$2000 cap scrapped on deductions for self-education expenses

AMA president, Dr Steve Hambleton, said the cap was a tax on learning that would have discouraged investment in skills and stifled excellence, and the government’s decision to scrap it was recognition of the importance of on-going professional education.”The government has clearly listened to our concerns,” Dr Hambleton said.”The proposed cap was a poor policy that would have undermined medical education and training and made it increasingly difficult for doctors to provide quality health care.”The national chief executive of OAA, Ms Genevieve Quilty, said: “Optometrists Association Australia is delighted by the announcent by the treasurer to reverse the former government’s decision to cap self-education expenses.”The reversal of the original decision is a positive for mbers of the optometry profession and their patients. The reversal will mean that practising optometrists in Australia – required to undertake significant CPD every year to enable th to practise legally – will not incur additional expenses and be able to claim a tax deduction on legitimate work-related expenses.”The decision is also positive for patients as it means practitioners have one less barrier to undertaking CPD, so important to ensure they are across all the latest information and techniques which flow through to supporting world’s best primary eye health and vision care.”