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Breasr pumps now Tax Deductible

loboloco

Well-known member






IRS says breast pumps tax deductible expense






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By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, The Associated Press Stephen Ohlemacher, The Associated Press – 1 hr 46 mins ago
WASHINGTON – The cost of breast pumps will now be considered tax-deductible medical expenses under a ruling issued by the Internal Revenue Service Thursday.
The ruling, long sought by advocates, means that women will be able to use money set aside in pretax spending accounts to buy the pumps and related equipment, which can cost several hundred dollars. For women without flexible spending accounts, the cost of pumps will be tax deductible if their total medical costs exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income.
Previously, the IRS considered breast pumps to be feeding equipment, not medical devices. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics argued that breastfeeding has many medical benefits for both mother and baby. Advocates hope that making breast pumps more affordable will enable more women to breastfeed longer.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that women breastfeed their babies for at least a year.
"Unfortunately, due to financial restraints and work demands, not all women are afforded the opportunity to nurse their children, despite the proven health benefits," the academy said in a 2009 letter to IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman that was also signed by nine other medical groups. "In order to continue to breastfeed successfully, millions of mothers working outside the house require a breast pump."
Last year, 45 members of Congress wrote the IRS to protest its classification of breast pumps. On Thursday, several issued a statement praising the new ruling. They were Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.
"Today's decision is a huge victory for nursing mothers everywhere. Modern medicine has documented numerous health benefits linked to breastfeeding, including a reduced risk of illness in infants and a reduced risk of cancer in mothers," the lawmakers said in a statement. "And because breastfeeding is so effective in preventing disease, it also happens to save billions in health care costs."
 

mak2

Active member
I cant tell wether you think this is a good idea or not.

Breastfeeding does have lots and lots of medical benefits to the baby and a bit more contreversial ones for the mother, and that science is old and has been confirmed over and over. Dollar for dollar breast pumps will undoubtly be worth the money many many times over. I guess the only contreversial note would be wehter they should be tax deductible. If you make them tax deductible it will save money in the long run.
 

loboloco

Well-known member
They might as well be, damn near everything else is. Personally, I think we should scrap the whole damn tax code and go with a consumption tax.
 

Cowboy

Wait for it.
GOLD Site Supporter
They might as well be, damn near everything else is. Personally, I think we should scrap the whole damn tax code and go with a consumption tax.
Huh , Consumption tax & breast feeding in the same thread . :w00t2: Carefull what you ask for , the government might just figure out away to put a meter on one , Excuse me TWO of Gods finest creations . :whistling: :biggrin:
 

loboloco

Well-known member
Huh , Consumption tax & breast feeding in the same thread . :w00t2: Carefull what you ask for , the government might just figure out away to put a meter on one , Excuse me TWO of Gods finest creations . :whistling: :biggrin:
Heck, if they would legalize and tax prostitution we could do away with a whole bunch of taxes.
 

tommu56

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
They might as well be, damn near everything else is. Personally, I think we should scrap the whole damn tax code and go with a consumption tax.

Well that makes two of us do you think we can get it passed!:yum:
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
I cant tell wether you think this is a good idea or not.

Breastfeeding does have lots and lots of medical benefits to the baby and a bit more contreversial ones for the mother, and that science is old and has been confirmed over and over. Dollar for dollar breast pumps will undoubtly be worth the money many many times over. I guess the only contreversial note would be wehter they should be tax deductible. If you make them tax deductible it will save money in the long run.

:smile:

Years ago, expenses that are related to breast feeding Mothers weren't tax deductible.
They weren't considered medical, but rather personal... as in choice.

Given the fact that breast feeding far outweighs bottle feeding (the health benefits are and have been well known for years), I think it's high time that this falls under a medical expense as preventative healthcare.

I think CG will most definitely agree with me on this one.
 
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fubar

New member
Why do I have to help you pay for this?:sad:
It dosen't save me a nickle.
My subsidising someone elses food, dosen't improve my health, my wifes health nor my childrens health.
 

fubar

New member
You're not. People pay for it themselves, but with pretax dollars.


If there is a tax deduction, then someone is paying less tax!!
Thus, someone else has to pay to make up the difference.

HSA'a and MSA's allow you to put pre tax dollars aside to use for medical expenses (pre taxed means you didn't pay taxes) consequently not paying taxes on those dollars!!
 

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
If there is a tax deduction, then someone is paying less tax!!
Thus, someone else has to pay to make up the difference.

HSA'a and MSA's allow you to put pre tax dollars aside to use for medical expenses (pre taxed means you didn't pay taxes) consequently not paying taxes on those dollars!!

A very different concept from you helping to pay for breast pumps.

For women without flexible spending accounts, the cost of pumps will be tax deductible if their total medical costs exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income.

http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/49082100/ShowThread.aspx

And herein lies the rub. You only deduct the amounts over 7.5% of your AGI. In other words, if your AGI is $50,000, the first $3,750 of med bills is not deductible.
 

fubar

New member
A very different concept from you helping to pay for breast pumps.



And herein lies the rub. You only deduct the amounts over 7.5% of your AGI. In other words, if your AGI is $50,000, the first $3,750 of med bills is not deductible.

Please tell me you're kidding me and that you have a better understanding than that.
 

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
Please tell me you're kidding me and that you have a better understanding than that.

By your logic, I'm paying someone else's house payment, because I don't have a mortgage (hence, no home mortgage interest deduction).
 

fubar

New member
By your logic, I'm paying someone else's house payment, because I don't have a mortgage (hence, no home mortgage interest deduction).

You're both paying taxes, then out of the pool of money they get a refund (via a discount or a deduction that they can claim), that you don't. That refund is to assist in housing interest, thus enabling them to more afford house payments. So yes, you are assisting in making thier house payments.

The purpose of that interest deduction is to help and encourage some to afford homes.

The purpose of deducting, regardless of the rate, the cost of breast pumps is to help someone better afford and to encourage breast pumps. If they deduct that from their taxes (Tax Deduction) all others make up the slack.
 

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
You're both paying taxes, then out of the pool of money they get a refund (via a discount or a deduction that they can claim), that you don't. That refund is to assist in housing interest, thus enabling them to more afford house payments. So yes, you are assisting in making thier house payments.

The purpose of that interest deduction is to help and encourage some to afford homes.

The purpose of deducting, regardless of the rate, the cost of breast pumps is to help someone better afford and to encourage breast pumps. If they deduct that from their taxes (Tax Deduction) all others make up the slack.

I understand what you're saying, fu (may I call you, "fu"?:w00t2:). I just don't agree that it's akin to paying for someone else's breast pump, or mortgage, or whatever deduction they take. We all pay taxes (well, 50% of us anyway).
 

loboloco

Well-known member
I see Fubar's point, and it is a good one. that said, I only see deductions from taxes as concerning just those involved. the government is only going to waste any money they get and keeping it at family level us a good thing.
 

fubar

New member
I understand what you're saying, fu (may I call you, "fu"?:w00t2:). ).

Of course you can, If I can call you fu also.

So fu2, I'm glad that you do agree with the part that is easy to see.
Now, as you said 50% are paying taxes, if that drops to 49% equivilent in dollars (via increased allowable deductions) who picks up the slack,
yup, it's good old fu and fu2!

The person who kept the 1%, via deductions, spent it on BREAST PUMPS!!

:doh:
 

jpr62902

Jeanclaude Spam Banhammer
SUPER Site Supporter
Of course you can, If I can call you fu also.

So fu2, I'm glad that you do agree with the part that is easy to see.
Now, as you said 50% are paying taxes, if that drops to 49% equivilent in dollars (via increased allowable deductions) who picks up the slack,
yup, it's good old fu and fu2!

The person who kept the 1%, via deductions, spent it on BREAST PUMPS!!

:doh:

I guess you can call me fu2, but it's not part of my user name, so I'm not sure where that comes from.

As for tax deductible breast pumps, I think it's a good idea, a proven benefit to neo natal care, and I don't consider it to be something I'm paying for because someone else gets a tax deduction for it.
 
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