Check out the following five lessons I learned this week regarding IRC 351 nonrecognition transactions:

1. The basis assigned to stock received generally is the same as the basis in the property transferred to the corporation. If however you also receives boot from the corporation your basis must be decreased by the amount of any money received plus the fair market value of any other property received (aka BOOT).

2. Your basis under IRC 358(a) must also be increased by the amount of any gain recognized due to any boot received. Specifically if you transfers property with a fair market value of $700,000 and a basis of $300,000 to a corporation in exchange for common stock with a fair market value of $500,000 and cash of $200,000 your basis in the stock is equal to $300,000 which is calculated as follows:

$300,000 basis in property transferred – $200,000 boot received (as cash) + $200,000 gain recognized due to receipt of boot.

3. When transferred property is subject to a liability that the corporation assumes, the amount of the liability generally is not treated as boot for purposes of determining any taxable gain on the transaction. However, the amount of the liability generally is treated as boot for purposes of determining your basis in Read More

Tax Treatment of Liabilities Assumed By A Corporation IRC 357

According to IRC 357(a) if property transferred to a corporation in an IRC 351 nonrecognition transaction is subject to a liability, the assumption of that liability by the corporation typically is not treated as taxable “boot” for purposes of determining the amount of any taxable gain on the transaction.

For example, if you transfer computer programs and peripheral devices to a software development corporation in exchange for stock in that corporation with a fair market value of $2,500,000 and immediately after the exchange you control the corporation in question, if the property transferred to the corporation has a fair market value of $4,000,000 and is subject to a development loan of $1,500,000 when the corporation assumes the development loan the transfer of property to the corporation qualifies for Code Sec. 351 nonrecognition treatment. Generally speaking you should not recognize any gain on the Corporation’s assumption of the liability.

The amount of the liability generally is treated as “boot” predominately for determining your basis in the stock received in the exchange. What this means is that if you transfer property to a corporation in exchange for its stock and also receive money or other property (aka “boot”) in addition to the stock, the transaction may still qualify for Read More