Skip to main content

Mike Thrift

Marketing Manager

Section 302 Stock Redemption: How Closely-Held C Corporations Avoid Surprise Dividend Treatment

Section 302 of the Internal Revenue Code decides whether a closely-held C corporation's stock redemption is taxed as a capital sale or a full-amount dividend. This guide explains the three Section 302(b) tests, the Section 318 attribution traps that ensnare family-owned companies, the 10-year family-attribution waiver, and the partial-liquidation safe harbor under Section 302(b)(4).

Section 461(h) Economic Performance and the Recurring Item Exception: When Accrual-Basis Liabilities Are Actually Deductible

Section 461(h) layers an economic performance test on top of the all-events test, so accrual-basis taxpayers cannot deduct a liability until the underlying activity actually happens. The recurring item exception accelerates deductions for predictable expenses when economic performance occurs within 8½ months of year-end and four specific conditions are met.