, rather than forcing your income into a one-size-fits-all template. That typically begins with Self Assessment, where we prepare and file your tax return, bring together NHS income, private fees, locum earnings and consultancy income in one place, and make sure the right expenses are claimed. We also handle bookkeeping on an ongoing basis, so your income and costs are recorded accurately through the year rather than reconstructed at the last minute. Where relevant, our support extends to annual accounts, Corporation Tax returns and confirmation statements for doctors who operate through a limited company for private practice, media work or consultancy; partnership accounts and profit-sharing calculations for GPs and consultants in partnership; payroll and RTI submissions for practices and companies employing staff or paying a spouse or administrator; and VAT registration, returns and partial exemption considerations for private practices and clinics. Alongside compliance, we provide tax planning — reviewing how income is structured, how pension contributions interact with your tax position, and how best to time expenditure — plus management accounts and financial reporting for doctors who want a clearer view of how a practice or private venture is performing. Advice on business structures, including whether a limited company, partnership or sole trader arrangement suits your work, is available where it is genuinely relevant to your circumstances.
Self Assessment Tax Returns
Preparation and support for doctors with employment, locum, private practice or other taxable income.
NHS & Private Income
Help organising accounting records where income comes from NHS work, private services, locum assignments or other professional activities.
Accurate records built around the way GP practices, partnerships and locum doctors actually work, with cloud software set up for you.
Tax Planning for Doctors & Consultants
Incorporation reviews for private practice, profit extraction, capital allowances and timing of income to keep your effective tax rate down.
Locum Tax & IR35 Support
Contract and IR35 status reviews, limited company versus sole trader comparisons and expense claims for locums working across multiple trusts.
Accounting And Tax Challenges Doctors Commonly Face
Medical careers generate financial complexity that generalist accountants can easily overlook. These are the issues doctors most often ask us about, and the reasons they matter.
- Multiple income sources in a single tax year. NHS salary, private fees, locum shifts, teaching, expert witness work and consultancy income can all be taxed differently, and missing one source — or reporting it incorrectly — can lead to an unexpected tax bill or an enquiry from HMRC.
- Self Assessment deadlines and cash flow. Tax is often payable in January and July, and doctors who receive income without tax deducted at source can find those payments land awkwardly. Planning for liabilities in advance, rather than reacting to them, makes budgeting far easier.
- Knowing which professional expenses are allowable. Medical indemnity insurance, GMC and royal college subscriptions, revalidation costs, specialist equipment, professional journals and training related to your existing work may all be claimable in the right circumstances — but the rules around travel, home working and mixed-purpose costs are nuanced.
- Travel and mileage records. Doctors move between hospitals, surgeries, clinics and home visits. Understanding which journeys count as ordinary commuting and which are allowable business travel is essential, and it depends on keeping adequate records throughout the year.
- Pension considerations. NHS pension contributions, annual allowance charges and the interaction between pension input and other income can create tax consequences that need care. We can help you understand the issues and work with the figures you provide, though specialist pension advice sits with an appropriately qualified adviser.
- Locum and consultancy income. Working through agencies, direct contracts or your own limited company changes both the compliance requirements and the tax profile, and often raises questions about IR35 and off-payroll working rules.
- Record keeping through a busy working year. Rotas, on-call duties and unpredictable hours leave little time for filing receipts. Disorganised records increase the risk of missed expenses and stressful deadlines, and they make it harder to respond if HMRC raises a query.
- Choosing and maintaining the right business structure. Whether sole trader, partnership or limited company is most suitable depends on your income levels, your private work, your plans and your appetite for administration — and the answer can change as your career develops.
Why Doctors Choose CruseBurke For Their Accounting
Doctors tend to choose an accountant for the same reasons they choose any specialist: relevance, clarity and confidence that the advice fits the situation. CruseBurke provides accounting support for doctors in Location with a focus on the tax issues that arise from medical work — NHS and private income combined, locum and consultancy earnings, allowable professional expenses, pension interactions and the practicalities of keeping records in order. We explain things in plain English, set out what is required and when, and keep the compliance side of your affairs moving so deadlines do not become a source of stress. Because doctors work in such varied arrangements, we tailor our support to your circumstances rather than applying a standard package, and we flag where a decision — such as changing business structure or adjusting how income is drawn — may warrant closer thought. Where a matter falls outside accounting and tax, we will say so clearly rather than overreach.
Healthcare Focus
We support GPs, locum doctors, consultants and other medical professionals with accounting and tax matters tailored to their individual circumstances.
Every Allowable Expense Claimed
GMC and indemnity fees, royal college subscriptions, exams, courses, equipment and mileage — nothing left on the table.
NHS Pension Specialists
We calculate your pension input amount, check tapering and advise on Scheme Pays before a charge becomes a problem.
IR35 & Locum Confidence
Status reviews on your engagements and a clear answer on limited company versus sole trader for your circumstances.
Deadlines Handled for You
Returns, accounts and payroll filed on time, with reminders well in advance so penalties never happen.
Fair, Fixed Fees
One agreed monthly fee, quoted up front, with no hourly billing and no surprise invoices.
Our Simple Three-Step Process For Getting Started
Getting your accounting properly organised should not add to an already full schedule, so we keep the process simple. First, we talk through your circumstances — how you work, whether you have NHS income, private fees, locum work, consultancy income or a mixture, how you are structured, and what is currently causing you concern. Second, we review your accounting and tax requirements, looking at your existing records, returns and deadlines, and identifying where support is needed and where improvements could be made. Third, we put the right support in place, agreeing which services you need — Self Assessment, bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, annual accounts or ongoing tax advice — and how and when we will work together through the year. From that point, your records are maintained, deadlines are tracked, and you have someone to ask when a tax question arises.
1. Initial Consultation (It’s Free):
We begin by getting to know your practice and understanding your unique needs. This step ensures we have a clear picture of your operations and your goals.
2. Customised Plan:
Based on our initial discussion, we create a personalised plan designed specifically for you. The aim is to keep everything organised and easy to follow. You can rest assured that your numbers are being handled with expert precision.
3. Ongoing Support & Updates:
From there, we take care of the ongoing work and keep you updated with reports. You’ll always know what’s happening, and we’re always here to answer your questions, ensuring you have a clear picture of your financial health at all times.
What Makes CruseBurke Different For Doctors
What sets our approach apart is the willingness to understand how doctors actually earn their income. Medical pay is rarely a single salary, and treating it as one leads to missed expenses, misreported income and unnecessary tax. We take the time to map every source — NHS employment, private practice, locum engagements, consultancy, teaching, locum pension arrangements and any company income — so your Self Assessment and, where relevant, annual accounts reflect the full picture. We also focus on the practical side of compliance that doctors find hardest to maintain: bookkeeping that is kept current rather than scrambled together before a deadline, allowable expenses identified as they arise, and timely filing across Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT and payroll. Where business structure questions come up, we set out the trade-offs honestly, including the additional filing and record-keeping obligations that a limited company or partnership brings. The result is accounting support that is proactive, jargon-free and genuinely shaped around a medical career.
Technology Driven
We use Xero, Quickbooks, Sage & many other online software.
Dedicated Medical Accountant
Meet, call or email the same qualified accountant who knows your practice and your pension position.
Unlimited Support
Free telephone & email support
throughout the year.
Experienced Team
Our team have over 100 years of combined experienced.
Free - Email Reminders
Never Miss any deadline with our automated email reminders.
Yes, We Are Chartered!
We’re an ICAEW, ACCA & AAT accredited Firm.
How to Switch to Our Doctor Accountants
Take a back seat and let our specialist healthcare accountants handle everything. Switching part way through the year is straightforward and you never need to speak to your old accountant:
Get in touch
Reach out to us, and we’ll discuss your needs and how we can help your healthcare practice thrive.
Letter of Engagement
We’ll send over a simple letter to formalise our partnership and get everything in motion.
Previous Accountants
If you're switching, we’ll take care of contacting your previous accountants to make the transition smooth.
We Do the Rest
From there, sit back and relax. We’ll manage your accounts, taxes, and everything in between, keeping your practice running smoothly.
FAQs
Not every doctor does, but many benefit. A doctor on a single NHS salary with no other income may manage with basic Self Assessment support, particularly if they have straightforward expenses. The picture changes when you have private fees, locum income, consultancy work, a partnership share, a limited company, or pension contributions that interact with your tax position. At that point, an accountant can help make sure income is reported correctly, allowable expenses are claimed, and deadlines are met — and can often identify planning points that are easy to miss.
NHS salary is normally taxed through PAYE, with tax deducted at source, while private fees, locum income and consultancy earnings are usually reported through Self Assessment. That means two income streams can sit side by side but be administered very differently, and the tax already paid through PAYE may not be the final figure once all income and reliefs are accounted for. The right treatment depends on your employment status, how the private work is structured, and your overall income for the tax year.
Yes. Locum work often involves several agencies, trusts or direct contracts in one tax year, each with its own paperwork. We bring that income together, check whether tax has been deducted where it should have been, and identify related costs such as travel between sites, professional indemnity and equipment. Worth noting: where locum work is arranged through an agency, off-payroll working rules may affect how tax is handled, and the position is worth reviewing before you agree terms.
Common claims include medical indemnity insurance, GMC and royal college subscriptions, professional body fees, revalidation and continuing professional development costs relating to your current work, specialist equipment, professional journals and certain travel costs. The detail matters — the rules on travel between sites, home working and mixed-purpose costs are specific, and not every cost is allowable. Because eligibility depends on your circumstances and the nature of the expense, it is worth reviewing your outgoings rather than assuming.
Sometimes, but it is not automatically the right answer. Operating through a limited company can suit doctors with substantial private or consultancy income, bringing Corporation Tax, annual accounts and payroll obligations alongside potential advantages. For others, sole trader or partnership arrangements are simpler and more appropriate. The decision depends on your income levels, how clients engage you, off-payroll working considerations and how much administration you want to take on.
NHS pension contributions are deducted from pay, but they still affect your wider tax position, particularly where annual allowance or tapered annual allowance questions arise. We can help you understand the tax consequences and factor the figures you provide into your return, but where detailed pension projections or retirement planning are needed, that work sits with an appropriately qualified pension specialist.
Yes. Accounting work is well suited to remote collaboration, and records, documentation and queries can usually be handled online, with conversations by phone or video at times that fit around clinical commitments. What matters most is that you have a clear route to ask questions and a reliable process for getting your information across when it suits you.
Changing accountants is usually straightforward. We would ask for details of your current position, confirm what has been filed and what deadlines are approaching, and liaise with your existing accountant for the handover of records and professional clearance. Once everything is in place, we confirm responsibilities and dates so nothing falls between the two firms during the transition.
Speak to an Expert
Stop Letting Tax Paperwork Crowd Out Your Clinical Work — Accountants for Doctors in Location
If your income arrives from several directions each year — NHS salary, private fees, locum shifts, consultancy — keeping track of what is taxable and what can be claimed quickly becomes a job in itself. CruseBurke provides accounting support for doctors in Location, including Self Assessment that brings all your income sources together accurately and bookkeeping that keeps your records current rather than chaotic at year end. If you would like a clearer view of your tax position and a reliable process behind it, get in touch and we can talk through how your affairs currently stand.