HUNDREDS of thousands of taxpayers including doctors, engineers, vets, dentists and physiotherapists will have to pay more to keep their qualifications under a tax rule change funding education reforms.

The government has capped a tax break on self-education expenses at $2000 a year to save $540 million to help pay for the Gonski reforms but medicos are in revolt.

Surgeons claim they have to pay up to $16,000 in course fees to remain qualified.

Regional GP Dr David Rivett says a four-day course to keep his anaesthetist qualifications next weekend will cost him $4500 in fees, flights and accommodation.

The Australian College of Physiotherapists says it has established a two-year training program for physiotherapists that costs $13,200 over two years.

Treasurer Wayne Swan claims it is currently possible for taxpayers to rort the self-education tax break by making large claims for expenses such as first class airfares, five star accommodation and expensive courses.

The most recent ATO data, the typical claim for formal qualifications is less than half the proposed cap at $905, he says.

Angry health professionals are expected to converge on Canberra today to protest at the changes and demand that genuine professional development courses be quarantined from the changes.

Dr David Rivett said if Mr Swan was truly worried about wasting taxpayers money on five star hotels and first class airfares he should turn his attention to politicians perks.

The Australian Medical Association has received 4200 furious responses to the change on its website.

Surgical trainee Owen Jenkins said his training fees are about $6000 dollars alone.

''In addition we are required to attend numerous courses that range from $1000 - $4000 each.''

Another surgical trainee posted that he had already spent $6500 for training fees to the RACS, $6400 for examination fees, ''and I have two interstate conferences that I am obliged to attend as part of my training - that is since January this year.''

A specialist physician said his professional development costs in the last financial year were around $15,000 in total.

Meanwhile more than a thousand leading academics have written an open letter calling on Federal Government's cuts to tertiary education to be reversed.

The letter, signed by professors and associate professors from across the country, is published today in major metropolitan and regional newspapers and paid for the National Tertiary Education Association.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard's plans to funnel $2.3billion from universities to pay for school funding reform, announced two weeks ago, have faced a heated backlash from the university sector.

The recent cuts bring the total reduction in support for universities since 2011 to $4 billion.

''We had a very quick response when we asked these senior university figures to sign on,'' NTEU president Jeannie Ray said.

Originally published as Gonski reforms will cost professionals