You can all exhale. The Fiscal Cliff deal passed in the wee hours of last night extended the 2007 Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act which was due to expire at midnight. According to NAR, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 passed the Senate 89-9.
There was an awful lot of concern among real estate licensees and borrowers either in or considering a short sale that the tax ramifications of a short sale would change with the expiration of the 2007 law. The extension saw to it that anyone who has purchase mortgage debt forgiven in, for example, a short sale would not have the forgiven debt treated as taxable income.
There is always small print as to what qualifies, so all are encouraged to consult with their CPA, attorney or financial professional for specific advice, but the current law will continue unchanged, and that is good news.
This had been a big distraction and concern for the bulk of 2012. I am not happy about how long it took lawmakers to get their act together on this, but that is the climate we are in. The result is a happy one.
Special thanks to Fred Glick for being on top of this and keeping his colleagues in the know.
Update 1/3: The bill has been passed now by both houses and signed into law.
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