§297.20. Tax deduction; adoption from foster care

            A.(1) There shall be allowed a deduction from tax table income for a taxpayer who adopts a child who is in foster care, as defined in Children's Code Article 603, or a youth receiving extended foster care services pursuant to the Extended Foster Care Program Act. The amount of the deduction authorized by this Section shall be equal to five thousand dollars and shall be applicable in the year the adoption becomes final. The amount of the deduction authorized by this Section shall not exceed the total taxable income of the taxpayer claiming the deduction.

            (2) The deduction authorized pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be in lieu of the dependency deduction authorized in R.S. 47:294.

            B. The taxpayer claiming the deduction authorized pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall maintain all records necessary to verify the adoption and, if requested, shall provide the records to the Department of Revenue when filing the taxpayer's tax return.

            C. The secretary of the Department of Revenue may promulgate rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Section, including rules related to the submission of documentation when claiming the deduction.

            Acts 2021, No. 378, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2022.