MACON, Ga. — There’s good news for expectant families in Georgia. The State's Department of Revenue now says you can claim your unborn baby as a dependent on your taxes.
This tax change comes from Georgia's Heartbeat law going into effect.
Dennice Hillard owns Hillard Tax and Accounting LLC.
"How the department will administer that or oversee that-- it's unclear as of right now," Hillard said.
She says families with a fetus with a detected heartbeat at 6 weeks can qualify for the tax deductions.
"There will be a dependency exemption in the amount of $3000 for qualifying individuals,” Hillard explains.
She says the State will have more information on how the exemption will work in the coming months but says tax deductions are usually a good thing.
"It reduces their taxable income, which ultimately is used to determine their tax liability," Hillard said "So, in general, tax deductions and tax credits are beneficial when one is filing for their tax return.”
Leslie Francis is 35 weeks pregnant with her first child. She says this deduction will help her and her family, but she thinks this new tax guidance could possibly be a double-edged sword
"Pregnancy, alone, is so much more than anyone talks about. It's so much to put your body through," so while that credit is fantastic, I am nervous that women will think that is enough to make the commitment to become a mother."
Francis says she doesn’t want women who may be on the fence about keeping their baby to think the money is enough incentive to go for it. She also says the tax exemption may create confusion and problems down the road.
"It's very dangerous in the sense that someone can very well carry that fetus for seven months and claim that credit, and then what if they miscarry?" Francis said, "Then they're going to be forced to acknowledge that they don't have that anymore. Is that healthy for women, is that safe for women?"
Hillard says tax returns aren't due until mid-April, so there will be plenty of time for the state to release more information.
According to the State Department of Revenue, they may ask for medical records or other supporting documents from people who apply for the deduction.
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