BDA raise concerns over capital gains changes

The British Dental Association (BDA), along with the British Medical Association (BMA), has written to the chancellor of the exchequer raising concerns over the impact that changes to capital gains tax could have on GPs and dentists.

The letter was jointly written by Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA council and Dr Susie Sanderson, chair of the BDA’s executive board, following the announcement that taper relief would be replaced with an 18 per cent flat rate for capital gains tax.

The bodies have illustrated that significant amounts of capital is invested into surgeries and medical premises and that tax changes could jeopardise the retirement plans for many of their members.

Dr Sanderson indicated that NHS dentistry relied on dentists investing their own money into practice buildings and that the tax change would not only “disadvantage” those who had invested over many years but also act as a disincentive to prospective investments.

“This is a destabilising move at a time when we need more certainty in the system, not less,” she added.

Earlier this month, salaried primary care dentists in England voted to accept a proposed new contract negotiated by the BDA and the Department of Health.