Bill to extend short sale tax forgiveness update

(The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 makes debt that is reduced or cancelled through a loan modification or debt forgiven through a foreclosure or short sale tax-exempt. Other criteria also apply, such as the indebtedness must be on a principal residence and the maximum amount that can be claimed for the tax break is $2 million.)

Congressman Bill Foster (D-Illinois) introduced the Homeowners Debt Relief Extension Act (H.R. 3856) on Tuesday. The bill would extend the mortgage debt tax exemption that’s been in place since 2007 for another two years.

Foster’s bill would ensure any qualifying reduction or cancellation of mortgage debt is not considered taxable income by extending this tax relief through January 1, 2016, for debt forgiven after December 31, 2013.

Foster’s proposal calls for the costs of such an extension to be offset by repealing a tax break in the Internal Revenue Code’s Section 199 for oil and gas companies. Foster says the Section 199 deductions are no longer necessary since oil and gas companies are making billions in profits each year.

 

Come back to the blog daily for up to the minute updates on this important legislation.

Thanks for reading…Steve Jackson…561.602.1258