When you sell your orthopedic practice, the IRS cares how much of the price is the business—and how much is you. This article explains personal vs. enterprise goodwill, why early documentation matters, and how thoughtful planning can translate into six‑figure tax savings at exit.

Private equity offers orthopedic surgeons big multiples and polished pitch decks—but the real story lives in the fine print. This article walks through how rollover equity, compensation resets, EBITDA ‘engineering,’ and PE hold periods actually work in many orthopedic deals. It then shows, with a simple $4M practice sale example, how planning around personal goodwill and deal structure can change a surgeon’s federal tax bill by hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you’re an orthopedic surgeon being courted by private equity, this is the pre‑dinner framework to read before you say yes—or no.