Doctors’ main frustration is that they pay a significant amount of tax and have very limited ways of reducing this. The main type of income that you will receive as a doctor is known as personal services income; i.e. income from your personal work and exertion. The principle is that if you do the work, you pay the tax. Despite … Read More
Doctors and divorce: should you consider a ‘pre-nup’?
The divorce rate in Australia is still quite high, and statistically you have a 1 in 2 chance that your relationship will end prematurely. As a doctor, you will accumulate a significant asset base throughout your career, and so it makes perfect sense to protect yourself in the event of a relationship breakdown. So let’s have a look at how … Read More
Tax deductions for doctors
Medical professionals typically have a high level of work-related tax expenses, so it is important to keep accurate records throughout the year, to ensure you can claim all your allowable deductions when lodging your tax return. In order for an expense to qualify as a deduction, there must be a causal nexus between the outgoing or loss and expected assessable … Read More
Doctors and school fees
Doctors, like other parents, want the best for their children, which includes a good (private) education. However, this is becoming quite expensive, as the cost of education is rising exponentially compared to the broader consumer price index. Unless you are certain that you will be able to fund these expenses from your cash flow, it is best to start planning … Read More
Medical practice fraud: how to prevent it
All too often you hear about doctors being the victim of medical practice fraud. The theft or fraud often occurs by way of misappropriation of cash, often in small amounts over a long period of time. In one case I heard about, the staff member was pocketing the cash payments from patients. The loss to the doctor amounted to well … Read More
Investment for doctors: should you trade shares and currencies?
Quite often I hear doctors talking or enquiring about actively trading shares or even currencies. In this article I would like to explore how investment for doctors should be approached, and whether certain investment strategies are a waste of time (and money). Investment for doctors versus speculation One leads to wealth accumulation the other often to wealth destruction: do you … Read More
The Sandwich Generation’s struggle to retire
The ‘Sandwich Generation’ is the term typically used for the Baby Boomers who are being ‘squeezed financially’ by both their children (who are living at home longer) and their elderly parents, who also may require care and financial support. These pressures are making it very difficult for this so-called ‘Sandwich Generation’ to retire comfortably. I was recently interviewed by various … Read More
Doctors and holiday homes
As I am spending a few fabulous days with my family in Western Australia’s glorious South West region, I can’t help but think about how many people will fall in love with a holiday home here. Summer holidays are typically the time of year when people believe buying a holiday home might also be a wise investment decision. After all, … Read More
Disruptive trends in healthcare
In a previous article (click HERE) I commented on how doctors can turn disruption into opportunity. In this week’s article I wanted to share some other interesting insights I found on current disruptive trends in healthcare. Below is a summary of the information that is available on the PWC Healthcare Website. I would encourage you to watch the 5 minute … Read More
The future of medicine: how doctors can turn disruption into opportunity in 2016
The start of a new year is the ideal time for some reflection, and to ask ourselves: What is the future of medicine in 2016? There is no doubt that medicine is facing many different disruptional forces: cuts in healthcare budgets, uncertainty regarding employment, competitive forces, technology, a ‘power’ shift towards the patient… However, while some doctors might feel overwhelmed … Read More