Treatment FAQ

what is the tax treatment for qualified small business stock acquired in 2017

by Dr. Eugene Auer PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Second, the TCJA of 2017 lowered corporate income tax rates from 35% to a flat 21%, enticing more company founders to consider choosing or converting to a C-corporation for their company structure, a key requirement for stock to qualify as QSBS. Choice Equities Down -20.9% In Q1, Remains Constructive On Small Caps

Full Answer

What is the tax treatment of qualified small business stock?

Apr 13, 2017 · Income tax withholding for the stock (an in-kind payment) can be done in two ways: Add the value of the stock to regular salary or wages and figure withholding in the usual way on the total amount. Withhold a flat 25% of the value of the stock. If the value exceeds $1 million, the withholding percentage is 39.6%.

Is your business eligible for the small business stock tax exclusion?

Feb 08, 2022 · Section 1202 offers a once little-known exclusion from income for gain on qualified small business stock (“QSB stock”). The provision has undergone substantial revisions over the years and came back into vogue as a result of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. Where applicable, section 1202’s exclusion offers a substantial and legitimate tax shelter: The exclusion of …

What is the tax treatment of qsbs for shareholders?

Nov 08, 2021 · QSBS treatment is one of the few legitimate tax shelters still around today. For a taxpayer excluding $10 million of capital gain at the 100% exclusion percentage, the tax savings can approach $3...

What is qualified small business stock (qsbs)?

Although the individual income tax rate was reduced from 39.6% to 37%, under the TCJA individuals may be able to reduce their effective tax rate to 29.6% if their income is eligible for the 20% qualified business income deduction under Section 199A.

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Is QSB stock exempt from Sec 1202?

Only gain from the sale of QSB stock is eligible for exclusion under Sec. 1202. To meet the definition of QSB stock, certain requirements must be met at the time of the stock's issuance, while others must be met during substantially all of the shareholder's holding period of the stock.

Does gross income include QSB stock?

Sec. 1202 (a) provides that gross income does not include a percentage of any gain from the sale or exchange of QSB stock. The amount of gain eligible for exclusion depends on the applicable exclusion percentage and is subject to cumulative and annual limitations.

What is a qualified business?

A qualified business means any trade or business other than: 39.

What is Sec. 1202?

Sec. 1202 allows for an exclusion upon the "sale or exchange" of QSB stock. Thus, if a C corporation sells its assets rather than its stock, Sec. 1202 will not be available to exclude any corporate - level gain resulting from the sale. If the corporation subsequently liquidates by distributing the sales proceeds to its shareholders, however, the shareholders should be able to use Sec. 1202 to exclude any gain upon liquidation. While the statute is silent on the issue, Sec. 331 treats amounts a shareholder received in a complete corporate liquidation as being made in exchange for the stock, and thus any gain recognized by a shareholder holding QSB stock should be taken into account under Sec. 1202. 61 Similarly, Sec. 1202 should be available to exclude any gain a shareholder recognized upon a redemption of shares that is treated as a sale or exchange under Sec. 302 (b). 62

Why is Sec 1202 required?

1202 is to encourage capital investment in small businesses; this is the very reason for the requirement that QSB stock be acquired by the shareholder at original issuance. In the absence of a safeguard, corporations could evade the requirement that QSB stock be newly issued stock by redeeming non - QSB stock from a shareholder only to reissue it as QSB stock. To prevent this result, the statute provides two restrictions governing redemptions.

Can a shareholder exchange QSB stock?

368. If the stock received in the transaction would not, on its own terms, meet the definition of QSB stock, the stock is nonetheless treated as QSB stock in the hands of the transferring shareholder because the stock that was exchanged was QSB stock. 72 The holding period of the QSB stock received in the transaction begins on the date the exchanged stock was acquired; however, upon a subsequent disposition of the stock, only the appreciation inherent at the time of the original transfer may be taken into account under Sec. 1202.

What is 1202 E 6?

Sec. 1202 (e) (6) provides that any assets that are held as part of the "reasonably required working capital needs" of a qualified trade or business of the corporation, or held for investment and are reasonably expected to be used within two years to finance research and experimentation in a qualified trade or business or increases in the working capital needs of a qualified trade or business, are treated as used in the active conduct of a trade or business.

How much did QSBS gain in 2021?

During 2021, Fund acquires QSBS for $15 million and sells the QSBS in 2027 for $300 million resulting in total gain of $285 million. Fund then allocates 80% of the total gain to its LPs and 20% of the gain to the GP Entity. Original capital investments were 99% by the LPs and 1% by the GP Entity. LP Investor A contributed 5% of total capital to Fund and is entitled to 5% of recognized gain. GP Partner X contributed 50% of GP Entity’s total capital commitment and is entitled to 50% of the GP Entity’s allocable share of gain.

What is the tax benefit of Section 1202?

Internal Revenue Code Section 1202 may offer a generous tax benefit for private equity groups and venture capitalists. Section 1202 permits a taxpayer, other than a corporation, to exclude up to 100% of the gain from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock (QSBS) held for more than five years. Originally enacted in 1993 to encourage investment in small companies, Section 1202 initially granted a 50% exclusion of gain, which was later increased to 75% for QSBS stock acquired after February 17, 2009 and then to 100% for QSBS stock acquired after September 27, 2010.

When was Section 1202 enacted?

Originally enacted in 1993 to encourage investment in small companies, Section 1202 initially granted a 50% exclusion of gain, which was later increased to 75% for QSBS stock acquired after February 17, 2009 and then to 100% for QSBS stock acquired after September 27, 2010.

Is the 100% exclusion permanent?

The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 made the 100% exclusion under Section 1202 permanent and, despite the current political climate to increase taxes on capital gains, there are no plans to change this taxpayer-favorable provision. Once a portion or all of a gain is excluded from income taxation, it is no longer subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT) or the net investment income tax of 3.8%.

What is the 10 million limit?

The $10 million limitation is reduced by the dollar amount of any gain that was excluded in prior years with respect to the same issuing corporation. The tax basis for a taxpayer who invests money in QSBS is generally equal to the cash purchase price or investment.

Is a stock issuance a domestic corporation?

On the date of the stock issuance, the issuing corporation must be an eligible corporation, defined in Section 1202 as any domestic corporation other than a current or former domestic international sales corporation, regulated investment company, real estate investment trust, real estate mortgage investment conduit or a cooperative.

How long do you have to hold QSBS?

The taxpayer must hold the QSBS for more than five years. In general, the holding period for all taxable exchanges begins on the day after the exchange. The holding period of QSBS begins on the day after the date of issuance for these purposes.

What is a QSBS stock?

A qualified small business stock (QSBS) is any stock acquired from a QSB after Aug. 10, 1993. Under Section 1202, the capital gains from qualified small businesses are exempt from federal taxes. To claim the tax benefits of the stock being qualified, the following must apply: The investor must not be a corporation.

How to qualify for QSBS?

A qualified small business stock (QSBS) is any stock acquired from a QSB after Aug. 10, 1993. Under Section 1202, the capital gains from qualified small businesses are exempt from federal taxes. To claim the tax benefits of the stock being qualified, the following must apply: 1 The investor must not be a corporation. 2 The investor must have acquired the stock at its original issue and not on the secondary market. 3 The investor must have purchased the stock with cash or property, or accepted it as payment for a service. 4 The investor must have held the stock for at least five years. 5 At least 80% of the issuing corporation's assets must be used in the operations of one or more of its qualified trades or businesses. 1 

What is QSBS in business?

These companies can also use qualified small business stock (QSBS) as a form of in-kind payment, which is frequently used to compensate employees for their services when cash flow is minimal. Qualified small business stock (QSBS) might be used as well to retain employees and as an incentive to help the company grow and succeed.

What is a QSB?

As noted above, a QSB is any active domestic C corporation whose assets don't go over $50 million on or after the issuance of stock. 1 

How long do you have to hold stock?

The investor must have held the stock for at least five years. At least 80% of the issuing corporation's assets must be used in the operations of one or more of its qualified trades or businesses. 1 .

Who is Peggy James?

Peggy James is a CPA with 8 years of experience in corporate accounting and finance who currently works at a private university.

Is this publication a substitute for professional advice or services?

This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business, you should consult a qualified professional adviser.

How long do you have to hold QSBS?

Taxpayers that do not meet the five - year holding period requirement but otherwise hold QSBS may opt to defer some or all of the federal gain on the sale of the stock by reinvesting the proceeds into other QSBS. To benefit from this gain deferral under Sec. 1045, the investor must have owned the QSBS for more than six months on the date of sale and reinvest some or all of the proceeds from the sale into newly acquired QSBS within 60 days of the sale of the prior QSBS.

Who is Alex Brosseau?

Alex Brosseau is a senior manager in the Tax Policy Group of Deloitte Tax LLP’s Washington National Tax office. For additional information about these items, contact Mr. Brosseau at 202-661-4532 or [email protected]. Unless otherwise noted, contributors are members of or associated with Deloitte Tax LLP.

Can QSBS be exchanged for QSBS?

Under Section 1202 (h) (4), QSBS can be exchanged for replacement QSBS in a transaction qualifying for Section 351 exchange treatment. Section 351 governs the tax-free exchange of assets (including corporate stock) by one or more persons in exchange of stock of a controlled corporation [4] after the exchange.

What is the 1202 requirement?

A key Section 1202 requirement is that the holder of QSBS must generally acquire the stock directly from the issuing corporation in exchange for money, property or services (i.e., QSBS generally can’t be paid for with other stock).

How does a stock split work?

In a stock split, one share of QSBS is split into multiple shares of the same corporation. A stock split can be accomplished by actually “splitting” a share of stock into multiple shares (e .g., one share of QSBS splits into 100 shares of the issuing corporation’s stock) or by means of a stock distribution with respect to outstanding stock, (i.e., 99 shares of stock are distributed with respect to one outstanding share). An actual splitting of shares is accomplished through the filing of an amendment to a corporation’s articles or certificate of incorporation, providing that each outstanding share of the corporation’s stock is split into multiple shares.

What is reverse stock split?

A reverse stock split is a transaction effected by an amendment to a corporation’s articles or certificate of incorporation where multiple shares of outstanding stock are converted into one share (e.g., a reverse split where 30 shares are converted into one share). Typically, a corporation undertakes a reverse stock split when it is at risk for being delisted on an exchange because its per-share value is too low. If the transaction is a 1 for 30 reverse stock split, 30 shares valued at $1 each becomes one share valued at $30. Almost uniformly, public companies describing for their stockholders’ benefit the federal income tax consequences of a reverse split expressly excludes from the discussion the effect of the reserve stock split on the corporation’s outstanding QSBS. This void created by issuing corporations punting on the task of helping their stockholders navigate through the tax issues associated with holding QSBS involved in a reverse stock split has not been filled by tax authorities or any discussion in tax literature.

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