Taxation: cancellation of indebtedness: mortgage debt forgiveness.

The Personal Income Tax Law provides for modified conformity to specified provisions of federal income tax law relating to the exclusion of the discharge of qualified principal residence indebtedness, as defined, from an individual's income if that debt is discharged after January 1, 2007, and before January 1, 2013, as provided. The federal American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 extended the operation of those provisions to qualified principal residence indebtedness that is discharged before January 1, 2014. This bill would conform to the federal extension and make legislative findings and declarations regarding the public purpose served by the bill. The bill would also make a continuous appropriation from the General Fund to the Franchise Tax Board in those amounts necessary to make payments to taxpayers who have included in income and paid tax on qualified principal residence indebtedness that was discharged on and after January 1, 2013, and before January 1, 2014. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.