Richard E. and Mary Ann Hurst - Page 28

                                       - 28 -                                         
          promise to pay money in the future.  Sec. 1.317-1, Income Tax               
          Regs.  Thus, section 304(a)(1)(B) is met.                                   
               The next issue is whether the Hursts were in “control” of              
          HMI (the “acquiring corporation”) for section 304 purposes after            
          the transaction as they were before.  Under section                         
          318(a)(1)(A)(ii), a taxpayer constructively owns any stock owned            
          by his children.  Thus, the Hursts are considered to own Todd’s             
          51-percent interest in HMI.  As all three elements of section               
          1.304-5(b) are met, section 304(a) applies.                                 
               Because section 304(a) applies,                                        
                    determinations as to whether the acquisition                      
                    is, by reason of section 302(b), to be                            
                    treated as a distribution in part or full                         
                    payment in exchange for the stock shall be                        
                    made by reference to the stock of the issuing                     
                    corporation. * * *                                                
          Sec. 304(b)(1).                                                             
               The consequence of applying section 304 is thus to send us             
          back to section 302, treating the Hursts’ sale of their RHI stock           
          to HMI as if it were a redemption by RHI.  For the Commissioner,            
          this deemed redemption analysis under section 302(b) turns on the           
          uncontested fact that Mrs. Hurst remained an employee of HMI                
          after the sale.  He argues that HMI’s purchase of RHI made RHI              
          into an HMI subsidiary.  Section 1.302-4(c), Income Tax Regs.,              
          would then govern: “If stock of a subsidiary corporation is                 
          redeemed, section 302(c)(2)(A) shall be applied with reference to           
          an interest both in such subsidiary corporation and its parent.”            





Page:  Previous  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32  33  34  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011