Lisa and Richard wish to acquire Acacia Corp., a C corporati…
Lisa and Richard wish to acquire Acacia Corp., a C corporation. As part of their discussions with Tobias, the sole shareholder of Acacia, they examined the business’ tax accounting balance sheet. The relevant information is summarized as follows: Fair value Adjusted basis Assets: Cash $30,000 $30,000 Equipment $70,000 $10,000 Building1 $260,000 $140,000 Land1 $410,000 $180,000 Total $770,000 $360,000 Liabilities: Payables $20,000 $20,000 Mortgage1 $150,000 $150,000 Total $170,000 $170,000 1 Mortgage is attached to the building and the land. Tobias’ basis in the Acacia stock is $400,000. Lisa and Richard offer to pay Tobias $900,000 for his company. If the transaction is structured as a direct asset sale, Lisa and Richard will assume Acacia’s liabilities. How much gain or loss must Tobias recognize if the transaction is structured as a stock sale to Lisa and Richard?