Announcement 2021-7 notifies taxpayers that amounts paid for personal protective equipment for the primary purpose of preventing the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 are amounts paid for medical care under § 213(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. As a result, the announcement confirms that these amounts are qualified medical expenses eligible to be paid or reimbursed without being included in gross income under health flexible spending arrangements (health FSAs), Archer medical savings accounts (Archer MSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), or health savings accounts (HSAs). In addition, the announcement notifies administrators of group health plans regarding the ability to make certain plan amendments pursuant to the announcement.
Announcement 2021-7 will appear in IRB 2021-15, dated April 12, 2021.