Soong, single and age 32, had the following items for the tax year 2017:
• Salary of $30,000.
• Interest income from U.S. government bonds of $2,000.
• Dividends from a foreign corporation of $500.
• Sale of small business § 1244 stock on October 20, 2017, for $20,000. The stock had been acquired two years earlier for $65,000.
• Business bad debt of $4,000.
• Nonbusiness bad debt of $5,000.
• Sale of small business § 1244 stock on November 12, 2017, for $4,000. The stock had been acquired on June 5, 2017, for $800.
• Sale of preferred stock on December 4, 2017, for $40,000. The stock was acquired four years ago for $18,000.
• Total itemized deductions of $25,000 (no casualty or theft).
a. Determine Soong’s NOL for 2017.
b. Assuming that Soong had taxable income for each of the last five years, determine the carryback year to which the 2017 NOL should be applied.