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13 May 2003

Medical Expenses Offset - Dogs for the Guidance or Assistance of the Hearing Impaired and other Disabled Individuals

I am pleased to announce that the Government will make changes to provide tax assistance to those hearing impaired taxpayers and other disabled individuals who are assisted by hearing or service dogs.

Payments for maintaining properly trained guide dogs for the visually impaired can currently be claimed under the medical expenses offset. The Government will broaden the list of eligible medical expenses to ensure that similar treatment is available for expenses incurred in maintaining properly trained dogs for guiding or assisting the hearing impaired and other disabled individuals.

The medical expenses offset provides assistance to Australian resident taxpayers and their dependants at the rate of 20 per cent of any net qualifying medical expenses above the threshold. The offset is available in addition to the 30 per cent private health insurance offset provided by the Government.