Posted in Industry News

The Australian Dental Industry Association congratulates the Queensland Government on responding to the ADIA's advocacy on retrospective payroll taxes.

• This story was covered by the Courier Mail. View article >

Without an amnesty, many Queensland dental practices were at risk of closing or significant cost increases. Today's announcement will provide some certainty for dental clinics across Queensland.

We've argued long and hard that dentists should have the same amnesty as GPs, given the Government 2023 ruling applies equally to dentists. Dental visits are a key out-of-pocket cost for Queenslanders, and there's no good reason for dentists to be taxed differently.

In a cost of living crisis, patients are having to delay dental treatment due to cost. Making dental care affordable can help take pressure of Queensland emergency departments. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has identified that dental presentations make up almost 19,000 preventable emergency department presentations in Queensland each year. 

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dental-oral-health/oral-health-and-dental-care-in-australia/contents/hospitalisations/potentially-preventable-hospitalisations

Queenslanders looking for dental treatment are still facing price rises from the retrospective application of payroll tax to dental services.

Saddled with huge, backdated liabilities after the state revenue office announced the tax change last year, dentists warn their only options are to pass on price hikes to their patients or close altogether.

With the Queensland election under way, the Australian Dental Industry Association is calling on politicians to act now, and give Queenslanders relief from price rises.

Chief Executive Officer, Kym De Britt has highlighted the unfairness of the current situation.

“There’s a new ruling that has never been tested and an amnesty for GPs, but dentists get left with paying the new tax back-dated to 2018” Mr De Britt said. “Why dentists face this tax when GPs don’t is inexplicable. No one has given us a reason.”

Mr De Britt said “Without protection from backdated taxes, the cost of dentistry will force many Queenslanders to make heartbreaking choices during a cost-of-living crisis that was hitting hardest in Australia’s remote and regional communities.”

The ADIA has written to both the Queensland Government and Queensland Opposition asking them to grant dentists a tax amnesty, similar to one already granted to general practitioners, to avert a regional crisis that would push more patients into the already stretched public health system.

“Time is running out for Queensland dental clinics. Without immediate action, the risk of these taxes will force clinics to the wall” Mr De Britt said.

On behalf of the ADIA Board, I am calling for nominations to the Board of the ADIA from appropriately credentialed individuals to serve as a Director for a two-year term, commencing after the 2024 AGM in November.

To nominate for the election, please forward a recent photo, short bio, and a paragraph of no more than 100 words outlining your reasons for wanting to support the dental industry as an ADIA Director by COB Monday, 27 August 2024.

Nominations are to be emailed to Kym De Britt at ceo@adia.org.au.

Voting for the two Director positions will be held between 29 August and 12 September 2024.

ADIA is a key member of the Australian Oral Health Policy Institute or AOHPI for short!

The Institute brings together partner organisations to develop independent, authoritative and inclusive oral health policy aimed at driving improvements in oral health in Australia. The key areas of oral health policy development are Children and Older Australians. AOHPI also makes submissions to Government in these focus areas and is currently working on a submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care, showing how digital innovations in dentistry can be used to facilitate better access to oral healthcare.

The AOHPI website has just been launched with the intent of housing the suite of policies as they are developed. Visit AOHPI to see what we’ve been up to.

If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to contact AOHPI via the contact form on the website.