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The Daily Insight Hub

Are charge offs taxable?

Author

Rachel Davis

Updated on February 06, 2026

The IRS may count a debt written off or settled by your creditor as taxable income. If you settle a debt with a creditor for less than the full amount, or a creditor writes off a debt you owe, you might owe money to the IRS. The IRS treats the forgiven debt as income, on which you might owe federal income taxes.

How does a 1099-C affect my taxes?

Some canceled debts are treated like income by the IRS. If you receive a 1099-C form, you’ll need to pay taxes on your forgiven debts. That means you might end up owing taxes on the canceled amount. If you had debt forgiven last year, you may receive a 1099-C cancellation of debt tax form in the mail soon.

Do you have to include a charge off on your taxes?

Settled Charge-Offs. You’re also required to include canceled debt on your taxes when a charge-off is settled because the creditor cancels a portion of the debt in the settlement offer.

What happens when you pay off a charge off debt?

In their accounting books, they’ve written it off as uncollectible, and they no longer count the debt as an asset. Creditors can continue collecting on a charge-off until you pay, even though it’s been charged-off.

When does a creditor write off a debt do you pay taxes?

The IRS treats the forgiven debt as income, on which you might owe federal income taxes. (That additional income might also affect your state taxes.) Here’s how it works. Creditors often write off debts after a set period of time — for example, one, two, or three years after you default.

When does a credit card charge off go to the IRS?

My Charge-Off Sent to the IRS. A charge-off usually happens after you’ve been delinquent on a debt for 180 days or six months. It is the credit card issuer’s way of taking a loss on the debt. In their accounting books, they’ve written it off as uncollectible, and they no longer count the debt as an asset.