Tax free acquisition

Tax free acquisition

A merger or consolidation in which (1) the acquirer's tax basis on each asset whose ownership is transferred in the transaction is generally the same as the acquiree's, and (2) each seller who receives only stock does not have to pay any tax on the gain realized until the shares are sold.

Tax Free Acquisition

A merger where the value of the assets a stockholder receives at the end of the transaction is substantially the same as the value of assets before the transaction began. For tax purposes, stockholders are treated as having kept their old shares, and are therefore not subject to capital gains taxes.