Chapter 6 - Liquidations Flashcards
Corporate Liquidation
Occurs when a corporation distributes its net assets to its shareholders and ceases to be a going concern.
Generally, a shareholder recognizes a ____________________ upon the liquidation of the entity, regardless of the corporations balance in its earnings and profits account.
Capital Gain or Capital Loss
The liquidating corporation recognizes gain and loss on assets that…
it sells during the liquidation period and on assets that it distributes to shareholders in kind
The corporation continues solely to…
wind up affairs, pay debts, and distribute any remaining assets to its shareholders
A legal dissolution under state law is…
not required.
Can a corporation retain a nominal amount of assets during liquidation?
Yes to pay remaining debts and/or preserve its legal status and still liquidate for tax purpose
What are the reasons shareholders may decide to liquidate a corporation?
- The business is unsuccessful
- The shareholders want to acquire the corporation’s assets
- Another person wants to purchase the corporation’s assets
In the event that another person/entity wants to purchase the corporation’s assets, what can the purchaser do?
- The purchaser may buy the shareholders’ stock and then liquidate the corporation to acquire the assets.
- Alternatively, the purchaser may buy the assets directly from the corporation. After the assets are sold, the corporation distributes the sales proceeds to its shareholders and liquidates.
A nonliquidating distribution of noncash property produces…
a gain (but NOT a loss) recognition to the distributing corporation
A nonliquidating distribution of noncash property
For the shareholder, the receipt of cash or other property produces…
dividend income to the extent of the corporation’s E & P or, in the case of a qualifying stock redemption, results in sale or exchange treatment.
Like a qualifying stock redemption, a liquidation produces…
sale or exchange treatment for the shareholders. E & P has no impact on the gain or loss recognized.
Different from a qualifying stock redemption, when liquidating a corporation generally recognizes…
gain AND loss on any assets distributed.
Liquidation General Rule
Under section 336a, a corporation recognizes gain/loss on the distribution of property in a complete liquidation as if the property were sold at its fair market value
The liquidation general rule is consistent with the notion of…
double taxation, taxed at the corporate level and again at the shareholder level
As in the case of a nonliquidating distribution, if distributed property is subject to a corporate liability that is greater than the fair market value of the property…
The liability amount is used to calculate gain/loss
Under section 162, liquidation expenses incurred by a corporation are…
deductible as trade or business expenses
What are some examples of liquidation expenses?
accounting and legal costs of drafting and implementing a plan of liquidation, the cost of revoking the corporation’s charter, and the basis of abandoned assets
Expenses related to the sale of property…
reduce the amount realized on the sale
(brokerage commissions and legal costs incurred in title transfers)
What are the 4 exceptions to the general rule of gain and loss recognition by a liquidating corporation?
- Losses are not recognized on certain liquidating distributions to related-party shareholders
- Losses are not recognized on certain sales and property that was contributed to the corporation with a build-in loss shortly before the adoption of a plan of liquidation
- A subsidiary corporation does not recognize gains or losses on liquidating distributions to its parent company
- A subsidiary corporation does not recognize losses on liquidating distributions to its minority shareholders
The first two exceptions to the general rule of gain/loss recognition of a liquidating corporation are referred to as…
Antistuffing rules
Related party
if shareholder owns directly or indirectly more than 50% in value of the stock
Code § 267 attribution rules apply. Similar to § 318 attribution rules but includes stock owned by siblings.
Pro Rata Distribution
each shareholder receives proportional interest in property.
Disqualified property
property acquired by the corporation within five years of the distribution date in a § 351 or contribution to capital transaction.
What is the effect of the antistuffing rules?
Disallow some or all of a loss realized by a corporation in liquidating distributions of certain property