The Allan Labor Government is working with other Australian jurisdictions to support our general practitioners to provide more bulk-billed primary healthcare consultations for families.

Following extensive consultation with the primary care sector and work to align settings across the country, all Victorian general practice businesses will receive an exemption from any outstanding or future assessment issued for payroll tax on payments to contractor GPs for the period up to 30 June 2024.

A further 12-month exemption from payroll tax for payments to contractor GPs, through to 30 June 2025, will be available for any general practice business that has not already received advice and begun paying payroll tax on payments to their contractor GPs on this basis.

This exemption will be provided through the Treasurer’s existing ‘ex gratia’ powers, and would be applied in this way under any Labor Government.

To help GPs provide more bulk-billed consultations, the Labor Government will provide an exemption from payroll tax for payments to contractor GPs and to employee GPs for providing bulk-billed consultations from 1 July 2025.

While there had been no change to payroll tax obligations for medical businesses, the Government has been engaging with the primary care sector for over a year about the pressures on GPs and the need for certainty – these changes will support GPs and the important work they do looking after Victorians.

Following a decade of neglect from the former Federal Liberal National Government, the Labor Government has stepped in to support primary care by delivering $32 million to support graduate GPs – encouraging medical students to take up a rewarding career in general practice.

The Victorian Budget 2024/25 also invests $10 million to further support primary care through a grant scheme that will be co-designed with GPs.