Sylvia owns 25% of Cormorant Corporation. Cormorant sells diamonds to retail jewelry businesses. While Cormorant has a deficit in accumulated E & P of $56,000 at the beginning of the year, its current E & P is $500,000 . Since the company had a

Question

successful year, Cormorant pays a $36,000 distribution to each of the company's four shareholders on December 15 . Three shareholders receive cash, but Cormorant distributes a diamond (adjusted basis of $40,000 and a fair market value of $36,000) to Sylvia in lieu of cash. Determine the effect of distributing the diamond on Cormorant's and on Sylvia's taxable income. What is Sylvia's basis in the diamond? Was the distribution good tax planning on the part of Cormorant? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Losses on distributed property are not recognized at the corporate level, so there is no impact on Cormorant's taxable income. Because there is sufficient current E & P to cover the distribution, Sylvia has a taxable dividend of $36,000 and her basis in the diamond is also $36,000 . The distribution reflects poor tax planning by Cormorant because the built-in $4,000 loss on the diamond ($36,000 fair market value – $40,000 adjusted basis) has been wasted. If Cormorant had sold the diamond for its $36,000 fair market value, it could have recognized the loss. The $36,000 cash received from the sale would be distributed to Sylvia instead.