Travis, Can I Have This?

It’s late October, the busiest stretch of the year at Uluru. Travis gives a sneak peek into his year-end client meetings and walks through the tax planning list every practice owner and 1099 associate should review before December 31. What’s covered: Why fall, not April, is when the real tax planning happens, and why nine to ten months of data makes it the perfect window Retirement plans: 401(k)s,...

Travis sits down with client Dr. Melanie Vandenberg of Harbor Dental in Santa Cruz. She bought a small, shrinking practice that had sat on the market for years, one Travis’s own numbers said to pass on. She nearly doubled it in her first year.  Here’s what we get into.  The numbers that worried Travis: declining collections around $380K, a heavy Delta Premier patient base facing a 30% haircut, no...

Travis brings back Jared Bergquist, a Las Vegas-based dental broker with two decades of transitions under his belt, for a blunt breakdown of why a DSO sale isn't always the win it's made out to be. What's covered: Reason one, transparency. How EBITDA calculations, complicated contracts, and vague post sale expectations leave sellers confused about what they actually agreed to Reason...

Travis sits down with longtime friend Phill Hoover of Western Practice Sales to map out what buying a practice in Northern California actually looks like, from the Bay Area's sky-high demand to the hidden gems everyone overlooks. What's covered: Phill's 20+ years in dental finance and transitions, from banking to running Western Practice Sales Why geography (not just miles) dictates...

Travis sits down with David Haynes of the Menlo Group, a dental-specific M&A firm, to dig into one of the most polarizing topics in dentistry: is selling to a DSO actually a good idea? What's covered: David's winding path from accounting dropout to dental lender to DSO deal expert Why practices collecting under $1.5–2M rarely make sense for a DSO sale, and why size changes everything...

Travis catches up with Dr. Bustos and Dr. Thacker, a husband and wife team who bought a thriving fee for service practice in Las Vegas and just wrapped their first year as owners. What is covered. They met in college, went through UNLV dental school together, and spent three or four years searching for the right practice before this one landed in their lap through a chance connection at Bank of Am...

Travis sits down with Conor DePalma of CFS Dental Division to cut through the noise on dental insurance — because "insurance" is one of those words with a hundred meanings, and picking the wrong policy can cost you way more than a premium. What's covered: Why CFS's salaried (not commission-based) model changes the advice you actually get The big three every new dentist needs: m...

Travis kicks off a brand-new mini-series exploring dental markets across the country, starting with the one and only Las Vegas. Joining him is Jared Bergquist, a dental-specific broker and commercial real estate expert who's called Vegas home since 1992 and has lived through every boom, bust, and boom again. Jared Bergquist 702-521-9953 jared@bergquistgroup.com What's covered: Vegas dent...

Travis sits down with husband-and-wife duo Dr. Godoy and Dr. Gorospe to unpack their whirlwind first year as practice owners — proof that some couples build empires and still like each other afterward. What's covered: How they found "the" practice and knew it was the one The wild story of nearly backing out days before closing (cold feet is real, folks) What actually changed once th...

Travis kicks off Season 2 of Travis Can I Have This with a new tax mini-series, starting with one of the most talked-about strategies for practice owners: the Augusta Rule (IRC Section 280A(g)). Email info@gouluru.com for the Augusta Checklist What's covered: The quirky origin story behind the Augusta Rule, tied to homeowners renting out houses during the Masters Golf Tournament How practice...

Back again with more juicy bits from the One Big Beautiful Bill (aka O Triple B), and this time we’re talking about you , the individual, the taxpayer, the doctor with a mortgage, a kid (or one on the way), and probably more SALT than you’d like. We’re diving into the expanded (but still frustrating) $40K SALT deduction cap, made-for-babies retirement accounts (yes, those are real), child tax cred...

Fire up the drill and crank up the bonus depreciation, because the One Big Beautiful Bill (a.k.a. OB3) is here, and we’re breaking it down for business owners in scrubs. In this episode, Travis pulls out two big wins for practice owners: Bonus depreciation is back at 100%, and The QBI deduction lives on, now permanent. He also highlights four smaller updates: R&D credit timing Section 179 bump...

Summer's here, and so is travel season, but can your vacation double as a tax deduction? In this episode, we’ll unpack the IRS rules around deducting travel expenses for dental practice owners. From weekend conferences to family tag-alongs, we explore what qualifies as legitimate business travel, how to document your trip properly, and the crucial “primary purpose” test.  You’ll learn the do’...

Ever wonder what you should and shouldn’t deduct as a doctor? In this episode, we break down 25 legit tax deductions every 1099 associate and practice owner should be considering, from malpractice insurance to work attire to (potentially) paying your kids. We also walk through 10 deductions that’ll raise IRS eyebrows, or make me break out in a nervous sweat, like gym memberships, solo Starbucks ru...

You’ve probably heard someone say, “Just become an S-Corp, the IRS doesn’t audit those.” Today, we dig into whether that’s actually true (spoiler: mostly, yes), and what that means for your tax strategy. Travis walks through real IRS data showing S-Corps are audited way less than sole proprietors, like 1 in 12,000 vs. 1 in 5,000 or fewer. But fewer audits ≠ free rein to deduct your Tesla or dog as...

Payroll might be the most boring yet most important system in your practice—and picking the wrong provider can create a nightmare. In this episode, we share the top payroll software options he recommends for dental practice owners, based on real-world experience and feedback from his accounting community.  We'll break down four types of providers:  Your accountant’s in-house or partner soluti...

We’re talking tax law today, friends. Which means we’ve officially hit rock bottom… or found our calling. One of the two. At the end of May 2025, the House passed what they lovingly call the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” (Yes, that’s the real name.) It’s not law yet — the Senate still has to weigh in — but this bill gives us a peek at what Congress is cooking up. And for doctors? There’s a lot to...

Recorded live at the California Dental Association (CDA) meeting, this week on Travis, Can I Have This? I sit down with the legendary dental attorney Ali Oromchian—a name well-known in the dental world (his wife is a pediatric dentist too). With over two decades of experience representing healthcare professionals, Ali shares the five most important legal and business moves every dentist should be...

Access the free W2 v 1099 resource here https://uluruadvisors.com/resources/ Trying to choose between two associate job offers—one W-2, one 1099? Before you chase the higher rate, let’s talk about what actually matters: your after-tax income. In this episode of Travis, Can I Have This? , we will break down the eight critical factors every doctor should consider when comparing W-2 and 1099 compensa...

Welcome back to another episode of "Travis, Can I Have This?" Today we're uncovering the number-one hidden tax most dental practice owners don't even know exists—until it hits their desk with a hefty bill. Imagine opening an unexpected invoice for thousands of dollars. It’s not fraud or a scam—it's your state's Business Personal Property Tax, also known by other confu...

In this episode of Travis, Can I Have This? , we will tackle a common question for practice owners: “Can I afford to take on more debt?” You’ve got big dreams, fancy lasers, and that cone beam is whispering your name from across the showroom floor. But before you sign on the dotted line, let’s talk about debt . Not the scary kind—but the kind that sneaks up on your cash flow and makes you wonder w...

Tax season is here, and for some dentists, that means one nasty surprise: a six-figure tax bill. Yikes. In this episode of Travis, Can I Have This? , we’re breaking down why this happens and, more importantly, how to avoid it next time. From a lack of tax planning to misunderstanding net income vs. distributions, Travis covers the top six reasons dentists end up owing big. Spoiler alert: Wishing t...

In this episode, I’m reflecting on a major milestone: five years since COVID-19 upended our lives, especially in dentistry. While it might feel like too soon to talk about, I can’t shake the memories of those chaotic first months. So today, I’m sharing five real stories from the early days of COVID—from a client who saw it coming to a new practice owner who had the worst timing ever. We’ll also di...

It’s that time of year—dentists everywhere are opening their tax returns and saying, “Wait… I owe HOW much?!” If you’re in tax shock, don’t panic just yet. While planning ahead is ideal, there are still seven strategies you can use before April 15th (or even later if you file an extension) to reduce your tax bill for last year. In this episode, we cover:  ✅ Maxing out your HSA – If you have an el...

Cash is king—so how much of it should you keep in your practice? In this episode, we break down how to determine the right cash reserve for your dental business. Whether you're running on empty or sitting on too much, we’ll help you find your ideal cash number so you can avoid financial stress and put your money to better use. What You’ll Learn:   💰 Why practice owners rely on their bank bal...