Universities Australia on Mon 8.7.2013, hosted a meeting of 20 peak professional bodies who are calling on the Federal Government not to proceed with its plan to place a $2,000 per year cap on tax deductions for self-education. The bodies called on the Federal Government to abandon the proposal to cap the deductions. At a time when education has never been more important, the measure effectively imposes a tax on learning, they said.
The bodies claim the Government has not made the case for change and it has ignored the importance of self-education and mandatory continuing professional development for the safety and quality of services in key sectors such as health care delivery as well as for Australia’s economic future. The $2,000 per annum cap will discourage many people from progressing professional careers and will especially disadvantage rural areas reliant on health practitioners with broad and up-to-date skills, the bodies said.
Nurses, doctors, dentists, engineers, veterinarians, universities, accountants, postgraduate students, architects, pharmacists, lawyers, directors and many services professionals have all come together to speak with one voice in a bid to prevent this Budget measure from undermining the Australian economy and the future health and well-being of the community.
Professional bodies that have called on the Government to abandon plans for the $2,000 cap include: CPA Australia, ICAA, Law Council of Australia, Australian Institute of Company Directors, Professions Australia, Engineers Australia, and Australian Medical Association.
Source: Communiqué from the professional bodies
Greens propose Senate inquiry – Greens leader Senator Milne said the Greens have major concerns with the Government’s proposal to cap self-education expense deductions at $2,000. “This change will require legislation and we would move to send the legislation to a full Senate inquiry,” said Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne. She said the Greens are concerned that while the current scheme may need better targeting, the $2,000 cap is a blunt instrument. She said that while rorting from some professions had been anecdotally reported, that should not outweigh the concerns of people such as nurses from regional areas trying to get training.
[LTN 129, 8/7/13]