CHAPTER 19 CORPORATIONS: DISTRIBUTIONS NOT IN COMPLETE LIQUIDATION

158.Sam’s gross estate includes stock in Tern Corporation and Wren Corporation, valued at $1.4 million and $980,000, respectively. At the time of Sam’s death, the stock represented 22% of Tern’s outstanding stock and 27% of Wren’s outstanding stock. Sam’s adjusted gross estate equals $6,500,000. Death taxes and funeral and administration expenses for Sam’s estate total $980,000. Sam had a basis of $350,000 in the Tern stock and $190,000 in the Wren stock at the time of his death. None of the beneficiaries of Sam’s estate own (directly or indirectly) any stock in Tern Corporation, but some of the beneficiaries own stock of Wren Corporation. Consider the following independent questions.

a. What are the tax consequences to the estate if all of its Wren stock is redeemed by Wren Corporation for $980,000?

b. What are the tax consequences to the estate if all of its Tern stock is redeemed by Tern Corporation for $1.4 million?

159.Raul’s gross estate includes 1,500 shares of stock of Orange Corporation (basis to Raul of $600,000, fair market value on date of death of $4.1 million). The estate will incur $2.2 million of death taxes and funeral and administration expenses, and the adjusted gross estate is $9 million. Denise, Raul’s daughter and sole heir of his estate, owns the remaining 500 shares of Orange Corporation’s (2,000) shares outstanding. In the current year, Orange (E & P of $5 million) redeems all of the estate’s 1,500 shares for $4.1 million. What are the tax consequences of the redemption to Raul’s estate?

160.Ivory Corporation (E & P of $1 million) has 2,000 shares of common stock outstanding owned by unrelated parties as follows: Veronica, 1,000 shares, and Tommie, 1,000 shares. Veronica and Tommie each paid $150 per share for the Ivory stock 12 years ago. In May of the current year, Ivory distributes land held as an investment (basis of $180,000, fair market value of $390,000) to Veronica in redemption of 350 of her shares.

a. What are the tax results to Veronica on the redemption of her Ivory stock?

b. What are the tax results to Ivory Corporation on the distribution of the land?

161.Gold Corporation has accumulated E & P of $2 million as of January 1 of the current year. During the year, it expects to have earnings from operations of $1,680,000 and to distribute $900,000 in cash to shareholders. Gold Corporation also expects to sell an asset for a loss of $2 million. Thus, it anticipates incurring a deficit of $320,000 for the year. What can Gold do to minimize the amount of dividend income to its shareholders?

162.Timothy owns 100% of Forsythia Corporation’s stock. Corporate employees and annual salaries include Timothy ($300,000); Richard, Timothy’s son ($80,000); Rita, Timothy’s daughter ($100,000); and Sandy ($120,000). The operation of Forsythia Corporation is shared about equally between Timothy and Sandy (an unrelated party). Richard and Rita are full-time college students at a university about 150 miles away. Forsythia Corporation has substantial E & P but has not distributed a dividend for the past five years. Discuss problems related to the salary arrangement for Forsythia Corporation.

163.Briefly describe the reason a corporation might distribute a property dividend to a shareholder in lieu of a cash distribution. Describe the tax effects of the property distribution on the shareholder and on the corporation.

164.How does the definition of accumulated E & P differ from the definition of current E & P?