Death by Taxes

Welcome to your daily edition of "Dana is fucked, yet again" or as my good friend Suneil likes to call it, "the indignities of being a widow."

Yesterday I was informed by my accountant that I have to pay taxes on Brad's forgiven student loans in the wee tiny amount of, wait for it, TWENTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS.  

Yep. $22,000.

In taxes.

How is that even possible? 

I'll tell you how. Because my name wasn't on the mortgage so my home - the home Brad and I lived in for 6 years - became an estate asset when Brad died. Because of this, the estate has more assets than debts (even though outside of real estate, the estate is worth ZERO dollars).

Because 6 years ago, we decided to put the mortgage in Brad's name only (I was finishing up my own cancer treatment and my 700 credit score wasn't as good as his 800+ credit score - big mistake in hindsight), so our home became estate property. And because of that, I have to pay $22,000. 

Does the government actually expect me to sell my home to pay taxes on a loan that wasn't even mine and that was forgiven because my husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer???

Yes. The answer is yes. 

Help please.