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Abigail Spencer

What exactly does the IRS require for insolvency worksheet when debt is canceled multiple times?

I'm trying to get ahead on my tax planning since I'll have credit card debt forgiveness happening three different times - one settlement in June, another in July, and the final one in August. Looking at the insolvency worksheet info, they want to know your assets and liabilities as of the day before each debt forgiveness. My total liabilities are still way higher than my assets even after these settlements. My concern is that with three separate forgiveness dates, I'm confused about how to handle the insolvency worksheet: 1. Do I need to complete three separate insolvency worksheets when filing my taxes (one for each forgiveness date)? 2. If I only need to do one worksheet, which date should I use for calculating my assets/liabilities? The first forgiveness date in June, the last one in August, or some other date? Just want to make sure I'm doing this right so I don't mess up my taxes next year. Thanks for any help!

Logan Chiang

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The IRS treats each cancellation of debt as a separate event, so you'll need to complete a separate insolvency calculation for each of your three settlement dates. For each calculation, you'll determine your assets and liabilities as of the day before that specific cancellation. This means you'll be evaluating your financial situation three separate times - once right before the June settlement, again before the July settlement, and a third time before the August settlement. When you file your taxes, you'll receive Form 1099-C for each canceled debt. You'll need to report each cancellation separately on Form 982 (Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness), checking the box for insolvency and attaching your supporting worksheets. The good news is that if you remain insolvent after all three settlements (meaning your liabilities still exceed your assets), you may be able to exclude all of the forgiven debt from your taxable income.

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Isla Fischer

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Thanks for the response! That makes sense but seems like a lot of work. Do I actually have to submit all three worksheets with my return, or do I just need to have them ready in case of an audit? And do the three settlements need to be listed separately on Form 982 or can I combine them?

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Logan Chiang

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You don't actually submit the insolvency worksheets with your tax return - they're for your records and to help you calculate the amounts for Form 982. Definitely keep them in case of an audit. For Form 982, you should report each cancellation separately. You'll complete a separate Form 982 for each 1099-C you receive, showing the specific amount excluded due to insolvency for that particular cancellation. This provides a clear audit trail connecting each cancellation event to its corresponding insolvency calculation.

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After struggling with a similar situation last year, I found an amazing tool that saved me so much stress with my debt forgiveness paperwork. I had multiple debt cancellations and was totally confused about how to handle the insolvency calculations. I used https://taxr.ai and uploaded my financial documents, and it helped me identify exactly which assets and liabilities to include for each date. The system automatically organized everything for my multiple cancellation dates and even gave me perfectly formatted worksheets that matched exactly what the IRS expects. The best part was that it explained everything in plain English and flagged potential audit triggers in my calculations. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with multiple insolvency calculations.

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Ruby Blake

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How does it work with multiple cancellation dates though? Does it let you input different dates and track changes in your assets/liabilities between those dates? My situation is similar but I have 4 different forgiveness dates to deal with.

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I'm a bit skeptical about using online tools for tax stuff like this. How does it actually keep track of changing asset values? Like if my car depreciated or my 401k balance changed between the different cancellation dates?

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It lets you input different snapshot dates and keeps track of each set of assets/liabilities separately. You can create multiple worksheets for different dates, and it maintains the history between them. Super helpful with 4 dates since you can see everything side by side. For changing asset values, that's actually where it shines. You can update values like vehicle depreciation, account balances, and property values for each date. It even has built-in calculators for things like vehicle depreciation between dates and retirement account fluctuations. It makes it really clear what changed between each insolvency calculation.

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I need to update my previous comment - I tried https://taxr.ai for my multiple debt cancellations and I'm genuinely impressed. I was really skeptical about using an online tool for something as complicated as insolvency calculations, but it was actually perfect for my situation. The system let me create separate worksheets for each cancellation date and automatically tracked the changes in my asset values. It caught things I would have missed - like how my car depreciated between my first and third cancellation dates, and how a small inheritance I received between cancellations affected my insolvency status. It even gave me a complete audit defense file with documentation for each date. Definitely made handling multiple insolvency calculations WAY easier than trying to do it manually.

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Ella Harper

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If anyone's struggling to get answers directly from the IRS about insolvency calculations, I was in the same boat. Called for weeks and couldn't get through to anyone who could help with my multiple debt forgiveness situation. I finally found https://claimyr.com and used their service to get connected to the IRS. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Instead of waiting on hold for hours, I got connected to an actual IRS representative in about 20 minutes. They confirmed that I needed separate insolvency calculations for each cancellation date and explained exactly how to handle the reporting on Form 982. Saved me hours of frustration and gave me confidence that I was doing everything correctly.

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PrinceJoe

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Wait, how does this actually work? This sounds too good to be true. The IRS phone system is notoriously impossible to navigate. How does this service get you through when nobody else can?

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Yeah right. I'm calling BS on this. I've been trying to reach the IRS for months about a similar issue. There's no way some random service can magically get you through when millions of people can't get through on their own. Sounds like a scam to me.

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Ella Harper

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It uses an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When an agent actually answers, you get a call connecting you directly to them. The technology basically does the holding part for you. I was skeptical too, but it's just technology that automates the most frustrating part of calling the IRS. They're not doing anything magical - just using automation to handle the wait time so you don't have to sit there listening to hold music for hours. When I got connected to the IRS agent, it was a completely normal conversation and they answered all my questions about the multiple insolvency calculations.

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I have to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway because I was desperate for answers about my insolvency situation with multiple debt cancellations. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about 45 minutes connecting me directly to an IRS representative. The agent walked me through the entire process for handling multiple insolvency calculations and confirmed I needed separate calculations for each cancellation date. They even explained that I should keep detailed records of why my asset values changed between cancellation dates, which is something I hadn't considered. Definitely saved me from making a mistake that could have triggered an audit.

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Owen Devar

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Just wanted to add my two cents as someone who's been through this. Make sure you're valuing your assets correctly on each worksheet. The IRS wants fair market value (what you could sell it for), not what you paid for it or what you think it's worth. Some assets people forget to include: - Cash value of life insurance - Cars & other vehicles - Furniture & electronics (though these are typically minimal value) - Retirement accounts (even if there's a penalty to withdraw) - Possible tax refunds you're entitled to And remember, you calculate insolvency BEFORE the debt is canceled. That canceled debt isn't counted as a liability on your worksheet.

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Thank you for this! Quick question - for my 401k, do I need to account for the early withdrawal penalties and taxes when listing it as an asset? Or just use the full current balance?

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Owen Devar

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You should use the full current balance of your 401k without subtracting penalties or taxes. The IRS considers the entire balance to be an asset for insolvency purposes. This is one area where people often make mistakes. Even though you couldn't access the full amount without penalties in real life, for the insolvency calculation, you must include the entire value. The same applies to other retirement accounts like IRAs and pension plans.

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Daniel Rivera

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Has anyone dealt with the situation where your insolvency status changed between cancellations? My first two cancellations I was definitely insolvent, but by the third one, I had received an inheritance that pushed me into being solvent. So confused about how to report this on my taxes.

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Logan Chiang

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That's actually a common situation. You'll need to treat each cancellation differently: For the first two cancellations where you were insolvent, you can exclude the canceled debt from your income (up to the amount you were insolvent). Complete Form 982 for each of these, checking the insolvency box. For the third cancellation where you were solvent, that canceled debt would be taxable income. You'll report it on Schedule 1 as "Other Income" and you won't complete Form 982 for that cancellation. You'll receive a separate 1099-C for each cancellation, so just make sure you're matching each form to the correct tax treatment based on your insolvency status at that specific time.

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This is really helpful information! I'm in a similar situation but with only two debt cancellations coming up. One thing I'm wondering about - when calculating assets for the insolvency worksheet, how detailed do I need to be with household items? I know Owen mentioned furniture and electronics typically have minimal value, but should I actually go through and estimate values for my TV, couch, kitchen appliances, etc.? Or is it acceptable to use a reasonable estimate for all household goods combined? Also, for anyone who's been through an IRS audit on insolvency calculations - what kind of documentation did they ask for to support your asset valuations? I want to make sure I'm keeping the right records from the start.

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For household items, you don't need to go through every single piece of furniture and appliance. The IRS generally accepts reasonable estimates for categories of household goods. You can group similar items together - like "furniture and appliances: $2,500" or "electronics: $800" - as long as your estimates are realistic and based on what you could actually sell them for in their current condition. The key is being reasonable and conservative. Most used furniture and electronics have very little resale value, so don't overestimate. Think garage sale prices, not what you originally paid. For documentation, I'd recommend taking photos of major items and keeping any recent appraisals or purchase receipts you have. If you use online resources like KBB for vehicles or recent sold listings for electronics, print those out. The IRS mainly wants to see that you made a good faith effort to determine fair market values, not that you hired professional appraisers for your dining room table.

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Giovanni Rossi

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One important detail I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you're consistent with your valuation methods across all three worksheets. The IRS will notice if you use different approaches for similar assets on different dates. For example, if you use KBB trade-in value for your car on the June worksheet, use the same methodology for July and August (just updated for any additional depreciation). Same goes for things like using Zillow estimates for your home value or specific percentage depreciation rates for electronics. Also, keep in mind that some liabilities might change between your cancellation dates too. If you make payments on other debts or take on new obligations between June and August, those need to be reflected in each worksheet. The goal is to show an accurate snapshot of your financial position on each specific date, not just copy the same numbers three times. Documentation is key - I'd recommend creating a simple spreadsheet showing how each major asset value was calculated for each date, with notes about your methodology. This will be invaluable if you ever face questions from the IRS.

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