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Instalment Payment Terms

These Instalment Payment Terms apply only to dentists and dental care professionals who opt to pay their Annual Retention Fee (ARF) in quarterly instalments rather than annually.

  1. The date in each year by which the ARF is payable in a single annual payment (the ‘Normal ARF Payment Date’) is:

    1.1.          31 July for dental care professionals; and

    1.2.          31 December for dentists.

  2. If you are a dentist or dental care professional, you may opt to pay your ARF in equal quarterly instalments (each an ‘Instalment’) instead of as a single annual payment on the Normal ARF Payment Date.  If you pay the ARF in Instalments, these Instalment Payment Terms will apply.

  3. Payment in Instalments is currently only available to dentists and dental care professionals who pay the ARF themselves. If you are an employer paying on behalf of one or more dentists or dental care professionals, you will have to pay the ARF in a single annual payment.

    How do I opt to pay in instalments?

  4. If you are a dentist or dental care professional, you will be able to opt to pay the ARF in Instalments via your online eGDC account.  The deadline for opting to pay the ARF in Instalments each year (the ‘Annual Option Deadline’) will be notified to you via your online eGDC account.  Please check eGDC regularly so you do not miss the applicable Annual Option Deadline.  If you do miss the applicable Annual Option Deadline, you will have to pay the ARF for the relevant year in a single annual payment.

  5. If you do not opt to pay in Instalments by the applicable Annual Option Deadline, you will have to pay the whole of the ARF in a single annual payment by no later than the applicable Normal ARF Payment Date. Failure to pay the whole of the ARF by the Normal ARF Payment Date in these circumstances may result in the removal of your name from the register – please see paragraph 10 below.

  6. If you are paying the ARF in Instalments, you will have to pay by direct debit.  We do not accept payment of Instalments by any other payment method.

     

    How do I set up a direct debit?

  7. You can set up your direct debit online on eGDC or by post.  

    Visit our direct debit page for details of how to do this.

    When will I pay my Instalments?

  8. If you opt to pay the ARF in Instalments, we will collect each of the four Instalments by direct debit on a working day on or around the following dates (each date of collection being an ‘Instalment Date’):

     

    Dentists Dental care professionals
    1 December 1 July
    1 March 1 October
    1 June 1 January
    1 September 1 April


    Please note that the precise Instalment Dates may change each year and will be notified to you in your ARF annual renewal notice.

    What happens if I fail to pay any Instalment?

  9. If we are unable to collect any Instalment on its Instalment Date for any reason, the balance of the ARF will become payable in full in accordance with the following terms:

     

    9.1.  If we are unable to collect the first Instalment on the first Instalment Date by direct debit, you will be required to pay the whole of the ARF in full by credit or debit card via eGDC by 23:59 on your Normal ARF Payment Date (ie, 31 July for dental care professionals or 31 December for dentists).

    9.2.  If we are unable to collect the second, third or fourth Instalment on its Instalment Date by direct debit, you will be required to pay the balance of the ARF (ie, the amount of the total ARF less the Instalments we have already collected) by credit or debit card via eGDC by no later than 23:59 on the last day of the month in which the relevant Instalment Date falls.  For example, if you are a dentist and we are unable to collect an Instalment from you on or around 1 March, you will have to pay the balance of the ARF by credit or debit card via eGDC by no later than 23:59 on 31 March.

  10. If you fail to make any payment required by paragraphs 5, 9.1 or 9.2 by the required date, we reserve the right to treat your registration as lapsed and remove your name from the register.

  11. IMPORTANT NOTICE: You will lose the right to pay in Instalments for the following two ARF payment years if: (i) in any ARF payment year we are unable to collect any Instalment on or around the Instalment Date as required by these Instalment Payment Terms; (ii) you then fail to pay the full ARF or the balance of the ARF for the relevant year in accordance with paragraph 9.1 or 9.2; and (iii) as a result, your name may be removed from the register.  For example, if your name is removed from the register because you fail to meet your payment obligations in respect of the 2021 – 2022 ARF year, you will have to pay the ARF as a single annual payment by the Normal ARF Payment Date for the next two years and will not be entitled to pay in Instalments again until the 2024-2025 ARF year.  If you are dual registered as both a dentist and a dental care professional, where you lose the right to pay in Instalments in accordance with this paragraph, this will apply both in respect of your ARF as a dentist and your ARF as a dental care professional.

  12. If your registration has lapsed and you wish to re-join the register, you must apply to restore your name to the register.

    Can I terminate this arrangement?

  13. You can terminate this arrangement for payment in Instalments at any time by contacting us at [email protected] but you will be required to pay immediately the balance of the ARF (ie, the amount of the total ARF less any Instalments we have already collected) in full by credit or debit card via eGDC.  In these circumstances, you will remain on the register until the end of the period covered by the ARF you have paid.