Ch & 368(a)(1)(D) Corporate Divisions. Structure & Objectives

Transcription

1 Ch & 368(a)(1)(D) Corporate Divisions Structure & Objectives Alternative Formats for Corporate Divisions or Spinoffs : 1. Spinoff - cf., 301 dividend. 2. Splitoff - cf., Redemption treatment Split-up - cf., liquidation treatment /15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 1 Tax-free divisions may be: 1. Prorata or non prorata. 2. Preceded by a drop-down into subsidiary. 3. In exchange or not in exchange for parent stock. Objectives when implementing a spinoff: 1. Increased market recognition. 2. Parts are worth more than the whole. 3. Option for tracking stock. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 2 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 3 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 4 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 5 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 6 1

2 Gregory v. Helvering, p. 516 Disguised Dividend Averill created by United Mortgage Transfer of Monitor shares to Averill and Averill shares distributed to Taxpayer. Averill liquidated and Monitor shares to Shareholder; Distribution as cap gain? Petitioner still owned United Mortgage shares. Held: Equivalent of a dividend distribution. No business or corporate purpose. Only a distribution from the corporation. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 7 Code 355 Requirements p ) Parent must control subsidiary before distribution (i.e., at least 80 percent). 355(a)(1)(A) 2) Post-distribution active conduct of two or more businesses. 355(b)(2)(C) 3) Five year pre-distribution rule Each trade or business must be been actively conducted during the five year period ending on the acquisition date and not acquired within the five year period. Cont. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 8 Section 355 Requirements, cont. Active Trade or Business Requirement p ) Distribution of all the stock and securities of the controlled corporation. 355(a)(1)(D). 5) Not be a "device" for the distribution of earnings and profits. 355(a)(1)(B) 6) Judicial requirements must be satisfied: Business purpose, and Continuity of interest. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 9 355(a)(1)(C), (b). Lockwood s Estate, p. 522 Spinoff of corporation holding the Maine business - separately incorporated. Query: Satisfy the five year active business rule? Held: Ok to divide a single business into two corporations. Spin-off was part of the business that Lockwood had always 11/15/2007 performed. (c) William P. Streng 10 Rev. Rul p. 529 Expansion to Internet Issues Concerning Business Requirement p. 532 Bricks & mortar business and then creation of Internet business for same product. Dropdown of Internet business into sub and distribution of sub stock within two years after organization. Held: Internet site is (1) expansion of current retail business and (2) not a new or different business. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 11 1) Factual issue re conduct of two active businesses. 2) Vertical division of single integrated business is ok, e.g., based on geography. 3) Functional division supply corp.; research corp., may be OK. 4) Real estate? Significant management services being conducted? 5) Cannot use sub structure to subvert these rules. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 12 2

3 Problem 1(a) Active Trade or Business Requirement p. 536 Problem 1(b) Three year Research Activity p. 536 Lemon contributes assets and research of Should the Boston branch be regarded as a Boston division to Peach, Inc. separate pre-distribution trade or business, Distribution of all Peach stock to Mr. Chips causing the splitoff to flunk the 355(b)(2)(B) in redemption of his Lemon stock. Ms. five-year predistribution business history Micro remains as sole shareholder of Lemon. requirement? This split-off satisfies the 355(b) active New activity in the same line of business business requirement. Each engaged in the actively conducted by distributing corp. for 5 active conduct of computer business year pre-distribution period not a separate 11/15/2007 immediately after (c) the William P. distribution. trade or business. Reg (b)(3)(ii). Streng 13 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 14 Problem 1(c) Taxable Acquisition p. 536 Problem 1(d) p. 536 Divestiture Order See 355(b)(2)(C) - re acquisition in a transaction where gain or loss recognized in whole or in part. Lemon will contend that single computer business conducted for more than five year period. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 15 Reg (b)(2)(ii) - "trade or business" must consist of specific group of activities carried on for purpose of earning income. Regulations do not require that the activity must independently produce income, i.e., from outside sources. Functional divisions also must withstand scrutiny under the 355(a)(1)(B) "device" limitation. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 16 Problem 1(e) p. 536 New Business? Problem 1(f) p. 536 Tax-free Acquisition Three years ago Lemon purchased stock of Floppy Disk, Inc. in a taxable transaction. Pursuant to a regulatory decree Lemon distributes stock of its shareholders. Floppy Disk failing to qualify as an active business - acquisition within 5 year period. Software and hardware different and, therefore, not expanding an existing business. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 17 Floppy Disk merged into Lemon three years ago in an "A" reorganization for nonvoting preferred stock (80 percent) and Lemon short-term notes (20 percent) (i.e., boot ). 355(b)(2)(C) permits acquisition of business in a tax-free transaction. Use of boot means gain recognized in the transaction. But gain recognized to the 11/15/2007 shareholders, not (c) to William Floppy P. Streng Disk

4 Problem 2(a) p. 537 Rental Real Property Problem 2(b) p. 537 Mostly Independent Rental DC transfers 10 story building to new corporation, Rental, Inc. and distributes Rental stock prorata to shareholders. DC leases the six floors that it occupies. Rental employees actively manage the building. Does the real estate activity constitute a "trade or business". Yes, if significant management activities. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 19 DC occupies only one floor and the remaining space is leased to unrelated tenants. Real estate rental activities will likely qualify as an active trade or business. See Reg (c), Example /15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 20 Problem 2(c) p. 537 Long-term Lease Nine floors are rented to outsiders on a long term lease. Not an active business? Long term net lease not an active business. Rental probably not performing any significant services concerning the operation and maintenance of the building and not satisfying the active business test. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 21 Problem 2(d) p. 537 Distribution of Properties Stock of Properties, Inc, distributed to DC shareholders on prorata basis. Assume terms of the long-term net lease do not require Properties to engage in any significant activities other than the collection of rent. Unlikely active business test is satisfied even though buildings are rented to outsiders. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 22 Judicial & Statutory Limitations p. 537 Business Purpose See Reg (b), including (b)(1) indicating that business purpose requirement is independent of other 355 requirements. Examples: Resolution of shareholder disputes; reduction of state and local tax. Can objective be met through an alternative to stock distribution? Fit and focus analysis is applicable. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 23 Judicial & Statutory Limitations p. 540 Continuity of Interest Reg (c). Old shareholders must own 50% of each corporation after the division. To limit rearranged post-distribution sales arrangements. But, can have division of ownership among old shareholders to enable break-up of the enterprise. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 24 4

5 Judicial & Statutory Limitations p. 542 Problem (a) p. 547 Two Equal Shareholders Device Limitation Reg (d). Code 355(a)(1)(B) provides that corporate division not to be used principally as a device for the distribution of the earnings and profits of the distributing corporation. Device factors: (1) pro rata distribution; (2) subsequent stock sale (evidence of bailout?); (3) nature and use of the corporate assets after the division (e.g., excess cash transferred). 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 25 Distribution of all stock of sub to one shareholder & shareholder completely redeemed. Resolution of shareholder dispute is a recognized corporate business purpose. Reg (b)(5) Example (2). Not a prorata distribution; finding of device is unlikely. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 26 Problem (b) p. 547 Mother & son shareholders Problem (c) p. 548 Pre-distribution Stock Sale Result should be the same as in (a) above. A redemption would not qualify as a complete redemption without a waiver of family attribution under 302(c)(2). Reg (d)(5)(iv) says ten year look forward rule in Code 302(c)(2)(A)(ii) and (iii) not relevant in this context. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 27 Mr. Modem is not a historic shareholder for "continuity of interest" purposes. The continuity of interest requirement would not be met. Historic shareholders must own at least 50 percent of both distributing and controlled corporations. Lemon has no historic shareholders. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 28 Problem (d) p. 548 Different Retirement Plans? Problem (e) p. 548 Compliance with Decree Assuming a valid business purpose, no purpose for the stock distribution. Need not have a distribution to achieve this objective. Could be achieved merely through separate subsidiaries. See Reg (b)(5), Examples 3 & is an adequate protection mechanism in this context. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 29 Business purpose is satisfied, but what about the device test? Device factors include the prorata nature of the distribution. Critical inquiry is whether Research could be sold without adversely affecting the business of Lemon. See Reg (d)(2)(iv)(C). See similar Problem 1(d) at p /15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 30 5

6 Problem (f) p. 548 Subsequent Stock Sale Issue: Do sales subsequent to the division constitute evidence of a device? See Code 355(a)(1)(B) indicating "mere fact" that sale or exchange not construed as "device." See Reg (d)(2)(iii)(A) re sale of either distributing or controlled after the distribution as evidence of a device. See Reg (d)(2)(iii)(B) re sale as Problem (g) p. 548 Rejected Deal & Delayed Sale Lemon rejects Suitor offer. Prorata distribution of the Floppy stock. Subsequent sale to White Knight. Not prearranged sale and protected by Code 355(a)(1)(B) parenthetical. But, Reg (d)(2)(iii)(C) re subsequent sale as evidence of a device. 11/15/2007 "substantial evidence" (c) William P. Streng of a device /15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 32 Problem (h) p. 548 Subsequent Shareholder Sale Tax Treatment of the Parties p. 548 Do the regulations not presume that the subsequent sale had been negotiated or agreed upon prior to the distribution? Sale as "evidence" of a device? Reg (d)(iii)(A). Was an understanding reached to first distribute the Floppy Disk stock? Also violation of continuity of interest rule? 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 33 Corporate division may be preceded by a Type D reorganization the formation of a corporation to facilitate the stock distribution. Parent corporation (1) has no gain (or loss) on asset transfer to new sub, (2) takes exchanged basis, and (3) tacks holding period for new stock received. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 34 Income Tax Consequences to the Shareholders p. 549 Rev. Rul p. 551 Cash boot as dividend? Receipt of the distribution - no gain or loss - 355(a)(1). Basis for the stock is allocated between two stocks based on relative fair market values. Tacked holding period for stock. Treatment of boot"- not invalidating the basic transaction as being tax-free; tax status depends on distribution form. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 35 Code 356(a)(2) - dividend if having the effect of a dividend (i.e., to extent of ratable share of accumulated earnings and profits). Dividend equivalence test applied by reference to 302 principles (i.e., a meaningful reduction of the shareholder's proportionate interest). Cf., the Clark case in the reorganization - boot context. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 36 6

7 Consequences to Distributing & Control Corporation p.554 Consequences to Distributing and Controlled Corp., cont. 1. Part of a "D" reorganization plan: No recognition on distribution to shareholders of "qualified property" 361(c)(1) & (2); i.e., no corporate level gain. 311(b) is not applicable to a spinoff - since not a dividend. 336 is not applicable to the equivalent of a liquidating distribution when part of a taxfree reorganization. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng No preliminary D reorganization. 355(c) provides the distributing corporation recognizes no gain or loss on the distribution of qualified property, i.e., stock or securities of the distributing corporation. Gain recognized, however, on distribution of other than qualified property, i.e., appreciated boot. 355(c)(2). Receipt of the distribution - no gain or loss - 355(a)(1). 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 38 Consequences to Distributing and Controlled Corp., cont. Failed Divisions p. 556 Earnings and profits are allocated between the corporations. Section 381 carryover rules are not applicable (tax history of distributing corporation remains intact). 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 39 Tax consequences depend upon the form of the transaction: 1) 1st segment as a qualifying Section 351 organization (if new corp. organized)? 2) Distribution in a spin-off as 351 distribution. 3) Split-off tested under stock redemption rules. 4) Split-up examine under complete liquidation rules. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 40 Problem p. 557 Father s Estate Planning 355 & Corporate Acquisitions p. 558 Father as sole shareholder in Store Corp. $200,000 basis and $2 million FMV $400,000 accumulated e&p - Suburb store represents 25 percent of total FMV Proposal to organize Branch Corp for stock & debt & distribute Branch stock & debt to Father who gives Branch stock to children. Does the spin-off qualify as tax-free? 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 41 Limitation on use of 355 in taxable acquisitions. 355(a)(2)(D) dispositions of recently acquired businesses. Five year holding period to enable satisfying active trade or business requirements. Target recognizes gain on distribution of Sub stock to Purchaser but DRD on distribution to corporate parent? 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 42 7

8 Problem (a) p. 560 Acquirer not Wanting Sub Problem (b) p. 560 Acquirer not Wanting Sub 1) T Sells S stock to buyer gain on the stock sale. 2) T s shareholders sell T stock to P gain to be recognized on this stock sale. Section 338 election by P not likely. 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 43 P s stock purchase of T stock from T shareholders. Shareholders have gain recognition. Subsequently distribution of Sub stock to purchaser and then purchaser sells Sub stock to Buyer. Avoidance by P of shareholder level gain on Sub stock? Does distribution of Sub stock violate 5 year active business rule? 11/15/2007 (c) William P. Streng 44 8