The days leading up to the birth of a child are exciting, filled with anticipation and joy that is difficult to put into words. This is one trip to the hospital that brings with it happy memories; what better way to toast (with sparkling cider of course) to a new year?

On December 31 at 7:40 p.m., North Fulton Regional Hospital delivered its final baby of 2008. James and Meredith Atwood of Lawrenceville welcomed 8 pound 12 ounces Stella Ray Atwood into their family in the comfort of one of North Fulton Regional Hospital’s maternity suites.
“We have always wanted a little girl, and now she is finally here!” said Meredith. “This whole experience has been so wonderful…very special.”

To commemorate the final delivery of the year, H&R Block joined the celebration at the hospital by donating a special gift basket for the new mom and her precious little one. Stocked with burp cloths, sanitizer, a bib, and other various goodies, the tax firm helped bring the cheer by celebrating the best tax write-off that a family could ever enjoy! Having a baby before the end of the year means the parents may qualify for a dependency exemption and credits on their 2008 tax return while the parents of the first baby of 2009 have to wait until they file their 2009 taxes.

“The difference of minutes on the time of birth could reduce tax liability by $3400 for the new parents and mean a refund of up to $4300!” says Chuck Bernath, H&R Block Senior Tax Advisor. New parents may be eligible for many child-related tax benefits: Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Credit (EIC) and Child Care Credit.
While the Atwoods did not necessarily plan their delivery to coincide with the end of the year tax break cutoff, it certainly added something extra to be excited about. “Stella helped us ring in the New Year,” Meredith explained, “and she is certainly a nice little tax deduction for us!”

And Chuck Bernath knows all about the excitement people feel when they find these special gifts known as tax deductions. “Everyone celebrates the first babies to be born in the New Year,” he said. “We want to mark this event for those babies born just before the clock hit midnight. It’s a milestone that is equally as exciting, especially for the new parents!”

North Fulton Regional Hospital (NFRH), part of Tenet Georgia, is a 202-bed, acute-care hospital located on Highway 9, Alpharetta Highway, in Roswell. Opened in 1983, NFRH serves North Fulton and surrounding counties through its team of over 1000 employees, 400 staff physicians and 200 volunteers. NFRH is a state-designated Level II trauma center and provides a continuum of services through its centers and programs, including neurosciences, orthopedics, rehabilitation, surgical services, bariatric surgical weight loss, gastroenterology and oncology. The hospital is fully accredited and also is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

For more information about Maternity Services at North Fulton Regional Hospital, please visit www.northfultonregional.com/maternity. For details about H&R Block’s free tax talks, contact Chuck Bernath at 678-386-4373 or charles.bernath@tax.hrblock.com.