Guide · Choosing a CPA
Best CPAs for Dental and Medical Practices in Charleston (2026)
This list is by Haigler CPA Group, which ranks itself first. The other firms are Charleston-area CPA firms whose own websites describe work with dental or medical practices: Hoffman & Hoffman, Onyx Tax, WebsterRogers, Elliott Davis and Forvis Mazars. A solo or small group practice usually fits a smaller firm; a multi-location group or DSO that needs audited statements or healthcare operations consulting fits a larger regional or national firm.
Disclosure: This list is published by Haigler CPA Group, which is included in it and appears first. Other firms are described from what their own websites said when we checked them; they did not review this page and are not affiliated with us.
Dental and medical practices have tax questions most small businesses never face: the practice is a specified service business for the qualified business income deduction, equipment purchases are large, and buying or selling a practice needs careful purchase-price allocation. Below are firms with a Charleston-area office that say on their websites that they serve dentists, physicians or other healthcare providers. We checked each firm's own site in September 2026 and only repeat what it says.
What to weigh when you choose
- Healthcare work stated on the firm's own website, not just a general small-business practice
- Services that match your stage: startup and entity choice, ongoing tax planning, or a practice purchase or sale
- Whether you need payroll processing, audits or reviews, or healthcare operations consulting, and whether the firm offers them
- A Charleston-area office or a clear virtual process, whichever you prefer
- Who will actually prepare your returns and answer your questions during the year
1. Haigler CPA Group
James Island, Charleston · Best for: Owner-dentists and physicians in private practice who want tax planning and business tax work from one CPA firm
Haigler CPA Group is a Charleston CPA firm on Wappoo Drive on James Island, founded in 2023. We work with dental and medical practices on business tax returns, tax planning and advisory, bookkeeping, and the tax side of buying or selling a practice. Meetings are by appointment, in person or virtual. We do not do audit, review or other attest engagements, or payroll processing, so a group that needs audited statements for a lender or a payroll provider should plan for that separately.
- Business tax, tax planning and bookkeeping for practices
- Mergers and acquisitions tax work for practice purchases and sales
- Free consultation, in person on James Island or virtual
- No attest (audit or review) work and no payroll processing
2. Hoffman & Hoffman, CPA, P.A.
Charleston (7 Gamecock Avenue) · Best for: Dental and medical practices that want tax, payroll tax compliance and forensic accounting from one local firm
Hoffman & Hoffman has separate Dentists and Healthcare pages on its website. For dental practices it lists tax planning, tax credits and deductions, tax return preparation, payroll tax compliance, succession planning, business valuation, forensic accounting for embezzlement and fraud, and virtual CFO services. Its healthcare page lists payroll processing, financial reporting, tax work, and audits, compilations and reviews for clients including medical doctors, physical therapists, optometrists and chiropractors.
- Dedicated Dentists and Healthcare pages
- Lists forensic accounting for suspected embezzlement
- Lists audits, compilations and reviews for healthcare clients
3. Onyx Tax, LLC
Charleston (835 Savannah Highway) · Best for: Dentists and physicians who want outsourced bookkeeping plus tax work from a boutique firm
Onyx Tax describes itself as a boutique tax CPA firm founded in Charleston. Its dental page says it works with general dentists, orthodontists, oral surgeons and other dental care providers, and lists practice management, accounting and bookkeeping, tax reduction planning, tax returns, financial statements, cash flow management, new business incorporation and QuickBooks support. A separate medical practice page says it works with physicians, surgeons, ophthalmologists and veterinarians.
- Separate dental and medical practice pages
- Lists bookkeeping, tax planning and QuickBooks support
- Says it serves general dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons
4. WebsterRogers LLP
Downtown Charleston (40 Calhoun Street) · Best for: Medical groups that want healthcare operations consulting alongside tax and audit
WebsterRogers is a South Carolina firm headquartered in Florence with an office on Calhoun Street in Charleston. Its healthcare page says it works with health systems, medical practices, individual physicians, ambulatory surgery centers, dentists and orthodontists, and offers consulting, accounting, audit, tax, payroll and regulatory services. It lists assessments such as billing, coding and documentation analysis, revenue cycle and HIPAA compliance reviews.
- Healthcare group covering physicians, dentists and orthodontists
- Lists billing, coding and revenue cycle assessments
- Offers audit and attest services
5. Elliott Davis
Downtown Charleston (100 Calhoun Street) · Best for: Growing dental groups and DSOs planning acquisitions or private equity activity
Elliott Davis is a Southeast firm with an office on Calhoun Street in Charleston. Its healthcare page says its team spans audit, tax and consulting and serves dental practices of all sizes, including emerging groups and established dental service organizations, with support for growth strategies, acquisitions, regulatory compliance and financial reporting. It also lists physician practices, therapy providers and specialty practices among the healthcare businesses it serves.
- Names dental practices and DSOs as a healthcare focus
- Audit, tax and consulting under one brand
- Lists physician and specialty practices
6. Forvis Mazars
Downtown Charleston (200 Meeting Street) · Best for: Large medical groups and multispecialty clinics that want a national firm with a Charleston office
Forvis Mazars is a national CPA and advisory firm with an office on Meeting Street in Charleston. Its physician enterprise page says its tax, assurance and consulting professionals work with medical groups, hospital-based practices, private equity platforms and multispecialty clinics, including tax strategy across a practice, its real estate holdings and affiliated entities. Its Charleston office page lists other industries, so ask which team would serve a local practice.
- National healthcare practice with a physician enterprise group
- Tax, assurance and consulting services
- Charleston office on Meeting Street
Tax issues that are specific to dental and medical practices
The qualified business income deduction under section 199A treats a trade or business in the field of health as a specified service trade or business. The Treasury regulations name physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, veterinarians and physical therapists as examples. Above an income threshold that is indexed each year, the deduction for a specified service business phases out, so owner compensation, entity choice and retirement plan contributions all affect how much of the deduction a practice owner keeps. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made section 199A permanent, so this is now a long-term planning question rather than a temporary one.
Equipment is the second big item. For federal purposes, qualified property acquired after January 19, 2025 is eligible for a permanent 100 percent additional first-year depreciation deduction. South Carolina does not follow federal bonus depreciation, so a large equipment purchase can create a gap between federal and South Carolina taxable income that has to be tracked for years.
- Buying or selling a practice: both buyer and seller generally report the sale of a group of business assets on Form 8594, and how the price is split between equipment, goodwill and other assets changes the tax result for both sides.
- Retirement plans: a practice with staff has different options than a solo practitioner, and the contribution limits change each year.
- Contractors: independent contractors paid $2,000 or more for payments made after December 31, 2025 generally need a Form 1099-NEC.
What to ask on the first call
- How many dental or medical practices like mine do you currently serve, and what size are they?
- Who will prepare my practice return and my personal return, and who do I call with questions in June?
- Do you handle payroll, or will I need a separate payroll provider?
- If my lender or a buyer asks for reviewed or audited financial statements, can you provide them?
- How do you track the difference between federal and South Carolina depreciation?
Small firm or large firm?
A single-location practice owned by one or two doctors usually needs tax planning, a reliable monthly close and a CPA who answers the phone. A multi-location group, a DSO or a practice preparing for a private equity transaction usually needs audited financial statements, transaction advisory and healthcare operations consulting, which the regional and national firms on this list say they offer. Neither is better in the abstract; match the firm to the work you actually need done this year.
Sources
The information on this site is general in nature and is not tax, legal, or accounting advice for your situation. Tax law changes and the right answer depends on facts we would need to review with you. Please speak with a qualified professional before acting on anything you read here.
Questions people ask about this
Is a dental or medical practice a specified service business for the QBI deduction?
Yes. Section 199A treats a trade or business in the field of health as a specified service trade or business, and the regulations list physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and physical therapists as examples. Whether you lose any of the deduction depends on your taxable income compared with that year's threshold.
Does South Carolina follow federal bonus depreciation on dental or medical equipment?
No. South Carolina does not follow federal bonus depreciation, so the state deduction for the same equipment is spread over its normal recovery period. Your CPA should keep separate federal and state depreciation schedules.
Does Haigler CPA Group process payroll or audit practice financial statements?
No. Haigler CPA Group does not offer payroll processing or attest engagements such as audits and reviews. We handle business and personal tax, tax planning, bookkeeping and the tax side of practice purchases and sales.
What form reports the sale of a practice?
When a group of assets that makes up a trade or business is sold and goodwill could attach to it, both the buyer and the seller generally file Form 8594 to report how the price was allocated among the assets.
Keep reading
- Best CPA Firms in Charleston, SC (2026)Haigler CPA Group's 2026 list of CPA firms with Charleston-area offices, from a James Island tax practice to regional firms offering audit work.
- Best Small Business Accountants in Charleston (2026)Haigler CPA Group's 2026 list of Charleston-area CPA firms for small businesses: tax, bookkeeping and planning, with what each firm's own site says.
- Best Retirement Plans for Small Business OwnersSEP-IRA, Solo 401(k), SIMPLE IRA, 401(k), profit-sharing and defined benefit plans compared, with 2026 setup deadlines and startup tax credits.
- Best Business Entity Types for South Carolina BusinessesSole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, S corp or C corp? How each is taxed in South Carolina, including the 3% pass-through election and 5% corporate rate.
- Dental & Medical PracticesOwner-providers, associates and buy-ins — pay, equipment, buildouts and collections.
- Tax Planning & AdvisoryThe plan that ties entity choice, timing, property and exit decisions together.
- Mergers & Acquisitions TaxDue diligence, deal structuring, and exit or succession planning.
- Section 179 and Bonus DepreciationBoth write-offs are larger and more permanent than they have been for years. Neither of them is a reason to buy something, and one of them does considerably less in South Carolina than it does on the federal return.
- Choosing a Retirement Plan: SEP, SIMPLE or Solo 401(k)The three plans a small business usually chooses between are not ranked. They trade capacity against cost against paperwork, and the right answer changes the moment you hire someone.
- All Charleston tax & accounting guidesEvery list, choosing a CPA and the tax reference lists.
Talk to a tax expert
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