Georgia Preceptor Tax Incentive Program: What to Know

The Georgia Preceptor Tax Incentive Program (PTIP) provides a state income tax credit to certain medical professionals who volunteer to train students. This program was established to encourage community-based healthcare providers to mentor students from Georgia’s medical, osteopathic, advanced practice nursing, and physician assistant programs. By offering a direct reduction in tax liability, the state aims to expand available training sites. The incentive is for uncompensated teaching, rewarding those who dedicate time to student education without receiving direct payment.

Preceptor and Rotation Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the tax credit, a preceptor must be a physician, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), or physician assistant who holds an active license to practice in Georgia. A requirement is that the preceptor cannot receive any direct financial compensation for their teaching and supervision of the student. The credit is only available for supervising students enrolled in eligible Georgia-based educational programs, whether public or private.

The training itself must meet specific criteria to be considered a qualifying rotation. Each rotation is defined by 160 hours of clinical supervision. These hours can be accrued across multiple students; it is not necessary to complete all 160 hours with a single student. This structure provides flexibility, accommodating different academic schedules, such as short, intensive blocks or longer-term placements that occur one or two days a week.

The training environment is another important factor, as the program is designed to support community-based learning. This refers to clinical training that occurs outside of a university-owned or operated setting, placing students in real-world practice environments. Before a preceptor can claim the credit, they must register with the Georgia Statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network, which is administered by Augusta University.

Understanding the Tax Credit Value

The value of the tax credit is structured to provide a greater incentive for preceptors who commit to training multiple student rotations within a single calendar year. A preceptor can claim credits for a maximum of ten rotations annually. The credit directly reduces a taxpayer’s income tax liability but is nonrefundable, meaning it cannot exceed the amount of tax owed for the year.

For physicians, the first three qualifying rotations each generate a $750 tax credit. For any subsequent rotations in the same tax year, from the fourth up to the tenth, the credit value increases to $1,000 per rotation. This tiered system allows a physician to earn a maximum annual tax credit of $9,250.

Advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants also benefit from a tiered credit structure. For these professionals, the first three rotations each provide a $375 tax credit. For the fourth through tenth rotations completed within the year, the credit amount increases to $750 for each. Following this model, an APRN or PA can accumulate a maximum annual tax credit of $6,375.

Information and Forms for Certification

Proper documentation is necessary to claim the Preceptor Tax Incentive Program credit, and the process begins with securing certification. The key document is Georgia Form IT-PTP-V, the official verification form. Preceptors should obtain the most current version from the Georgia Department of Revenue’s website and gather the following information:

• Their full name, professional license number, and tax identification number
• The student’s name
• The name of the public or private college or university the student attends
• The specific start and end dates of the 160-hour clinical rotation

The student’s academic institution is responsible for tracking and verifying the student’s clinical hours. After a rotation is completed, the academic program submits a report of the eligible hours to the Georgia Statewide AHEC Network. The preceptor then works with the institution to receive the necessary certification, which confirms the uncompensated supervision and total hours completed for Form IT-PTP-V.

Claiming the Preceptor Tax Credit

Once Form IT-PTP-V is completed and certified, the final step is to claim the credit on the annual Georgia income tax return. The preceptor must file the credit in the same tax year that the preceptorship rotation was completed. The completed Form IT-PTP-V must be attached to the preceptor’s Georgia income tax return, such as Form 500 for individual filers.

For those who file electronically, tax software should provide an option to attach a PDF of the completed Form IT-PTP-V. If filing by mail, a printed copy of the certified Form IT-PTP-V must be included with the paper tax return mailed to the Georgia Department of Revenue.