San Jose Bankruptcy Attorney explains how a short sale or foreclosure can create an unexpected tax bite that a Chapter 7 bankruptcy can prevent.
San Jose Bankruptcy Attorney explains how a short sale or foreclosure can create an unexpected tax bite that a Chapter 7 bankruptcy can prevent.
Given the current state of the economy and the drop in housing values, may people are pursuing short sales to avoid the stigma of a foreclosure on their credit report. What many of them do not realize is that both a short sale and a foreclosure can lead to unexpected tax hits from the IRS if they used home equity loans when the value of their home is high. If the home equity loan, is forgiven in the short sale or foreclosure, you can owe taxes on the amount forgiven from the second mortgage as taxable income.
This is not the case in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the estate is liquidated, and any erased debts are not taxable by law. In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing, the estate is “reorganized” and the debtor is allowed to pay back some of the debts based on his or her income. Your bankruptcy attorney can help you sort through the options available to you and can explain any possible tax consequences of a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy is not the end of the world financially, nor should it be used lightly. To that end the 2005 bankruptcy reform law set guidelines on how long a filer must wait before he or she can file for bankruptcy following a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy filing.
Equity loans come back with a bite, The Press Democrat, December 5, 2009
If you have a question regarding Bankruptcy in San Jose please contact us at 408.279.2288 or visit www.bkanswers.com and we can connect you with one of our experienced San Jose Bankruptcy Attorneys. After you have spoken with one of our San Jose bankruptcy attorneys we can schedule you a free face to face appointment in our office location nearest you. Our team of San Jose Bankruptcy Lawyers can assist you with all aspects of your case. If you are have questions about filing a chapter 7 bankruptcy, a chapter 11 bankruptcy, a chapter 13 bankruptcy, lien stripping, cram down, stopping a foreclosure or wage garnishment, discharging debt, etc. we can help! We have bankruptcy attorneys located throughout California who can assist your financial needs. Please feel free to complete our free bankruptcy evaluation and we can quickly determine if you are a qualified candidate for bankruptcy.
