Republican lawmakers are circulating a bill to create an income tax credit that would help offset the costs of in vitro fertilization in Wisconsin.
Sen. Howard Marklein of Spring Green and Rep. Jessie Rodriguez of Oak Creek last week sent the co-sponsorship memo to other lawmakers, seeking support for establishing an IVF tax credit.
They note more women are using IVF to become pregnant, pointing to data showing the number of babies born from this method in the United States rose to 95,850 in 2023. That makes up 2.6% of all U.S. births for that year, according to the memo. At the same time, the number of IVF cycles is on the rise, going from about 390,000 in 2022 to more than 430,000 in 2023.
But bill authors note IVF isn’t cheap, with a single cycle typically ranging from $15,000 to $20,000, and rising to $30,000 in some cases. Plus, about two and a half cycles are needed to become pregnant on average, the memo shows.
“This bill will hopefully make it easier for more families to be able to bring precious little lives into this world and build strong families here in Wisconsin,” authors wrote.
It would establish a nonrefundable income tax credit for unreimbursed costs paid for consultations, procedures and prescribed drugs that are “directly related” to IVF, capped at $5,000 for a given tax year.
The tax credit would only be available for individuals with $100,000 or less in adjusted gross income or $200,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return. Authors say this income limit will ensure the credit helps those most in need of support.
The credit couldn’t be claimed for costs paid through a health savings account, medical savings account, or similar program, the Legislative Reference Bureau notes in its overview on the bill. It also wouldn’t cover insurance coverage, travel mileage or lodging, LRB wrote.
The co-sponsorship deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday.
See the bill text.
