Breast pumps, lactation supplies are now tax deductible in US
By ANIFriday, February 11, 2011
NEW YORK - Unlike India, where there are no rebates whatsoever on life-saving drugs, even breast pumps and lactation supplies are tax deductible in the US.
The Internal Revenue Service’s new ruling has designated the items as ‘medical expenses,’ meaning families can use pre-tax funds from their flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts to pay for them, reports the New York Daily News.
They can also deduct them as a medical expense on this year’s tax returns. Although medical expenses are only tax deductible when they exceed 7.5 percent of income, many women meet that threshold during pregnancy and childbirth.
Moms shell out around 300 dollars for breast pumps and can spend hundreds more on supplies, such as attachments, for them.
Breast feeding advocates have embraced the move.
“It’s a very important thing because breast feeding is a health issue,” said Karen Paperno, owner of Boing Boing, a breast-feeding supplies store in Brooklyn. (ANI)
