Parent Corporation, Which Operates an Electric Utility, Created a 100%-Owned

question 16

Essay

Parent Corporation, which operates an electric utility, created a 100%-owned corporation, Subsidiary, that built and managed an office building. Assume the two corporations have filed separate tax returns for a number of years. The utility occupied two floors of the office building, and Subsidiary offered the other ten floors for lease. Only 25% of the total rental space was leased because of the high crime rate in the area surrounding the building. Rental income was insufficient to cover the mortgage payments, and Subsidiary filed for bankruptcy because of the poor prospects. Subsidiary's assets were taken over by the mortgage lender. Parent lost its entire $500,000 investment. At the time Subsidiary was liquidated, another $100,000 of debts remained unpaid for the general creditors, which included a $35,000 account payable to Parent. What tax issues should Parent and Subsidiary consider with respect to the bankruptcy and liquidation of Subsidiary?

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Definitions:

Saving

The act of setting aside a portion of income for future use, typically in a bank account or other secure investment.

Disposable Income

Resources meant for household spending and saving once income tax obligations are settled.

APC

The average propensity to consume, which is the fraction of total income that is spent on consumption as opposed to being saved.

Saving

The portion of income not spent on consumption, often set aside for future investments or expenditures.