Question 1:  Can housing expenses can be claimed as a tax deduction if you need to move for your internship year, given hospital allocations are randomly assigned?

Given we are not tax experts we put this question to the Financial Advisers at the Bongiorno Group, who provided the following general advice:

“Housing is a private living expense and is therefore not deductible to a taxpayer. Whether you must move or not is irrelevant. If that is your primary residence for the period of employment, then the costs associated with the residence are non-deductible.

However, in most hospital networks you will be able to salary package your rental and mortgage costs.”

Thanks, Bongiorno Group

The Bongiorno Group also offer exclusive benefits to AMA Victoria members.

For doctors in training (residents not on a training program):

• $400 completion and lodgement of a standard tax return* which is a 50% discount off their standard pricing.

• An annual review meeting with one of their specialist doctors in training consultants, and

• Salary packaging advice

To contact the Bongiorno Group please call (03) 9863 3111 or email [email protected].

*Price applicable to a standard salary & wage tax return and is for new clients only.

Disclaimer: This general advice has been prepared by the Bongiorno Group without taking account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider the appropriateness of this advice before acting on it. If this general advice relates to acquiring a financial product, you should obtain a Product Disclosure Statement before deciding to acquire the product.

Part 1 - Question 1 and 2

Q1: Where can we find further details regarding the penalty payment for not providing a roster 14 days in advance?

Q2: How does the penalty payment work? What is it 2.5% of?

Part 2 - Question 3 and 4

Q3: If our roster is changed last minute, can we ask for the penalty payment?

Q4: What penalties do hospitals face (if any) for not paying out penalties?

Part 1: Questions 1 and 2

Q1: Is time and a half (x1.5) for the first 2 hours overtime and then double time (x2) for any hours after gthat, the same for rostered vs un-rostered overtime?

Q2: Is this calculated on the overtime for a single shift or based on the total overtime for the week/fortnight?

Part 2: Questions 3-5

Q3: Where exactly can one find the policy regarding un-rostered overtime?

Q4: Does every hospital have an overtime form and where is it kept?

Q5: If you can't find the appropriate person to sign off on your overtime, do you just submit the form without their signature?

Part 3: Question 6

Q6: While the Enterprise Agreement offers protection, could advocating more assertively for overtime potetially impact retention or future job opportunities within the same health service?

Employment contracts

• Q1: If some hospitals are already providing contracts with specified hourly pay rates, will the upcoming pay increase still be applicable?
   
• Q2: I received my internship contract today. Are there specific clauses I should carefully review, or is it more practical to sign it immediately to ensure I have a job next year?

Ensuring you are paid correctly

• Q1: Could you provide recommendations on how we can effectively track our hours and pay to ensure accurate compensation?

Q1: If we undertake a rural rotation at a rural health service, will we also be eligible for the salary packaging offered by that service?

Q1: How is the 47-week completion requirement for internship affected by taking 14 weeks of parental leave?

• Q1: As interns, are we entitled to contractual provisions for funding continuing education, such as a Master’s degree?

• Q2: Is the process of claiming CME expenses something we need to initiate, or is it handled automatically?

• Q3: Are CME entitlements for interns automatically granted, or do we need to submit a claim?

• Q1: Are meal breaks unpaid, resulting in a 30-minute deduction from our pay? If so, what happens if we're unable to take these breaks?

• Q2: Are there mandated breaks during shifts? While I understand the policy, in practice, it seems that interns often end up working through lunch without a break?

• Q1: Where do I find more info on how to keep a work diary?

• Q2: What are the pros and cons of using a phone or laptop for note-taking compared to a conventional notebook? Specifically, is the metadata and timestamp from digital devices useful in cases where a claim for bullying or harassment needs to be made?

Q1: Is AMA membership tax deductible? Are there any other tax tips I should know about?

Q2: Why should I maintain my membership during the years when there is no enterprise bargaining?

Q3: When can we join the union, and what are the associated costs?

Q4: I've heard that junior doctors might face disadvantages, like being overlooked for competitive training positions, due to union membership. Is there any truth to this?