Why You Should Never Hold Real Estate In A Corporation

Sometimes in life, when faced with a given situation, we say things simply as a matter of reflex. For example:

“What an adorable baby!”

“You have a lovely home here.”

“You’re a great gal, I’ll call you sometime. Now can you help me find my pants?”

Things are no different in the tax world. As advisors, we keep an army of axioms always at the ready to be used in response to client queries. Take, for example, the client who contemplates the type of entity that should be used to hold a piece of real estate. For most tax practitioners, this would elicit the following Pavlovian reaction:

“You should NEVER put real estate inside a corporation.”

And while there are very few NEVERS in the tax world, this one is pretty darn accurate. But do you really understand why you should never put real estate into a corporation? It’s because, as the ensuing discussion will reflect, while real estate can go into a corporation tax-free, it can never come out tax free. In today’s Tax Geek Tuesday, let’s peel back the layers of the statute and find out why.

Case study: A, an individual, owns a building with a basis of $400,000 and a fair market value of $1,000,000. B, another individual, owns business assets worth $1,000,000. A and B would like to form a business that will use both the business assets owned by B and the building owned by A. The entity will be owned 50/50 by A and B. Should the entity be a C corporation, S corporation, or partnership?

Transfers to Controlled Corporations, In General

Under the general tax principles of Section 1001, the transfer of appreciated property triggers gain for the difference between the amount realized on the transfer less the adjusted tax basis of the property. Thus, barring a statutory exception, if A were to transfer the building to a corporation in exchange for the corporation’s stock, A would recognize $600,000 of gain ($1,000,000 fair market value less A’s $400,000 tax basis).

Section 351 is one such exception to the general rule of gain recognition, however, as it allows you to contribute appreciated property to a corporation in exchange for the corporation’s stock without recognizing gain provided you “control” the corporation immediately after the transfer.

For these purposes, “control” is defined as 80% of the vote and value of the corporation, with a couple of important distinctions. First, you don’t have to acquire 80% of the corporation; you simply must own 80% immediately after. A taxpayer who already owns say, 85% of a corporation may continue to transfer appreciated property to the corporation, and the gain will be deferred under Section 351.

In addition, Section 351 allows for a group of transferors. If you contribute appreciated property to a corporation in exchange for, say 20% of the corporation’s stock, but simultaneous to the transfer, another two individuals transfer cash or property to the corporation in exchange for an additional 65% of the stock, all three transfers are covered by Section 351 because on a combined basis, the transferal group controls the corporation immediately after the transfer.

Section 357(c)

Problems arise when the property contributed to a corporation is subject to a liability. Under Section 357(c), if you transfer property to a corporation that is subject to a liability and the corporation assumes that liability as part of the transfer, the transfer triggers gain to the extent the liability exceeds the tax basis of the property.

This provision is particularly problematic when the subject property is real estate, where mortgages are the norm. If, for example, A’s property were subject to a $700,000 mortgage, the transfer of the property to a corporation in exchange for corporate stock would generate $300,000 ($700,000 debt relief less $400,000 tax basis) of gain to A, even if the transfer were otherwise tax-free under Section 351.

Basis and Holding Period

When Section 351 applies to a transfer of property to a corporation, the gain is not excluded, it is merely deferred. This is accomplished through two statutory provisions that provide basis rules that ensure that any gain inherent in the building will be recognized if either you dispose of the corporation’s stock or the corporation disposes of the building.

Under Section 358, you must take a basis in the stock received equal to the basis in the property you transferred to the corporation. This is often referred to as a “substituted basis,” because the basis in the property received is determined in reference to the basis in the property relinquished.

In turn, Section 362 provides that the corporation must take a basis in the building equal to your basis in the building. This is often referred to as a “carryover basis,” because the corporation’s basis in the property remains unchanged from that which you held in the property.

Going back to our case study, if A and B simultaneously transfer property to a corporation in exchange for 50% of the corporation’s stock, Section 351 applies to the transfer. Despite the fact that A’s building has a fair market value of $1,000,000 and a tax basis of $400,000, no gain is recognized.

Under Section 358, A takes a basis of $400,000 in the corporate stock received. Because the total value of the corporation’s assets is $2,000,000, A’s 50% stock ownership is presumably worth $1,000,000. If A sells the stock for its value of $1,000,000, A will recognize $600,000 of gain, the amount that was deferred when A transferred the building to the corporation.

Under Section 362, the corporation takes a basis in the building of $400,000. If the corporation sells the building for its value of $1,000,000, the corporation will recognize the $600,000 of gain deferred on the contribution.

Distributions and Liquidations of C Corporations, In General

The big problem with placing real estate in a corporation does not present itself until it’s time to get the property out, whether as a sale or distribution.

Sale

As mentioned above, if the corporation sells the building, courtesy of the basis mechanics of Section 362, the sale will generate $600,000 of gain. This gain will be taxed at the corporate level at a maximum federal rate of 35%, resulting in $210,000 of corporate-level tax.

The tax inefficiency is only exacerbated if A would like to get his hands on the remaining $790,000 ($1,000,000 less $210,000 tax liability) of purchase price. If the corporation liquidates and distributes the net cash to A, A would be required by Section 331 to recognize capital gain for the difference between the amount distributed and A’s basis in the stock. A would recognize $390,000 of gain ($790,000 distribution less $400,000 stock basis) upon the liquidation, and assuming the stock were held longer than one year, would pay tax on the liquidation at a maximum rate of 23.8%, resulting in an individual tax bill of $93,000.

Thus, by selling the property in a C corporation and withdrawing the after-tax cash, A will incur a total tax liability in excess of $300,000.

Current Distribution

Alternatively, A may simply have second thoughts about dropping the building into a corporation, and wish to unwind the transaction. If the corporation transfers the building to A in a non-liquidating distribution, Section 311(b) governs the tax-ability of the transfer. Under this provision, when a corporation distributes appreciated property to a shareholder, the corporation recognizes gain as if it had sold the property for its fair market value. Thus, the distribution would trigger $600,000 of gain to the corporation — just as it did with a sale — which would be taxed at a maximum federal rate of 35%.

And just as seen with a sale, A isn't through paying tax yet. Under Section 301, A must treat the fair market value of the distributed property as dividend income (to the extent of any corporate E&P, which will include the $600,000 of gain) where it will be taxed at a maximum rate of 23.8%. tnitti