@SSibi: The answer is A (40,000*0.3= 12000).
Here is why:
in Y2 you had a income of $60,000. The maximum loss you can use to offset that income is $48,000 (60,000* 0.8). Because your Y1 loss is only $40,000 (less than $48,000 allowed by law) you can deduct all the $40,000 loss. Therefore the maximum income tax benefit in year 2 is 40,000 *0.3= 12,000
In the side line, Suppose the Y1 loss is 1,000,000 and Y2 income stays the same. You can only deduct 48,000 (80% of Y2 income) against your $1,000,000 loss. That will saving you $14,400 ( 48,000*0.3) in Y2. You will carry a loss of $942,000 (1,000,000-48,000) into Year 3.
Suppose You had a 700,000 as income in Y3. You can only deduct $560,000 (80% of 700k)against your remaining loss that you have carried forward from year 2. Your taxable income in Y3 will be 140,000 ( 700K-560K) and you will carry forward into Y4 a loss of $392,000 ( 952k-560K). And the same bullshit keeps on repeating itself until you recuperate all your loss and then uncle Sam will grab you by the neck again for money. Lol! Just making it stick into the brain that way you can crunch this CPA and make the money!!