According to an IRS Information Letter dated September 19, 2013, the IRS has determined under the 2011 changes to the California Code of Civil Procedure Section 580e, that California taxpayers who sell their principal residences in a short sale for less than what is owed on the home are relieved of incurring cancellation of indebtedness income, if the lender agrees to the short sale as full consideration of the mortgage debt, and there will be no cancellation of indebtedness income.

The IRS’s letter answered the question regarding whether a homeowner would have taxable cancellation of indebtedness (COD) income when the lender approved a short sale considering California’s Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) section 580e. The letter finds California’s anti-deficiency provision under section 580e of the CCP which generally prohibits a lender who holds a deed of trust from either claiming a deficiency or obtaining a deficiency judgment from the homeowner after agreeing to a short sale, treats the homeowner’s obligation as a nonrecourse obligation for tax purposes.

This means in California, upon a lender’s acceptance of the short sale any CCP 580e qualifying cancellation of indebtedness income is nontaxable nonrecourse debt. CCP 580e does not apply to all short sales. In addition to other restrictions this law states it does not apply if the trustor or mortgagor is a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or political subdivision of the state.

California conforms to the relevant portions of the federal tax law governing the forgiveness of nonrecourse and recourse debt, so if the lender agrees to the short sale as full consideration of the mortgage debt, for tax purposes, the loan will be nonrecourse thus, there is no cancellation of indebtedness income for California tax purposes.

I recommend that you cunsult a tax professional or CPA regarding possible tax ramifactions.