IRS Refuse Tax Break on Breast Pump, Why?

The IRS has decided that breastfeeding doesn’t make the cut when it comes to our pre-tax health spending accounts. According to an article in The New York Times titled “Acne Cream? Tax-Sheltered. Breast Pump? No.” the I.R.S. believes that breast milk falls under the food category and doesn’t qualify for a tax break.

The article goes on to talk about how many mothers started breastfeeding and how acne cream is covered. The real question is why won't the I.R.S. allow a tax-break on breast pumps?

The USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (called W.I.C.) purchased tax-free baby formula for over 2 million infants in 2009. W.I.C. spends $100 per month on over 2 million infants.

The formula companies give the W.I.C. program an 85-98% rebate on the formula that skyrockets the price of baby formula for mothers who live within an area where W.I.C. participation is high.

About this article

Article Author: Rebe de la Paz

I write across a wide spectrum of genres that include: business, science, academic, and fiction. I hold an Associate's in Liberal Arts, a Bachelor's in Writing, Communication & Rhetoric as well as three years of study in Biology. …

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Article Tags

baby formula, breast pump, breastfeeding, breastfeeding research, health spending accounts, IRS, lactation, New York Times article, tax, USDA, WIC,

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