S Corporation Loss Limitations: The Tax Court Provides Potential Hope for Related Party Debt Restructurings

37 Pages Posted: 14 Dec 2002

See all articles by Francine J. Lipman

Francine J. Lipman

University of Nevada, Las Vegas - William S. Boyd School of Law

Abstract

This article describes the significant S corporation shareholder basis limitations on pass-through losses. The article focuses on the Internal Revenue Service's (Service) and the courts' strict scrutiny and denial of S corporation shareholder basis when related party debt has been restructured to increase the amount of allowable pass-through losses. The Tax Court, in its recent decision in Culnen v. Commissioner, 79 T.C.M. (CCH) 1933 (2000), rev'd on other grounds, 89 A.F.T.R.2D (RIA) 383 (3d Cir. 2002), has made an affirmative statement that it will not automatically disallow an S corporation shareholder's basis when borrowed funds originate with a related entity. The court's analysis of the requirements for shareholder basis, however, is inconsistent with its analysis in prior decisions and the Service's absolute denial of basis with respect to related party debt restructurings. This article attempts to analyze and reconcile the Tax Court's opinion in Culnen, and Yates v. Commissioner, 82 T.C.M. (CCH) 805 (2001), a subsequent complementary case, with the preceding case law.

Keywords: S corporation, loss limitations, related party, debt restructurings

JEL Classification: H25, K34

Suggested Citation

Lipman, Francine J., S Corporation Loss Limitations: The Tax Court Provides Potential Hope for Related Party Debt Restructurings. Virginia Tax Review, Vol. 22, p. 67, 2002, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=362761

Francine J. Lipman (Contact Author)

University of Nevada, Las Vegas - William S. Boyd School of Law ( email )

4505 South Maryland Parkway
Box 451003
Las Vegas, NV 89154
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
306
Abstract Views
2,978
Rank
180,971
PlumX Metrics