Don’t be fooled folks. Here in St George Utah and everywhere else in this country the government has failed us again. The federal tax code treats forgiven debt as ordinary income to the borrower, taxable at regular rates. But under an exception that took effect in 2007, qualified home mortgage debt that is canceled by a lender as part of a short sale, loan modification or foreclosure is treated as non-taxable. However, that exception expired last Dec. 31 and its renewal has been in doubt all year — leaving short-sellers unsure whether they would be facing crushing taxes in 2015. Continue reading →