Short Sale in 2013 To Avoid a Large Tax Bill

Las Vegas, NV – January 14, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — As part of the fiscal cliff deal, the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act of 2007 has been extended for one more year and will now expire on December 31, 2013. The relief act’s extension was seen as vital to the recovering housing market. Under normal circumstances, debt forgiven as a result of a short sale or mortgage modification would count as income for tax purposes. For instance, if somebody owes $250,000 on their mortgage and their lender agrees to a $200,000 short sale, $50,000 in debt is forgiven. This would have been taxable without an extension of the law.