
Section 736 Payments to Retiring or Deceased Partners: 736(a) vs. 736(b), Hot Assets, and the Goodwill Lever
Section 736 splits liquidating payments to a retiring partner into 736(b) property payments (capital gain, no firm deduction) and 736(a) income or guaranteed payments (ordinary income with self-employment tax, deductible by the firm). The service-partnership carve-out, Section 751 hot assets, and Section 754 election together determine whether six- or seven-figure tax dollars land on the retiree or the firm.










