Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes is changing his 2008 and 2009 tax filings. Barnes claimed deductions on a rental house he gave to his daughter and son-in-law in 2007.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the mistake was first spotted by an accountant volunteering for Republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal who saw the mistake on the 2009 federal tax return.

Barnes’ accountant took a look at the matter and found the same mistake for 2008, and said he’d remedy it and another mistake. While he was looking over the returns, he also found that an investment loss of $135,000 was misreported as a $34,000 financial gain. Overall, reports the AJC, the accountant says Barnes actually overpaid $30,000- enough to make up for other mistakes.

Finances and ethics continue to be contentious issues in the race.

During the debate at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry Thursday night, Barnes ripped into Deal for meeting with the state's attorney general to push for a landfill he and a business partner were seeking.

Deal slammed Barnes for his firm's work in front of judges he appointed.

Contributors: Associated Press

Tags: taxes, Nathan Deal, Roy Barnes, tax returns, debates, Georgia Governor's Race 2010, Georgia elections 2010, gubernatorial election