S Corporation Income Taxation
The IRS said it would issue proposed regulations allowing S corporations and partnerships to deduct “specified income tax payments” paid to state and local governments above the line and not as passthrough items for partners and shareholders.
The IRS finalized proposed regulations on eligible terminated S corporations, a new provision enacted under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that provided favorable treatment for corporations that wished to terminate their S elections.
The IRS announced that it will issue regulations to allow S corporations with accumulated earnings and profits to elect to have global intangible low-taxed income inclusions increase the S corporation’s accumulated adjustments account.
The M&A market is poised to regain its pre-COVID-19 activity levels as many business owners seek to exit closely held businesses or explore alternatives. One popular transaction that could emerge is Sec. 368(a)(1)(F) reorganizations F reorganizations) of S corporations.
Generally, after a corporation has revoked or terminated an S election, it cannot make an S
election for any tax year before its fifth tax year that begins after the first tax year for which the
termination was effective, unless the IRS consents to the election.
Foresight of the potential state tax implications of an F reorganization will allow a seller to evaluate the lesser-known hazards.
This annual update on S corporations covers cases, regulations, and IRS rulings that have been issued in the last year, including the rules for eligible terminated S corporations.
A limited liability company can elect to be classified as a corporation and elect S status by following the procedures discussed here.
Review how shareholders would be taxed on the gain from the sale of stock in an S corporation that is not affected by the built-in gains tax.
The TCJA provides a way to avoid the unexpected termination of the S election when certain ESBT situations occur.
A tax court recently found that where an S corp. and affiliated entities were partially owned by a taxpayer, payment of the S corp.’s expenses by the affiliated entities did not increase the taxpayer’s debt basis in the S corporation.
A special relief provision allows unused losses caused by a lack of basis to be deducted by an S corporation shareholder under certain conditions for one year (or more) during the S corporation’s post-termination transition period.
Shareholders and their advisers should be prepared to verify the validity of the S election when the decision is made to begin marketing the company
for sale.
The IRS ruled that a distribution to the sole shareholder of a C corporation was partly a recovery of the former S corporation’s accumulated adjustments account (AAA) and a taxable dividend for the remaining distribution.
The TCJA fundamentally relaxed the rules on S corporation ownership by allowing nonresident aliens to be potential current beneficiaries of ESBTs and, therefore, indirect corporation shareholders.
Revoking an S election may be the best course in some cases, but timely filing and shareholder consent are required.
This update on recent developments in taxation relating to S corporations includes cases and rulings on eligible shareholders, electing small business trusts, inadvertent S election terminations, and other issues, as well as changes made by the TCJA.
The IRS concluded that a taxpayer was not permitted to aggregate the S corporations with the partnership for the purpose of applying the at-risk rules of Sec. 465.
Economic benefits from an S corporation’s payment
of a premium on a life insurance policy were not includible in the shareholder/employee’s income.
The passthrough of S corporation losses to the extent of the shareholder’s basis in his or her stock and debt can be beneficial, but the resulting reduced basis debt may lead to taxable income on repayment of the debt.
