IRS Denies Tax Break for Breast Pumps

The Internal Revenue Service has decided that breast pumps and other breast feeding supplies cannot be paid for with money from mothers’ tax-exempt flexible spending accounts and health reimbursement accounts.

The American Academy of Pediatrics had requested that breast-feeding costs be reclassified as medical care expenses that would qualify for reimbursement with the accounts, according to The New York Times. The health care reform law has placed strict limits on the types of pharmaceuticals and medical expenses that can be paid for with the accounts. For example, most over-the-counter drugs will not qualify for payment with the accounts unless they are prescribed by a physician.

Despite medical studies showing the positive health effects of breast milk for nursing infants, the IRS considers breast milk to be a food and not a form of medical care. Infant formula also does not qualify for payment with the accounts.