The disincentives for individuals to invest in education and training that are created by Ihe general design of the tax system can be mitigated with targeted tax concessions. In most OECD countries, employers may fully deduct the costs of employer-sponsored training for income-tax purposes in the year the costs are incurred. Such "expensing" is similar to business expenditure on intangibles, such as advertising and R&D, but more generous than investment in buildings and machinery where tax relief is spread over time, in line with the assumed rale of depreciation of assets.