For a variety of reasons, corporations can achieve business efficiencies by dividing into two or more entities. The tax consequences of the division could be that both the corporation and the shareholders must recognize taxable income, which often renders the division unfeasible.

In order to neutralize the tax effects of business-motivated decisions to divide the corporation, the tax law provides the means for the division to be accomplished without immediate tax consequences for the corporation and its shareholders. The enabling provisions are necessarily complex so as to prevent their exploitation and bring together several other corporate tax concepts dealing with dividends and reorganizations. Moreover, the rules have often changed.

This book explains and illustrates each of the requirements for a nontaxable corporate division and the methods for mitigating the tax consequences when those requirements cannot be satisfied. The author also provides numerous diagrams that summarize actual transactions.