What Happens if I Sell My QSBS Stock in under 5 years?

Gains on stock sold in under five years would not be considered “eligible” for QSBS tax treatment, and the capital gains will be taxed at the individuals capital gains rate.  However, an alternative is to roll the sale proceeds into another company qualifying for QSBS, electing section 1045.  More … Read More

When Does My Timeline Start for QSBS?

The required holding period for Section 1202 QSBS starts the day the stock is acquired/issued.  If stock was acquired through other securities such as convertible debt or stock options, the holding period for QSBS generally starts on the date the securities are converted to the stock. The following list shows … Read More

Can the QSBS tax exclusion be transferred?

The transfer of QSBS through a gift or estate is considered a tax-free transfer for QSBS and maintains the tax exclusion upon transfer (Section 1202 (h)). Given the differing tax treatment of various types of gifts, it can become important to understand various differences in ways “gifts” are made when planning, … Read More

Who can invest in and/or benefit from QSBS tax savings?

Individuals and “pass-through” entities can benefit from QSBS tax savings, but corporations investing in otherwise QSBS eligible entities cannot.  A pass-through or flow-through entity is a legal structure that does not pay income taxes at the business level but passes earnings to its owners to be taxed at … Read More

How can QSBS stock be acquired?

QSBS can only be purchased directly from the qualifying QSBS C Corporation at its original issue.  Therefore, stock that would otherwise qualify as QSBS loses this favorable status after it has been purchased through a secondary sale. QSBS can be acquired through: An exchange for any property, not including stock.  QSBS … Read More

Which assets count towards the QSBS Active Business Requirement?

“Aggregate gross assets” are defined in Section 1202 (d)(2)(A) as “the amount of cash and the aggregate adjusted bases of other property held by the corporation”.  Some considerations regarding the assets included in the Active Business Requirement include: Cumulatively if over 20% of the company’s assets are investments, … Read More

Do Startups With No Revenue Qualify for Section 1202 QSBS?

Section 1202(e) explicitly states that “start-up activities” under Section 195(c)(l)(A) or research/experimental activities under Section 174 or Section 41(b)(4) will receive special treatment when testing for the active test. Therefore, if an angel investor is investing in a startup company that is pre-revenue and is still in the idea stage, trying to reach product-market fit, the … Read More

Can an LLC Taxed as C Corporation Qualify for QSBS?

Not sure if the stock you’re invested in is QSBS, learn more about our QSBS Monitoring Platform Section 1202 states that a ” ‘qualified small business’ means any domestic corporation which is a C corporation” and does not explicitly state treatment for an LLC taxed as a C-Corporation. Although this is … Read More

Do All C-Corp’s Qualify for QSBS?

The general intent of QSBS is to encourage development of companies that are created to drive new innovations and spur job creation, however not every type of C-Corp can qualify for issuing QSBS.  Companies incorporated in the U.S. as C-Corps are eligible for QSBS unless the corporation was formed … Read More