Do I need to report student loan forgiveness on my taxes?

Asked by: Trevor Hamill  |  Last update: May 14, 2026
Score: 4.5/5 (75 votes)

Once approved, the government forgives the remainder of the federal loan balance. PSLF is one of the few programs that is excluded from federal income taxes; none of the forgiven loan amount is taxable as income.

Do you have to claim student loan forgiveness on taxes?

Right now, anyone who receives student loan forgiveness between 2021 and 2025 will not have to pay taxes on any amount of student debt forgiveness. PSLF or IDR forgiveness is a potential result for any borrower. However, not all borrowers will reach forgiveness.

Will you get a 1099-C for student loan forgiveness?

When you receive any type of debt forgiveness for more than $600, the creditor is supposed to send you a Form 1099-C. You'll find, in box 2, an amount of tax forgiven, and you need to enter that amount on your tax return marked “other income.” The IRS generally considers forgiven debt as income for tax purposes.

Do I have to report forgiven debt on my tax return?

Generally, if you borrow money from a commercial lender and the lender later cancels or forgives the debt, you may have to include the cancelled amount in income for tax purposes. The lender is usually required to report the amount of the canceled debt to you and the IRS on a Form 1099-C, Cancellation of Debt.

Is a forgivable loan taxable as income?

Once these requirements are satisfied, the principal of the loan is forgiven and, therefore, not required to be paid back to the employer. The principal of the loan is considered income to the employee and is taxable.

State Tax on Student Loan Forgiveness

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Is forgiveness of a loan income?

In general, if your debt is canceled, forgiven, or discharged for less than the amount owed, the amount of the canceled debt is taxable. If taxable, you must report the canceled debt on your tax return for the year in which the cancellation occurred.

What to do with a forgivable loan?

Forgivable Loan may be used for down payment and/or closing cost. Forgivable Loan funds may not be used to pay off borrower debt. Borrower(s) may not receive any cash back from the Forgivable Loan. Any excess funds must be applied as a principal reduction.

How much is debt forgiveness taxed?

The law requires that you report all taxable canceled debt as income on your tax return, even if the amount is less than $600 and you didn't receive a Form 1099-C. Canceled debt is taxed at same rate as your ordinary income, which can be anywhere from 10% to 37% depending on your total taxable income.

Does a 1099-C hurt your taxes?

Unfortunately, your next challenge might be a huge tax bill. In most situations, if you receive a Form 1099-C from a lender, you'll have to report the amount of cancelled debt on your tax return as taxable income. Certain exceptions do apply.

Is debt forgiveness tax-deductible?

If you account for your assessable income on a cash basis, you will not include an amount in your assessable income until it is received. Therefore, writing off, forgiving, or waiving a debt for an amount of unpaid income will have no income tax consequences for you.

Do I have to report student loan forgiveness?

In 2021, as part of the American Rescue Plan, Congress temporarily changed the law so that student loan forgiveness is not considered taxable income. “So if the forgiveness happens by the end of 2025, there will be no federal tax on it,” explained Mayotte.

Do I report student loans to IRS?

The IRS only requires federal loan servicers to report payments on IRS Form 1098-E if the interest received from the borrower in the tax year was $600 or more, although some federal loan servicers still send 1098-E's to borrowers who paid less than that.

How to calculate tax on student loan forgiveness?

Once you know your tax bracket, you'll need to consider the amount of student loan debt being forgiven. This is because the IRS generally considers forgiven debt as taxable income. For example, if $10,000 of your student loans are forgiven and you fall into the 12% tax bracket, you would owe an extra $1,200 in taxes.

What happens when your student loan is forgiven?

In certain situations, you can have your federal student loans forgiven, canceled, or discharged. That means you won't have to pay back some or all of your loan(s). The terms “forgiveness,” “cancellation,” and “discharge” mean essentially the same thing.

Do I need to file taxes if I took out student loans?

Student loans aren't taxable because you'll eventually repay them. Free money used for school is treated differently. You don't pay taxes on scholarship or fellowship money used toward tuition, fees and equipment or books required for coursework.

What is the tax rate for a 1099-C?

How Are Taxes for Debt Settlement Calculated? How much will you owe in taxes from your debt settlement? That depends on your overall taxable income. Your income, including amounts listed on your 1099-Cs, gets taxed at the normal progressive rate, which ranges from 10% to 37%.

How to report student loan forgiveness on taxes?

Generally, a borrower is provided a 1099-C tax form when debt is canceled or forgiven, which reports the forgiven amount as taxable income to the IRS and the taxpayer. The current treatment is generally consistent with the “Haig-Simons” definition of income: consumption plus change in net worth.

Where does 1099-C go on tax return?

How to File Form 1099-C: Cancellation of Debt. When you receive the form, you must report the amount from Box 1 on your income tax return on the “Other income” line of your Form 1040 or 1040-SR. Note that you must include the canceled debt in your income even if it's less than $600 and you don't receive Form 1099-C.

Does TurboTax handle 1099-C?

To enter your 1099-C: Open or continue your return. Go to 1099-C. In TurboTax Desktop, search for 1099-C or 1099C (lowercase also works) and select the Jump to link at the top of the search results.

What happens if I don't report cancellation of debt?

If you don't report the taxable amount of the canceled debt, the IRS may send you a notice proposing to assess additional tax and may audit your tax return. In addition, the IRS may assess additional tax, penalties and interest.

Does a 1099-C affect your credit?

If the creditor doesn't send it before the tax deadline so you can file with the correct information, you'll need to file an amended return when you receive it. Though receiving a 1099-C doesn't hurt your credit, the canceled debt that led to it probably will.

How does debt forgiveness affect your credit?

The short answer is yes, credit card debt forgiveness can negatively affect your credit score. However, the impact depends on various factors, including your current credit score and the specifics of your debt settlement agreement.

Will I get a refund if my loans are forgiven?

You'll be notified by your servicer when your loans are forgiven. You'll get any refunds through the same method you originally used to make your payments (for example, by electronic payment or check).

Will PPP loans under $150,000 be audited?

Who will be audited? PPP loans in excess of $2 million are automatically triggered for an audit by the SBA. The SBA has created a safe harbor for any PPP loan borrower that, together with its affiliates, received loans of less than $2 million.

How do you account for a loan forgiven?

Account for the forgiven debt or loan by writing off the debt out of debtors to an expense in the Profit and Loss Statement. Write off a commercial loan out of liabilities and recognise it as an extraordinary item in the Profit and Loss Statement.