Partial exclusion for gain from certain small business stock
Exclusion
In general
Empowerment zone businesses
In general
Certain rules to apply
Gain after 2018 not qualified
Treatment of DC zone
Special rules for 2009 and certain periods in 2010
In the case of qualified small business stock acquired after the date of the enactment of this paragraph and on or before the date of the enactment of the Creating Small Business Jobs Act of 2010—
paragraph (1) shall be applied by substituting “75 percent” for “50 percent”, and
paragraph (2) shall not apply.
In the case of any stock which would be described in the preceding sentence (but for this sentence), the acquisition date for purposes of this subsection shall be the first day on which such stock was held by the taxpayer determined after the application of section 1223.
100 percent exclusion for stock acquired during certain periods in 2010 and thereafter
In the case of qualified small business stock acquired after the date of the enactment of the Creating Small Business Jobs Act of 2010—
paragraph (1) shall be applied by substituting “100 percent” for “50 percent”,
paragraph (2) shall not apply, and
paragraph (7) of section 57(a) shall not apply.
In the case of any stock which would be described in the preceding sentence (but for this sentence), the acquisition date for purposes of this subsection shall be the first day on which such stock was held by the taxpayer determined after the application of section 1223.
Per-issuer limitation on taxpayer’s eligible gain
In general
If the taxpayer has eligible gain for the taxable year from 1 or more dispositions of stock issued by any corporation, the aggregate amount of such gain from dispositions of stock issued by such corporation which may be taken into account under subsection (a) for the taxable year shall not exceed the greater of—
$10,000,000 reduced by the aggregate amount of eligible gain taken into account by the taxpayer under subsection (a) for prior taxable years and attributable to dispositions of stock issued by such corporation, or
10 times the aggregate adjusted bases of qualified small business stock issued by such corporation and disposed of by the taxpayer during the taxable year.
For purposes of subparagraph (B), the adjusted basis of any stock shall be determined without regard to any addition to basis after the date on which such stock was originally issued.
Eligible gain
Treatment of married individuals
Separate returns
Allocation of exclusion
Marital status
Qualified small business stock
For purposes of this section—
In general
Except as otherwise provided in this section, the term “qualified small business stock” means any stock in a C corporation which is originally issued after the date of the enactment of the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993, if—
as of the date of issuance, such corporation is a qualified small business, and
except as provided in subsections (f) and (h), such stock is acquired by the taxpayer at its original issue (directly or through an underwriter)—
in exchange for money or other property (not including stock), or
as compensation for services provided to such corporation (other than services performed as an underwriter of such stock).
Active business requirement; etc.
In general
Special rule for certain small business investment companies
Waiver of active business requirement
Specialized small business investment company
Certain purchases by corporation of its own stock
Redemptions from taxpayer or related person
Significant redemptions
Treatment of certain transactions
Qualified small business
For purposes of this section—
In general
The term “qualified small business” means any domestic corporation which is a C corporation if—
the aggregate gross assets of such corporation (or any predecessor thereof) at all times on or after the date of the enactment of the Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993 and before the issuance did not exceed $50,000,000,
the aggregate gross assets of such corporation immediately after the issuance (determined by taking into account amounts received in the issuance) do not exceed $50,000,000, and
such corporation agrees to submit such reports to the Secretary and to shareholders as the Secretary may require to carry out the purposes of this section.
Aggregate gross assets
In general
Treatment of contributed property
Aggregation rules
In general
Parent-subsidiary controlled group
For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term “parent-subsidiary controlled group” means any controlled group of corporations as defined in section 1563(a)(1), except that—
“more than 50 percent” shall be substituted for “at least 80 percent” each place it appears in section 1563(a)(1), and
section 1563(a)(4) shall not apply.
Active business requirement
In general
For purposes of subsection (c)(2), the requirements of this subsection are met by a corporation for any period if during such period—
at least 80 percent (by value) of the assets of such corporation are used by such corporation in the active conduct of 1 or more qualified trades or businesses, and
such corporation is an eligible corporation.
Special rule for certain activities
For purposes of paragraph (1), if, in connection with any future qualified trade or business, a corporation is engaged in—
start-up activities described in section 195(c)(1)(A),
activities resulting in the payment or incurring of expenditures which may be treated as research and experimental expenditures under section 174, or
activities with respect to in-house research expenses described in section 41(b)(4),
assets used in such activities shall be treated as used in the active conduct of a qualified trade or business. Any determination under this paragraph shall be made without regard to whether a corporation has any gross income from such activities at the time of the determination.
Qualified trade or business
For purposes of this subsection, the term “qualified trade or business” means any trade or business other than—
any trade or business involving the performance of services in the fields of health, law, engineering, architecture, accounting, actuarial science, performing arts, consulting, athletics, financial services, brokerage services, or any trade or business where the principal asset of such trade or business is the reputation or skill of 1 or more of its employees,
any banking, insurance, financing, leasing, investing, or similar business,
any farming business (including the business of raising or harvesting trees),
any business involving the production or extraction of products of a character with respect to which a deduction is allowable under section 613 or 613A, and
any business of operating a hotel, motel, restaurant, or similar business.
Eligible corporation
For purposes of this subsection, the term “eligible corporation” means any domestic corporation; except that such term shall not include—
a DISC or former DISC,
a regulated investment company, real estate investment trust, or REMIC, and
a cooperative.
Stock in other corporations
Look-thru in case of subsidiaries
Portfolio stock or securities
Subsidiary
Working capital
For purposes of paragraph (1)(A), any assets which—
are held as a part of the reasonably required working capital needs of a qualified trade or business of the corporation, or
are held for investment and are reasonably expected to be used within 2 years to finance research and experimentation in a qualified trade or business or increases in working capital needs of a qualified trade or business,
shall be treated as used in the active conduct of a qualified trade or business. For periods after the corporation has been in existence for at least 2 years, in no event may more than 50 percent of the assets of the corporation qualify as used in the active conduct of a qualified trade or business by reason of this paragraph.
Maximum real estate holdings
Computer software royalties
Stock acquired on conversion of other stock
If any stock in a corporation is acquired solely through the conversion of other stock in such corporation which is qualified small business stock in the hands of the taxpayer—
the stock so acquired shall be treated as qualified small business stock in the hands of the taxpayer, and
the stock so acquired shall be treated as having been held during the period during which the converted stock was held.
Treatment of pass-thru entities
In general
If any amount included in gross income by reason of holding an interest in a pass-thru entity meets the requirements of paragraph (2)—
such amount shall be treated as gain described in subsection (a), and
for purposes of applying subsection (b), such amount shall be treated as gain from a disposition of stock in the corporation issuing the stock disposed of by the pass-thru entity and the taxpayer’s proportionate share of the adjusted basis of the pass-thru entity in such stock shall be taken into account.
Requirements
An amount meets the requirements of this paragraph if—
such amount is attributable to gain on the sale or exchange by the pass-thru entity of stock which is qualified small business stock in the hands of such entity (determined by treating such entity as an individual) and which was held by such entity for more than 5 years, and
such amount is includible in the gross income of the taxpayer by reason of the holding of an interest in such entity which was held by the taxpayer on the date on which such pass-thru entity acquired such stock and at all times thereafter before the disposition of such stock by such pass-thru entity.
Limitation based on interest originally held by taxpayer
Pass-thru entity
For purposes of this subsection, the term “pass-thru entity” means—
any partnership,
any S corporation,
any regulated investment company, and
any common trust fund.
Certain tax-free and other transfers
For purposes of this section—
In general
In the case of a transfer described in paragraph (2), the transferee shall be treated as—
having acquired such stock in the same manner as the transferor, and
having held such stock during any continuous period immediately preceding the transfer during which it was held (or treated as held under this subsection) by the transferor.
Description of transfers
A transfer is described in this subsection if such transfer is—
by gift,
at death, or
from a partnership to a partner of stock with respect to which requirements similar to the requirements of subsection (g) are met at the time of the transfer (without regard to the 5-year holding period requirement).
Certain rules made applicable
Incorporations and reorganizations involving nonqualified stock
In general
Limitation
Successive application
Control test
Basis rules
For purposes of this section—
Stock exchanged for property
In the case where the taxpayer transfers property (other than money or stock) to a corporation in exchange for stock in such corporation—
such stock shall be treated as having been acquired by the taxpayer on the date of such exchange, and
the basis of such stock in the hands of the taxpayer shall in no event be less than the fair market value of the property exchanged.
Treatment of contributions to capital
Treatment of certain short positions
In general
If the taxpayer has an offsetting short position with respect to any qualified small business stock, subsection (a) shall not apply to any gain from the sale or exchange of such stock unless—
such stock was held by the taxpayer for more than 5 years as of the first day on which there was such a short position, and
the taxpayer elects to recognize gain as if such stock were sold on such first day for its fair market value.
Offsetting short position
For purposes of paragraph (1), the taxpayer shall be treated as having an offsetting short position with respect to any qualified small business stock if—
the taxpayer has made a short sale of substantially identical property,
the taxpayer has acquired an option to sell substantially identical property at a fixed price, or
to the extent provided in regulations, the taxpayer has entered into any other transaction which substantially reduces the risk of loss from holding such qualified small business stock.
For purposes of the preceding sentence, any reference to the taxpayer shall be treated as including a reference to any person who is related (within the meaning of section 267(b) or 707(b)) to the taxpayer.
Regulations
Source
(Added Pub. L. 103–66, title XIII, § 13113(a),Notes
References in Text
Prior Provisions
Amendments
Effective Date of 2015 Amendment
Effective Date of 2014 Amendment
Effective Date of 2013 Amendment
In general.—
The amendments made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to stock acquired after
Subsection (b)(1).—
The amendment made by subsection (b)(1) [amending this section] shall take effect as if included in section 1241(a) of division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [Pub. L. 111–5].
Subsection (b)(2).—
The amendment made by subsection (b)(2) [amending this section] shall take effect as if included in section 2011(a) of the Creating Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 [title II of Pub. L. 111–240].”
Effective Date of 2010 Amendment
Effective Date of 2009 Amendment
Effective Date of 2004 Amendment
Effective Date of 2000 Amendment
Effective Date of 1996 Amendment
Effective Date
Savings Provision
Special Rule for Pass-Through Entities
In general.—
In applying sections [former] 1201(c)(2)(A)(ii) and 1202(c)(1)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [formerly I.R.C. 1954] with respect to any pass-through entity, the determination of the period for which gain or loss is properly taken into account shall be made at the entity level.
Pass-through entity defined.—
For purposes of clause (i), the term ‘pass-through entity’ means—
a regulated investment company,
a real estate investment trust,
an electing small business corporation,
a partnership,
an estate or trust, and
a common trust fund.”