Certain changes in corporate structure and place and form of incorporation can be effectuated tax free under Section 368 of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 368(a)(1)(F) allows for a tax free reorganization where there is “a mere change in identity, form or place of organization of one corporation, however effected.”
For example, for various reasons, a corporation organized in one state may want to be operate in another state and wants to transfer the corporate charter while retaining its corporate tax attributes, history and licenses.
Here are some of the tax requirements needed to effectuate this tax free reorganization.
All the stock of the resulting corporation must be issued in exchange for and in respect of the stock of the transferring (old) corporation.
There is no change in the ownership of the corporation in the transaction. So the shareholders who owned the old corporation must own the new corporation in the same proportions.
The transferring corporation must be completely liquidated to comply with the F reorganization rules. However, a legal dissolution of the transferring corporation is not required. This is a subtle legal distinction but allows the parties to comply here with only a liquidation. However, legal prudence would dictate in a complete dissolution in most cases.
The resulting corporation should not have any assets or engage in any activity before the F reorganization is undertaken.
As with any reorganizations under Section 368, the F reorganization must:
These and other reorganizations allow changes in corporate structure and place of incorporation on a tax-free basis if the proper steps and due diligence is taken to effectuate these transfers.
The usual warning is to not try this on your own, but have tax counsel assist you in these complicated and technical transactions that require compliance with both federal and state laws.
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From their offices in Philadelphia, PA, the law firm of Steven J. Fromm & Associates, P.C. provides a full range of estate planning, probate and estate administration, tax, business and corporate legal services to clients throughout eastern Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley, the Lehigh Valley Area, the Five-County Area, Bucks County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Chester County, Philadelphia County, Berks County, Lehigh County, Lancaster County, York County, Harrisburg, Norristown, Doylestown, Media, West Chester, Allentown, Lancaster, and Reading.