• Storytelling & Memory Keeping
    • Digital Scrapbooking Hybrid Scrapbooking Mobile Memory Keeping All
      December Daily

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      Digital Scrapbooking

      Digital Scrapbooking Freebies are out there – Persnickety…

      July 18, 2018

      Digital Scrapbooking

      Project Life Digital – Freebies Are Out There…

      October 21, 2012

      Digital Scrapbooking

      Digital Project Life – How to get started?

      October 14, 2012

      Hybrid Scrapbooking

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      Hybrid Scrapbooking

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      Mobile Memory Keeping

      Project Life App

      August 2, 2015

      Mobile Memory Keeping

      How to do Project 365 and how do…

      January 3, 2012

      Storytelling & Memory Keeping

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      Storytelling & Memory Keeping

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      Storytelling & Memory Keeping

      Digital Scrapbooking Freebies are out there – Persnickety…

      July 18, 2018

      Storytelling & Memory Keeping

      2017 Project 365 – Preparations and Lessons Learnt

      December 31, 2016

  • Projects
    • December Daily Photography Project Life and Project 365 Wordless Wednesday All
      December Daily

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      December Daily

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      December Daily

      Merry Christmas Everyone!!

      December 20, 2011

      Photography

      Digital Project Life – How to get started?

      October 14, 2012

      Photography

      Wordless Wednesday – Thomas & The Train Shed

      December 21, 2011

      Photography

      Wordless Wednesday ….

      November 16, 2011

      Photography

      Wordless Wednesday

      August 24, 2011

      Project Life and Project 365

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      Project Life and Project 365

      Digital Project Life – How to get started?

      October 14, 2012

      Project Life and Project 365

      How to do Project 365 and how do…

      January 3, 2012

      Wordless Wednesday

      Wordless Wednesday – Thomas & The Train Shed

      December 21, 2011

      Wordless Wednesday

      Wordless Wednesday ….

      November 16, 2011

      Wordless Wednesday

      Wordless ….

      October 9, 2011

      Wordless Wednesday

      Wordless Wednesday – Miss Outside

      September 21, 2011

      Craft Projects

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      Craft Projects

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      Craft Projects

      Digital Project Life – How to get started?

      October 14, 2012

      Craft Projects

      How to do Project 365 and how do…

      January 3, 2012

  • Life
    • Community & Kids Disability Grateful Inspiration Laughter, Song & Dance Mind & Spirit Play & Rest Technology Travel All
      Community & Kids

      Carers Allowance & 2018 Federal Budget

      July 19, 2018

      Community & Kids

      Pool Safety … Is Your Pool Ready For…

      October 19, 2012

      Community & Kids

      Autism and Travel Insurance

      October 4, 2012

      Community & Kids

      School Holiday Ideas – Thomas & the Train…

      September 24, 2012

      Disability

      Carers Allowance & 2018 Federal Budget

      July 19, 2018

      Disability

      Social Model Of Disability And Why It Is…

      July 8, 2018

      Disability

      iOS Guided Access – How to help focus…

      June 8, 2013

      Disability

      Autism and Travel Insurance

      October 4, 2012

      Grateful

      Grateful for TED

      September 24, 2011

      Grateful

      Grateful for … Spoken Word

      September 15, 2011

      Grateful

      Grateful for … Poetry

      September 8, 2011

      Grateful

      Grateful for … our GP

      August 23, 2011

      Inspiration

      Some Days I Miss … the Theatre

      December 29, 2011

      Inspiration

      Favourite Quotations – Steve Jobs – Change the…

      November 21, 2011

      Inspiration

      Grateful for TED

      September 24, 2011

      Inspiration

      Grateful for … Spoken Word

      September 15, 2011

      Laughter, Song & Dance

      Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2018 – An…

      July 15, 2018

      Laughter, Song & Dance

      If Moms Talked to Each Other The Way…

      October 17, 2015

      Laughter, Song & Dance

      Friday Funny: Lullaby

      August 24, 2012

      Laughter, Song & Dance

      Friday Funny – Fotoshop by Adobé

      April 20, 2012

      Mind & Spirit

      I Miss My Dad

      April 29, 2012

      Mind & Spirit

      Grateful for TED

      September 24, 2011

      Mind & Spirit

      Less than perfect – Good Enough Mum

      August 16, 2011

      Mind & Spirit

      Words of Wisdom for New Mums

      January 19, 2009

      Play & Rest

      If Moms Talked to Each Other The Way…

      October 17, 2015

      Play & Rest

      Review: Sydney Good Food and Wine Show

      June 24, 2012

      Play & Rest

      Get Your Motors Running – Autism Motorcyle Ride

      April 20, 2012

      Play & Rest

      Royal Easter Show 2012 – Last minute Show…

      April 6, 2012

      Technology

      iOS Guided Access – How to help focus…

      June 8, 2013

      Technology

      Do you Backup Your Blog?

      September 22, 2012

      Technology

      Apple Junkie: Preview of iOS5

      June 6, 2011

      Travel

      Things I love about London – St Pauls

      March 9, 2012

      Travel

      Things I love about London – British Museum

      February 29, 2012

      Travel

      Things I Love About London – Tower of…

      February 9, 2012

      Travel

      Crazy Dreams – Vespa Ape

      July 24, 2011

      Stories of Life

      Remembering 9/11 20 Years On

      September 11, 2021

      Stories of Life

      Carers Allowance & 2018 Federal Budget

      July 19, 2018

      Stories of Life

      Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2018 – An…

      July 15, 2018

      Stories of Life

      Social Model Of Disability And Why It Is…

      July 8, 2018

  • Stories
  • Instagram
  • About me
    • Contact Me
    • Guest Post Submission Guidelines
N My Life
- crafting life -
Tag:

Rebate

Disability

Navigating the Funding Maze – Medical Expenses Tax Offset

by bronwyn October 20, 2011
written by bronwyn
Calculator
Before I start I think I need to be very very clear … the information below is not intended to be taken as legal, taxation or financial advise. The purpose is for information purposes only. I strongly recommend that you speak to an accountant, taxation agent or other appropriate financial advisor to get specific advise on your own situation.

Welcome to the fifth  installment of ‘Navigating the Funding Maze‘. Today I hope to give alittle more insight into the Net Medical Expenses Tax Offset. I hope that this will be useful information.

What is the Net Medical Expenses Tax Offset?

If your net medical expenses are over the ATO threshold (from 2010-2011 Tax Year it is $2000, previously $1500) , you can claim an offset of 20 per cent (20 cents in the dollar) in your tax return.

To claim the medical expenses tax offset in your tax return, you need to know the total amount of medical expenses you incurred for yourself and your dependants. You then deduct any refunds from Medicare Australia, your private health fund or any other reimbursements that relate to those expenses receiving during the financial year.

There is no upper limit on the amount you can claim.

What can I claim?

It is important when you are looking at the Net Medical Expenses Tax Offset to consider all of the relevant Autism expenses (more on this below) but also your other medical expenses. including

Medical expenses include payments:

  •  to GPs that charge over the scheduled fee
  • to dentists, orthodontists or registered dental mechanics
  •  to opticians or optometrists, including for the cost of prescription spectacles or contact lenses
  • to a carer who looks after a person who is blind or permanently confined to a bed or wheelchair
  • for therapeutic treatment under the direction of a doctor
  • for medical aids prescribed by a doctor
  • for artificial limbs or eyes and hearing aids
  • for maintaining a properly trained dog for guiding or assisting people with a disability (but not for social therapy)
  • for laser eye surgery, and
  • for treatment under an in-vitro fertilisation program.

Expenses which do not qualify as medical expenses include payments made for:

  • cosmetic operations for which a Medicare benefit is not payable
  • dental services or treatments that are solely cosmetic
  • therapeutic treatment where the patient is not formally referred by a doctor (a mere suggestion or recommendation by a doctor to the patient is not enough for the treatment to qualify; the patient must be referred to a particular person for specific treatment)
  • chemist-type items, such as tablets for pain relief, purchased in retail outlets or health food stores
  • inoculations for overseas travel
  • non-prescribed vitamins or health foods
  • travel or accommodation expenses associated with medical treatment
  • contributions to a private health insurer
  • purchases from a chemist that are not related to an illness or operation
  • life insurance medical examinations
  • ambulance charges and subscriptions, and
  • funeral expenses.

So does Autism Therapy count towards the Net Medical Expenses Tax Offset?

Ok … this is where things start to get a bit legal … and my knowledge only really relates to ABA therapy and my own experiences … The short version is yes but it only includes direct therapy costs (costs for Supervisors/Psychologists, Senior Behaviour Therapists, Junior Behaviour Therapists and Speech Therapists) and not any tools, books, toys etc where it has been recommended/refereed and under the direction of a medical practitioner. The appropriate rulings that are worth looking at are ATO Interpretative Decision 2011/82 and edited version of private ruling 4119 and 6093 (however I think that these have been withdrawn and replaced … your tax profession would know the most up-to-date reference).

From what I understand the key aspect to what is covered is that “therapeutic treatment must be at the direction of a legally qualified medical practitioner in order to be considered a medical expense for the purposes of the medical expenses tax offset” however “the treatment need not be administered by such a practitioner”. (ATO 2001/243)

What should I do now?

1. Talk to your accountant, taxation agent or other appropriate financial advisor. Let them know before your appointment what you want to discuss. Get from them a understanding on what is covered, what isn’t and what/how you need to keep your records so that you can make the most out of what is available. It is alot better to get this done ASAP and get advise that relates to your own unique circumstances. What is right for me is probably is not right for you. And preferably do this before tax time. Being prepared can save you alot of money

2. Talk to your doctor. You probably already have got the Health Care Plans etc … but make sure that they are up to speed with what you are doing and you have in writing a appropriate “referral” to cover you for tax purposes.

Just to be clear  … the information above is not intended to be taken as legal, taxation or financial advise. The purpose is for information purposes only. I strongly recommend that you speak to an accountant, taxation agent or other appropriate financial advisor to get specific advise on your own situation.

Image:99Club

October 20, 2011 0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

About Me

About Me

Hi, I'm Bronwyn. I like to eat, laugh, take photos, tell stories, dream, help people & balance that with being a mum of 2 autistic kids. All my own opinions

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Goodreads

Recent Posts

  • Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

    September 13, 2021
  • What is December Daily?

    September 12, 2021
  • Remembering 9/11 20 Years On

    September 11, 2021
  • Carers Allowance & 2018 Federal Budget

    July 19, 2018

Instagram

Categories

  • Craft Projects (10)
    • December Daily (3)
    • Photography (4)
    • Project Life and Project 365 (3)
    • Wordless Wednesday (5)
  • Retire (3)
  • Stories of Life (175)
    • Community & Kids (59)
    • Disability (51)
    • Grateful (7)
    • Inspiration (11)
    • Laughter, Song & Dance (18)
    • Mind & Spirit (4)
    • Play & Rest (14)
    • Technology (3)
    • Travel (9)
  • Storytelling & Memory Keeping (14)
    • Digital Scrapbooking (9)
    • Hybrid Scrapbooking (2)
    • Mobile Memory Keeping (2)

Recent Posts

  • Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

    September 13, 2021
  • What is December Daily?

    September 12, 2021
  • Remembering 9/11 20 Years On

    September 11, 2021

Categories

  • Storytelling & Memory Keeping
  • Craft Projects
  • Stories of Life
    • Disability
    • Grateful
    • Laughter, Song & Dance
    • Play & Rest
    • Travel

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Digital Scrapbooking Freebies are out there – Persnickety Prints

    July 18, 2018
  • 2

    How to do Project 365 and how do I do it with Instagram?

    January 3, 2012
  • 3

    Project Life Digital – Freebies Are Out There ..

    October 21, 2012

Instagram

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Goodreads

@2021 - Bronwyn Orsatti

N My Life
  • Storytelling & Memory Keeping
    • Digital Scrapbooking Hybrid Scrapbooking Mobile Memory Keeping All
      December Daily

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      Digital Scrapbooking

      Digital Scrapbooking Freebies are out there – Persnickety…

      July 18, 2018

      Digital Scrapbooking

      Project Life Digital – Freebies Are Out There…

      October 21, 2012

      Digital Scrapbooking

      Digital Project Life – How to get started?

      October 14, 2012

      Hybrid Scrapbooking

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      Hybrid Scrapbooking

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      Mobile Memory Keeping

      Project Life App

      August 2, 2015

      Mobile Memory Keeping

      How to do Project 365 and how do…

      January 3, 2012

      Storytelling & Memory Keeping

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      Storytelling & Memory Keeping

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      Storytelling & Memory Keeping

      Digital Scrapbooking Freebies are out there – Persnickety…

      July 18, 2018

      Storytelling & Memory Keeping

      2017 Project 365 – Preparations and Lessons Learnt

      December 31, 2016

  • Projects
    • December Daily Photography Project Life and Project 365 Wordless Wednesday All
      December Daily

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      December Daily

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      December Daily

      Merry Christmas Everyone!!

      December 20, 2011

      Photography

      Digital Project Life – How to get started?

      October 14, 2012

      Photography

      Wordless Wednesday – Thomas & The Train Shed

      December 21, 2011

      Photography

      Wordless Wednesday ….

      November 16, 2011

      Photography

      Wordless Wednesday

      August 24, 2011

      Project Life and Project 365

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      Project Life and Project 365

      Digital Project Life – How to get started?

      October 14, 2012

      Project Life and Project 365

      How to do Project 365 and how do…

      January 3, 2012

      Wordless Wednesday

      Wordless Wednesday – Thomas & The Train Shed

      December 21, 2011

      Wordless Wednesday

      Wordless Wednesday ….

      November 16, 2011

      Wordless Wednesday

      Wordless ….

      October 9, 2011

      Wordless Wednesday

      Wordless Wednesday – Miss Outside

      September 21, 2011

      Craft Projects

      Favourite Scrapbooking Tools – Silhouette Cameo 4

      September 13, 2021

      Craft Projects

      What is December Daily?

      September 12, 2021

      Craft Projects

      Digital Project Life – How to get started?

      October 14, 2012

      Craft Projects

      How to do Project 365 and how do…

      January 3, 2012

  • Life
    • Community & Kids Disability Grateful Inspiration Laughter, Song & Dance Mind & Spirit Play & Rest Technology Travel All
      Community & Kids

      Carers Allowance & 2018 Federal Budget

      July 19, 2018

      Community & Kids

      Pool Safety … Is Your Pool Ready For…

      October 19, 2012

      Community & Kids

      Autism and Travel Insurance

      October 4, 2012

      Community & Kids

      School Holiday Ideas – Thomas & the Train…

      September 24, 2012

      Disability

      Carers Allowance & 2018 Federal Budget

      July 19, 2018

      Disability

      Social Model Of Disability And Why It Is…

      July 8, 2018

      Disability

      iOS Guided Access – How to help focus…

      June 8, 2013

      Disability

      Autism and Travel Insurance

      October 4, 2012

      Grateful

      Grateful for TED

      September 24, 2011

      Grateful

      Grateful for … Spoken Word

      September 15, 2011

      Grateful

      Grateful for … Poetry

      September 8, 2011

      Grateful

      Grateful for … our GP

      August 23, 2011

      Inspiration

      Some Days I Miss … the Theatre

      December 29, 2011

      Inspiration

      Favourite Quotations – Steve Jobs – Change the…

      November 21, 2011

      Inspiration

      Grateful for TED

      September 24, 2011

      Inspiration

      Grateful for … Spoken Word

      September 15, 2011

      Laughter, Song & Dance

      Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2018 – An…

      July 15, 2018

      Laughter, Song & Dance

      If Moms Talked to Each Other The Way…

      October 17, 2015

      Laughter, Song & Dance

      Friday Funny: Lullaby

      August 24, 2012

      Laughter, Song & Dance

      Friday Funny – Fotoshop by Adobé

      April 20, 2012

      Mind & Spirit

      I Miss My Dad

      April 29, 2012

      Mind & Spirit

      Grateful for TED

      September 24, 2011

      Mind & Spirit

      Less than perfect – Good Enough Mum

      August 16, 2011

      Mind & Spirit

      Words of Wisdom for New Mums

      January 19, 2009

      Play & Rest

      If Moms Talked to Each Other The Way…

      October 17, 2015

      Play & Rest

      Review: Sydney Good Food and Wine Show

      June 24, 2012

      Play & Rest

      Get Your Motors Running – Autism Motorcyle Ride

      April 20, 2012

      Play & Rest

      Royal Easter Show 2012 – Last minute Show…

      April 6, 2012

      Technology

      iOS Guided Access – How to help focus…

      June 8, 2013

      Technology

      Do you Backup Your Blog?

      September 22, 2012

      Technology

      Apple Junkie: Preview of iOS5

      June 6, 2011

      Travel

      Things I love about London – St Pauls

      March 9, 2012

      Travel

      Things I love about London – British Museum

      February 29, 2012

      Travel

      Things I Love About London – Tower of…

      February 9, 2012

      Travel

      Crazy Dreams – Vespa Ape

      July 24, 2011

      Stories of Life

      Remembering 9/11 20 Years On

      September 11, 2021

      Stories of Life

      Carers Allowance & 2018 Federal Budget

      July 19, 2018

      Stories of Life

      Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever 2018 – An…

      July 15, 2018

      Stories of Life

      Social Model Of Disability And Why It Is…

      July 8, 2018

  • Stories
  • Instagram
  • About me
    • Contact Me
    • Guest Post Submission Guidelines