Question

Sissie owns two items of business equipment. Both were purchased in 2015 for $100,000, both have a 7-year MACRS recovery period, and both have an adjusted basis of $37,490. Sissie is considering selling these assets in 2019. One of them is worth $60,000, and the other is worth $23,000. Because both items were used in her business, Sissie simply assumes that the loss on one will offset the gain from the other and that the net gain or loss will increase or reduce her business income. What is the amount and character of Sissie’s gain or loss?

Answer 1

Answer:

Sissie must report both operations separately, even though the gain in one of them does offset the loss on the other:

• selling of equipment A: reported gain (increased ordinary income) of $22,510 ($60,000 - $37,490)
• selling of equipment B: reported ordinary loss of $14,490 ($23,000 - $37,490)

The effect of both transactions is a net gain of $8,020 that will increase Sissie's ordinary income.

Explanation:

Both assets are § 1231 assets, and § 1245 allows deprecation recapture on the sale of equipment A, so the gain must be considered ordinary income. The loss on the sale of equipment B is a § 1231 loss which must be treated as an ordinary loss.