Thursday, April 20, 2006

ART is Tax Deductible

You probably already know this but I did not until yesterday. Save all your receipts for IVF - it is all tax deductible. The doctor's bills, the meds, car milage (only .22/mile but every bit counts), travel & lodging, etc. (Actually, it appears that any medical/dental expenses not covered by insurance are deductible, but it's nice to know they don't EXCLUDE fertility stuff.)

Here is the IRS's Publication 502 Medical and Dental Expenses (Including the Health Coverage Tax Credit) 2005

And this is the particular paragraph:

Fertility Enhancement
You can include in medical expenses the cost of the following procedures to overcome an inability to have children.

- Procedures such as in vitro fertilization (including temporary storage of eggs or sperm).

- Surgery, including an operation to reverse prior surgery that prevented the person operated on from having children.


Just thought I'd post in case there was someone else out there as clueless as me. ;) That's why I have an accountant. I don't think I would have thought of disclosing this information to him had I not been aware.

p.s.
i think Fertility Enhancement is a much nicer way of thinking about it. Better than Infertile or Subfertile. And possibly more accurate in many cases.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, we realized that while we were doing our taxes. Shit, I'll deduct the prenatals if I can away with it.

Sunny Jenny said...

That is totally awesome! Thanks so much for sharing this!!

Anonymous said...

Same deal here in Canada...

soralis said...

It should be tax deductible at the very least!! Actually it should be considered medically necessary and insurance should pay for it... but that's just my rant! In canada I think I got about $1000 or less of the $9000 I claimed back, but it's better than nothing.

I just had to say something about the Fertility Enhancement... I think it is really bad that it's called enhancement, makes people believe that we are improving on something that actually works. (I got a letter from our provincial health minister and she reffered to it as fertility enhancement and said it wasn't covered because it wasn't medically necessary) I sound kind of grumpy sorry I am not trying to trash your post, just me ranting away!!! LOL How about fertility Challenged?? :) I do like the comment about overcoming the inability to have children, that sounds much better too.

Take care and I hope your fertility is enhanced very soon. (I hope that makes up for my ranting earlier! :))

Family Ties said...

YOu always have the BEST info sweetie :)

Thanks!

I like Fertility Enhancement...

Sounds so much better!

Anonymous said...

I know! I only discovered it a few days ago too, and am I peeved or what? I haven't saved ANY of our receipts. Guess that happens if you don't have/have never had an accountant... Suppose I should organise that hey? :)

Mary Ellen and Steve said...

Thanks for sharing. I have been saving everything, and now I am happy I did.

Unknown said...

ivf cost uk
It may be employed to determine what comprises “medical requirement,” at least insofar as IVF, or The blue pill, or hair loss treatments are worried.