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Tax Break Approved for Breastfeeding Mothers

By Jackson Law Group
January 19th, 2015

Posted in Tax Law & IRS Defense

The Internal Revenue Service has made a change to a policy that was rejected in 2010.  Based on the proven health benefits of breastfeeding for women and their children, the IRS will now allow mothers to count the costs of breast pumps and other supplies as a medical deduction on their taxes.  Breastfeeding women can spend as much as $1,000 each year on nursing supplies, thanks to the efforts of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other breastfeeding advocates that fought in recent years to advance this proposal.

Per Announcement 2011-14, “[t]he Internal Revenue Service has concluded that breast pumps and supplies that assist lactation are medical care under § 213(d) of the Internal Revenue Code because, like obstetric care, they are for the purpose of affecting a structure or function of the body of the lactating woman.”  Keep in mind that other requirements of the Internal Revenue Code must be met in order to deduct these expenses.

For more information on this development and how it can benefit your family, please make sure to contact your accountant.  You can also contact a qualified tax attorney if a tax opinion is needed.  For your own review, the applicable section of the Internal Revenue Code referenced above can be found here.

 

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