Georgia Will Allow Fetuses To Be Claimed As Dependents On Tax Returns
Now that Georgia has implemented a six-week ban on abortion, the Georgia Department of Revenue said residents could claim embryos as dependents on tax returns.
According to CBS News, the agency said as of July 20, "any unborn child with a detectable human heartbeat" is eligible for the state's individual income tax dependency exemption. Georgia residents could receive a $3,000 per dependent personal exemption if medical records are submitted for each embryo.
However, the publication explained that the new guidelines could cause complications in the case of miscarriages. Under the federal tax code, a child must be born to be claimed on a parent's tax filing. In light of the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, conservative Republican lawmakers are proposing to change the parameters around "personhood," meaning redefining fetuses as viable, living beings.
Lauren Groh-Wargo, campaign manager for Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, tweeted about the new law, "So what happens when you claim your fetus as a dependent and then miscarry later in the pregnancy, you get investigated both for tax fraud and an illegal abortion?"
Republican lawmakers have also submitted the Unborn Child Act, for child support to start at the moment of conception.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision to overturn abortion rights. The Peach State has now enacted a six-week ban. It is unlikely other states will allow embryos to be claimed on taxes.
