If you're abreast of the myriad tax breaks offered by the state of Louisiana, you know that beginning Oct. 1 Louisiana will stop levying its four-cent sales tax on breast-feeding supplies.
If you're abreast of the myriad tax breaks offered by the state of Louisiana, you know that beginning Oct. 1 Louisiana will stop levying its four-cent sales tax on breast-feeding supplies.
The tax break is authorized by Act 331 of the 2011 regular session of the Legislature and grew out of a bill - Senate Bill 82 - by Sen. Yvonne Dorsey, D-Baton Rouge. While the bill sailed through the Senate unanimously, the baby formula lobby evidently infiltrated the House where 25 representatives including House Speaker Jim Tucker - this likely won't help Tucker among lactating voters in his bid for secretary of state - voted against the tax break. Fifty-three reps including all from Lafayette except for Rep. Rickey Hardy, who was absent, voted in favor of the bill.
According to the Louisiana Department of Revenue:
The act specifically exempts breast pumps and accessories, replacement parts, storage bags and accessories and nursing bras. Breast pump accessories include vehicle adapters, battery packs, power supplies and breast shields. Replacement parts include valves, membranes, tubing, filters, and other parts necessary to restore the breast pump to operational use. Storage bags and accessories include such items as storage bags used to hold the breast milk and collection containers.
Items that are not classifiable as "breastfeeding items" and will remain subject to state sales tax include nursing pads, nursing pillows, nursing stools, nursing covers, bottles and other related accessories.
Read more here.