Claiming home birth on tax (+ more questions)

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I have been in touch with an independant midwife and she has said that her fees can be claimed again tax.
I don't have an accountant to speak to so I was wondering if anyone has some info for me?
How much / little, how to go about it, etc?

Also, does anyone have any Ind. MW recommendations in the Canberra or Southern Highlands Area... No, I am not pregnant, before you ask, LOL!

[Schmickers]

I'd love to know - I didn't think this was possible, and it would sure have made a difference on some of our tax returns.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Michael that's what I thought was weird, I had never heard anything about it.
If you'd like the details of the woman who gave me the info so maybe you can ask her about it, PM me.

[briggsy's girl]

from the ATO website

Claimable medical expenses
You can claim expenses relating to an illness or operation paid to legally qualified doctors, nurses or chemists and public or private hospitals. However, expenses for some cosmetic operations are excluded.

from this one, i would think perhaps as a legally qualified nurse who is registered to practice outside of a hospital setting, you might be able to claim. i would speak direct to the ATO about it though, as it's very obscure wording...

Medical expenses which qualify for the tax offset also include payments:

to dentists, orthodontists or registered dental mechanics
to opticians or optometrists, including for the cost of prescription spectacles or contact lenses
to a carer who looks after a person who is blind or permanently confined to a bed or wheelchair
for therapeutic treatment under the direction of a doctor
for medical aids prescribed by a doctor
for artificial limbs or eyes and hearing aids
for maintaining a properly trained dog for guiding or assisting people with a disability (but not for social therapy)
for laser eye surgery, and
for treatment under an in-vitro fertilisation program.

i can't see anywhere there that you'd be able to claim an independent middy for homebirth purposes. i would think home visits by a hospy midwife after birth (if directed by a doc) would be covered as something directed by a doctor, but not choosing it yourself (if that makes sense)

if you want to read the whole doc on the ATO site, here is the site


for how the calculation works - if you spend over 1500 in a calendar year on medical expenses (xrays/scans/pathology/doc/hosp - after any medicare or PHI rebates), you get 20c for every dollar over 1500 as a rebate on your tax. so if you spend 2500, the first 1500 is out of pocket, the next 1000 is rebated at 20c in the dollar - so you get 200 back on your tax - and it's based on family outlay, not just yours - between DH and I we've claimed over $1500 back in the past two years...

[Peace Angel]

I successfully claimed my midwifery expenses using this rule at tax time. My midwife trained as a registered nurse first then became a midwife so she fell under the nurse part of the tax ruling.

Someone else I know had a registered midwife at her birth who did not train as a nurse first, so is not a registered nurse. The tax office knocked back her claim because it doesn't cover midwives only nurses.

This tax law needs changing as more direct entry midwives will graduate each year from university and it is an unfair discrepancy in the law. Perhaps something to contact your local federal MP about?

[Schmickers]

My word - I honestly had no idea about that. I am almost tempted to file a back-tax claim for when Molly was born!

[Ellibam]

so how would you go about back claiming??
it sounds that it can be done..

[briggsy's girl]

mick, it's not something i'd be passing up on - i'm guessing it would be a fairly significant expense - and even if filing an amendment costs you x dollars, you're bound to get more than that back!

[briggsy's girl]

elli - if you did your tax through an acountant, they can lodge an amendment for you at any point

if you did it yourself, contact the ATO - i believe there is a form you need to fill in...

[The[cookie]Doctor]

So the middie I have looked into must be an RN as well. I wonder how much I would get back out of $5200 if the town i am living in has no maternity services... hehehe

[briggsy's girl]

if the 5200 is the cost, you'd have to pay the first 1500, and then get 20% of the other 3700, so about 740 back when you do your tax (and if it helps, as you're a SAHM, you can claim it on DP's ITR)

it's not much - but anything is better than nothing! -


that working out is based on you not being able to claim anything from medicare - not sure if any of her services would be claimable kwim?

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I suppose the maternity payment if it still existed and i were eligible at the time would be handy too/ I should start saving now.

[briggsy's girl]

you'll be eligible for baby bonus - if your dp is on less than 150k - it will jut be paid in installments over 6 months

[Cyathea]

Yep, I have done this twice now with my homebirths, I can't remember exactly what the threshold for the medical expenses was...$1200 or something, the only condition was that my mw had an ABN and was registered with the appropriate body (Queensland Nursing Council) I just got our accountant to do it, no dramas...

It doesn't end up being a lot of money, but it all definitely helps