Renegotiated Debt: The Search for Standards

Abstract:     
This article examines, from the creditor’s standpoint, four basic tax issues that must be resolved to properly report the tax effect of debt renegotiation: first, the circumstances under which a debt renegotiation is properly classified as a taxable exchange under section 1001; second, the appropriate rules for determining the amount of the gain or loss resulting from the transaction, if a taxable exchange has occurred; third, whether any realized loss is recognized under section 1001(c) and deductible under some provision of the Code, most likely under sections 165 or 166; and finally, how to deal with the fact that the statute has been misapplied in Revenue Ruling 89-122 and in the recent opinions of two circuit courts. Further, this paper will argue that the statute has been encumbered by a formalistic rule recently elevated in the Supreme Court opinion in Cottage Savings Association v. Commissioner.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 69

Keywords: tax, taxation, tax law, section 1001, Revenue Ruling 89-122, debt renegotiation, debt, Cottage Savings Association v. Commissioner

JEL Classification: K34

Accepted Paper Series