Form 982 is used to report the exclusion of canceled debt from taxable income. It is typically filed by taxpayers who have had some or all of their debt canceled, forgiven, or discharged.
You generally need to file Form 982 if you had canceled debt in the previous tax year, and you qualify for one of the exclusions listed on the form. You may also need to file Form 982 if you received a 1099-C form from a lender indicating that canceled debt was reported to the IRS.
The most common exclusions on Form 982 include the insolvency exclusion, which allows taxpayers to exclude canceled debt to the extent that they were insolvent immediately before the cancellation, and the qualified principal residence exclusion, which allows taxpayers to exclude canceled debt related to their primary residence. There are also exclusions for certain types of business debt, and debt canceled in bankruptcy proceedings.