Georgia allows 'unborn child' to count as a dependent on taxes

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

Pregnant people in Georgia will now be able to count their fetus as a dependent on their tax return and file for child support, according to state law.

The state's Department of Revenue announced this week it will recognize "any unborn child with a detectable human heartbeat" as "eligible for the Georgia individual income tax dependent exemption," which totals $3,000.

The new tax guidance from state officials comes just two weeks after a federal appeals court ruled Georgia's so-called "heartbeat law," titled the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, could take effect immediately following the Supreme Court's decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, giving power back to states to decide abortion access.

The law was previously declared unconstitutional by a federal judge in July 2020, and barred from taking effect.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/georgia-unborn-child-count-dependent-taxes/story?id=87873125

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[Diamond_Dog]

1. I'm sorry - This is just ridiculous.

Does the pregnant person have to submit a doctor’s note in order to receive a tax refund? Don’t pregnant people have to endure enough nosiness by government officials already?

[Pete Ross Junior]

9. Taking their nonsense premises to the "logical" conclusion. n/t

[Samrob]

10. Yeah, what could possible go wrong, right? nt

[Hortensis]

21. Really? If it were a deduction for Depends and Ensure for Mom wouldn't we be for it?

As in, progressive?

Lower-income people typically have difficulty meeting additional expenses. Pregnancy definitely generates additional expenses. Just imagine how a $3500 refund or lower tax deductions each year will help the typical recipient.

Yes, GA Republicans are trying to offset the additional burden of outlawing abortion on people of childbearing age and trying to buy some support for what they're doing.

But as for ridiculous, maybe it should always have been standard?

[Politicub]

23. This is not progressive at all. It's part of the fetal personhood movement.

It’s a twisted form of cynicism, probably worded so it can be challenged up to the Supreme Court.

It’s great and all you want to help pregnant women. I do, too. But not like this. This bill is something sinister.

[Hortensis]

25. I don't think you get it. Of course it's progressive BY ITSELF.

It is a progressive benefit people need offered to grease not just fetal personhood but, even more, the taking away of reproductive rights.

A progressive deduction is not "ridiculous" in itself just because they're using it to move toward authoritarian goals. It's still a progressive benefit that many people really could use.

Sure, discuss what they're doing and why. But perhaps opposing this benefit is not a hill people who support progressive government should choose to die on. There are many far bigger, very regressive ones.

[Politicub]

22. Door-to-door trans-vaginal ultrasounds I imagine,

And also when women get pulled over for a traffic infraction.

[Haggis 4 Breakfast]

2. Will people be required to give that money back to the state in case of a miscarriage ?

[Igel]

4. I suspect the response would be,

"Does a parent have to return the money if the kid dies at age 17?"

This seems ludicrous.

[thesquanderer]

17. If someone gets pregnant, take 2 years of dependent deduction, goes out of state for an abortion...

... they get to keep the money?

(It could be two years if they get pregnant toward the end of the year, and can claim the deduction for being pregnant at the end of that year and the beginning of the next, while still at few enough weeks to get an abortion in a state where it is legal)

In that case, Georgia could be encouraging people to get pregnant, just to have abortions! People have done riskier things for less.

[Traildogbob]

3. A way to keep track of who is pregnant

For abortion spies. Maybe offer the same for your AR’s as a dependent. We could have a registry of who owns those murder toys.

[FakeNoose]

5. Absolutely - it's another threat to privacy

Somebody - usually the male when it's a couple - will be happy to trade away his partner's right to privacy for another tax deduction.

[Martin68]

6. Right. And they'll get to vote, too. Before minorities, poor people and the aged.

My only question is, do they get only 3/5 of a vote or a whole vote?

[Martin68]

7. So, if the mother commits a crime, must the fetus be jailed as well? Or should the mother perhaps

be allowed to return home to give birth to her baby and then returned to prison?

[Lonestarblue]

19. This whole fantasy of fetal personhood opens the door to unimagined complications.

Women who take powerful drugs for existing medical conditions or to avoid organ transplant rejection might be prohibited from taking such drugs because they damage a fetus—a living person according to the religious right. Not taking anti-rejection drugs is likely a death sentence for those women. Taking the drugs could result in a orison sentence for damaging a fetus.

We need an expanded Supreme Court to deal with this crisis. I have been in favor of expanding the Supreme Court for years, but more because of population growth and expanded case loads for the federal courts. Many cases take five years or more to work their way through appeals courts. That’s ridiculous. As population has shifted to the sunbelt states, the circuit courts in those states have become overwhelmed. More circuit courts may need to be added. Currently we have 13, a number that has not changed in decades. At the least, the states covered by each circuit may need to be shifted around.

If we had one SC justice to oversee each circuit, we would have 13 justices. I would also like to see some limitations on who could be nominated to the Supreme Court. Several federal agencies require a balance of Democratic and Republican nominees. We could do the same for the Court—6 Republicans and 6 Democrats with the Chief Justice being required to be totally nonpartisan and initially screened and suggested by the American Bar Association. Having a balance between the parties helps take some of the politics out of the notion of packing the Court.

[Politicub]

24. Fail to yield to oncoming traffic? That's putting the fetus at risk, and the

woman must be sequestered in some way as to keep it safe.

In Georgia, if you have a womb and of childbearing age, everything women do will become suspect and grounds for invasive tests.

[oldsoftie]

26. Oh, there are already pregnant women in jail.

[Martin68]

31. I know. That's my point. If the law considers a fetus a person, why should the fetus be in jail?

It's innocent of any crime. I'm pointing out the absurdity of the concept.

[oldsoftie]

33. I can see the lawyers lining up now; "free the innocent fetus...."

Which would mean freeing the "vessel" carrying it!

[Martin68]

34. Exactly! Instead of the conservative nightmare of immigrant "anchor babies" we'll have "vessels"

getting pregnant while in prison so they can get out.

[Journeyman]

8. Will they be able to take out life insurance on the fetus . . .

and in the event of a miscarriage receive a settlement?

We're either "all here" or "not here;" there is no such thing as "a little bit human."

[oldsoftie]

27. Another excellent point!!

[SunSeeker]

11. But still no guaranteed healthcare, of course. nt

[subterranean]

12. "a detectable human heartbeat"

Why don't they just say "a detectable heartbeat"?

Is it possible for an unborn child to have a non-human heartbeat?

[oldsoftie]

28. hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

[James48]

13. If she is carrying twins, does she get two deductions?

And is it limited to only once a year?

Or do they get to get knocked up, take the tax deduction, then get an abortion l, and start all over again? You could get, say, six pregnancies a year, right?

And if you take fertility drugs, and are carrying 8, like Octomom, does that give you eight deductions this year?

[mwb970]

14. A gun will be registered to the fetus prior to birth.

No Georgia citizen may be unarmed at any point in their lives.

[oldsoftie]

15. Then child support should also start as soon as pregnancy is confirmed.

[Wicked Blue]

20. +1000! nt

[MissMillie]

16. I don't suppose this counts as an admission

that there are literal financial costs involved with pregnancy.

We know that the forced birthers don't care about the physical and emotional costs, but start talking money and maybe (yeah, it's a BIG maybe) it will make a difference.

[atreides1]

18. Wow!!

How many will attempt to claim their fetus as a dependent for federal tax purposes?

[jonstl08]

29. Time Frame???

What time frame are they going to allow the deduction. Currently the baby has to be born before 12/31 for a tax deduction. Will they have to be pregnant before that date to receive the deduction. As mentioned what proof will they need to prove it. Otherwise you could have a lot of women becoming pregnant in January and receiving the state tax break.

Also what filing status will they use in GA since it has to match the federal. Will the Fed return have single and the GA have Head of Hosuehold.

[twodogsbarking]

30. The not quite yet a child could be either female or male.

Gender doesn't matter. Interesting.

[Paper Roses]

32. This is one of the most stupid things I've ever heard or read.

What is with Georgia anyway? Are all the right wing idiots living there? To those who are left leaning thank you, the extremists on the right...where is your brain?

[raising2moredems]

35. You'd think people would see the hypocrisy..

"r" politicians in the state vote against child tax credits and other benefits to LIVING children yet a maybe fetus is worth a tax deduction? So how are they going to police this (besides automatically going after non-Caucasians)? Keep that positive pregnancy test from the day you filed your taxes?