26 CFR §1.358-2
Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
- (a)Allocation of basis in exchanges or distributions to which section 354, 355, or 356 applies.
- (1)As used in this paragraph the term stock means stock which is not “other property” under section 356. The term securities means securities (including, where appropriate, fractional parts of securities) which are not “other property” under section 356. Stock, or securities, as the case may be, which differ either because they are in different corporations or because the rights attributable to them differ (although they are in the same corporation) are considered different classes of stock or securities, as the case may be, for purposes of this section.
- (2)
- (i)If a shareholder or security holder surrenders a share of stock or a security in an exchange under the terms of section 354, 355, or 356, the basis of each share of stock or security received in the exchange shall be the same as the basis of the share or shares of stock or security or securities (or allocable portions thereof) exchanged therefor (as adjusted under § 1.358-1). If more than one share of stock or security is received in exchange for one share of stock or one security, the basis of the share of stock or security surrendered shall be allocated to the shares of stock or securities received in the exchange in proportion to the fair market value of the shares of stock or securities received. If one share of stock or security is received in exchange for more than one share of stock or security or if a fraction of a share of stock or security is received, then the basis of the shares of stock or securities surrendered must be allocated to the shares of stock or securities (or allocable portions thereof) received in a manner that reflects, to the greatest extent possible, that a share of stock or security received is received in respect of shares of stock or securities that were acquired on the same date and at the same price. To the extent it is not possible to allocate basis in this manner, the basis of the shares of stock or securities surrendered must be allocated to the shares of stock or securities (or allocable portions thereof) received in a manner that minimizes the disparity in the holding periods of the surrendered shares of stock or securities whose basis is allocated to any particular share of stock or security received.
- (ii)If a shareholder or security holder surrenders a share of stock or a security in an exchange under the terms of section 354, 355, or 356, and receives shares of stock or securities of more than one class, or receives “other property” or money in addition to shares of stock or securities, then, to the extent the terms of the exchange specify that shares of stock or securities of a particular class or “other property” or money is received in exchange for a particular share of stock or security or a particular class of stock or securities, for purposes of applying the rules of this section, such terms shall control provided such terms are economically reasonable. To the extent the terms of the exchange do not specify that shares of stock or securities of a particular class or “other property” or money is received in exchange for a particular share of stock or security or a particular class of stock or securities, then, for purposes of applying the rules of paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section, a pro rata portion of the shares of stock and securities of each class received and a pro rata portion of the “other property” and money received shall be treated as received in exchange for each share of stock and security surrendered, based on the fair market value of the stock and securities surrendered.
- (iii)
- (A)For purposes of this section, if a shareholder or security holder surrenders a share of stock or a security in a transaction under the terms of section 354 (or so much of section 356 as relates to section 354) in which the shareholder or security holder receives no property or property (including property permitted by section 354 to be received without the recognition of gain or “other property” or money) with a fair market value less than that of the stock or securities surrendered in the transaction:
- (1)Such shareholder or security holder shall be treated as receiving the stock, securities, other property, and money actually received by the shareholder or security holder in the transaction and an amount of stock of the issuing corporation (as defined in § 1.368-1(b)) that has a value equal to the excess of the value of the stock or securities the shareholder or security holder surrendered in the transaction over the value of the stock, securities, other property, and money the shareholder or security holder actually received in the transaction. If the shareholder owns only one class of stock of the issuing corporation the receipt of which would be consistent with the economic rights associated with each class of stock of the issuing corporation, the stock deemed received by the shareholder pursuant to the previous sentence shall be stock of such class. If the shareholder owns multiple classes of stock of the issuing corporation the receipt of which would be consistent with the economic rights associated with each class of stock of the issuing corporation, the stock deemed received by the shareholder shall be stock of each such class owned by the shareholder immediately prior to the transaction, in proportion to the value of the stock of each such class owned by the shareholder at that time. The basis of each share of stock or security of the issuing corporation deemed received and actually received shall be determined under the rules of this section. If and to the extent necessary to reflect the actual ownership of the issuing corporation immediately after the exchange to which section 354 (or so much of section 356 as relates to section 354) applies, an appropriate amount of the stock of the issuing corporation treated as issued to the shareholder or security holder in the exchange is deemed further transferred in accordance with § 1.368-2(l) to reflect the actual ownership of the issuing corporation. Paragraph (a)(2)(iii)(A)(2) of this section is only applied to any shareholder of the issuing corporation after all of the deemed transfers pursuant to § 1.368-2(l) are completed. The transferred shares' basis shall be adjusted for all deemed transfers required by § 1.368-2(l).
- (2)A direct shareholder of the issuing corporation that receives the shares deemed issued as part of the transaction, as described in paragraph (a)(2)(iii)(A)(1) of this section, shall then be treated as surrendering all of its shares of stock and securities in the issuing corporation, including those shares of stock or securities held immediately prior to the transaction, those shares of stock or securities actually received in the transaction, and those shares of stock deemed received as described in paragraph (a)(2)(iii)(A)(1) of this section, in a reorganization under section 368(a)(1)(E) in exchange for the shares of stock and securities of the issuing corporation that the shareholder or security holder actually holds immediately after the transaction. The basis of each share of stock and security deemed received in the reorganization under section 368(a)(1)(E) shall be determined under the rules of this section.
- (B)For purposes of this section, if an actual shareholder of the issuing corporation is deemed to receive a nominal share of stock of the issuing corporation as provided in § 1.368-2(l), then that shareholder must, after allocating and adjusting the basis of the nominal share in accordance with the rules of this section and § 1.358-1, designate the share of stock of the issuing corporation that it owns to which the basis, if any, of the nominal share will attach. If the shareholder does not actually own any shares of stock in the issuing corporation immediately after the exchange to which section 354 (or so much of section 356 as relates to section 354) applies, the nominal share of stock of the issuing corporation received by the shareholder in the exchange is deemed further transferred in accordance with § 1.368-2(l) without applying the designation rule set forth in the first sentence of this paragraph until it is transferred to a person that actually owns stock in the issuing corporation. The transferred share's basis shall be adjusted for all deemed transfers required by § 1.368-2(l).
- (A)For purposes of this section, if a shareholder or security holder surrenders a share of stock or a security in a transaction under the terms of section 354 (or so much of section 356 as relates to section 354) in which the shareholder or security holder receives no property or property (including property permitted by section 354 to be received without the recognition of gain or “other property” or money) with a fair market value less than that of the stock or securities surrendered in the transaction:
- (iv)If a shareholder or security holder receives one or more shares of stock or one or more securities in a distribution under the terms of section 355 (or so much of section 356 as relates to section 355), the basis of each share of stock or security of the distributing corporation (as defined in § 1.355-1(b)), as adjusted under § 1.358-1, shall be allocated between the share of stock or security of the distributing corporation with respect to which the distribution is made and the share or shares of stock or security or securities (or allocable portions thereof) received with respect to the share of stock or security of the distributing corporation in proportion to their fair market values. If one share of stock or security is received with respect to more than one share of stock or security or if a fraction of a share of stock or security is received, then the basis of each share of stock or security of the distributing corporation must be allocated to the shares of stock or securities (or allocable portions thereof) received in a manner that reflects that, to the greatest extent possible, a share of stock or security received is received with respect to shares of stock or securities acquired on the same date and at the same price. To the extent it is not possible to allocate basis in this manner, the basis of each share of stock or security of the distributing corporation must be allocated to the shares of stock or securities (or allocable portions thereof) received in a manner that minimizes the disparity in the holding periods of the shares of stock or securities with respect to which such shares of stock or securities are received.
- (v)If a shareholder or security holder receives shares of stock or securities of more than one class, or receives “other property” or money in addition to stock or securities in a distribution under the terms of section 355 (or so much of section 356 as relates to section 355), then, to the extent the terms of the distribution specify that shares of stock or securities of a particular class or “other property” or money is received with respect to a particular share of stock or security of the distributing corporation or a particular class of stock or securities of the distributing corporation, for purposes of applying the rules of this section, such terms shall control provided that such terms are economically reasonable. To the extent the terms of the distribution do not specify that shares of stock or securities of a particular class or “other property” or money is received with respect to a particular share of stock or security of the distributing corporation or a particular class of stock or securities of the distributing corporation, then, for purposes of applying the rules of this section, a pro rata portion of the shares of stock and securities of each class received and a pro rata portion of the “other property” and money received shall be treated as received with respect to each share of stock and security of the distributing corporation with respect to which the distribution is made, based on the fair market value of each such share of stock or security.
- (vi)If a share of stock or a security is received in exchange for, or with respect to, more than one share of stock or security and such shares or securities were acquired on different dates or at different prices, the share of stock or security received shall be divided into segments based on the relative fair market values of the shares of stock or securities surrendered in exchange for such share or security or the relative fair market values of the shares of stock or securities with respect to which the share of stock or security is received in a distribution under the terms of section 355 (or so much of section 356 as relates to section 355)). Each segment shall have a basis determined under the rules of paragraph (a)(2) of this section and a corresponding holding period.
- (vii)If a shareholder or security holder that purchased or acquired shares of stock or securities in a corporation on different dates or at different prices exchanges such shares of stock or securities under the terms of section 354, 355, or 356, or receives a distribution of shares of stock or securities under the terms of section 355 (or so much of section 356 as relates to section 355), and the shareholder or security holder is not able to identify which particular share of stock or security (or allocable portion of a share of stock or security) is received (or deemed received) in exchange for, or with respect to, a particular share of stock or security, the shareholder or security holder may designate which share of stock or security is received in exchange for, or with respect to, a particular share of stock or security, provided that such designation is consistent with the terms of the exchange or distribution (or an exchange deemed to have occurred pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section), and the other rules of this section. In the case of an exchange under the terms of section 354 or 356 (including a deemed exchange as a result of the application of paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section), the designation must be made on or before the first date on which the basis of a share of stock or a security received (or deemed received in the reorganization under section 368(a)(1)(E) in the case of a transaction to which paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section applies) is relevant. In the case of an exchange or distribution under the terms of section 355 (or so much of section 356 as relates to section 355), the designation must be made on or before the first date on which the basis of a share of stock or a security of the distributing corporation or the controlled corporation (as defined in § 1.355-1(b)) is relevant. The basis of the shares or securities received in an exchange under the terms of section 354 or section 356, for example, is relevant when such shares or securities are sold or otherwise transferred. The designation will be binding for purposes of determining the Federal tax consequences of any sale or transfer of, or distribution with respect to, the shares or securities received. If the shareholder fails to make a designation in a case in which the shareholder is not able to identify which share of stock is received in exchange for, or with respect to, a particular share of stock, then the shareholder will not be able to identify which shares are sold or transferred for purposes of determining the basis of property sold or transferred under section 1012 and § 1.1012-1(c) and, instead, will be treated as selling or transferring the share received in respect of the earliest share purchased or acquired.
- (viii)This paragraph (a)(2) shall not apply to determine the basis of a share of stock or security received by a shareholder or security holder in an exchange described in both section 351 and either section 354 or 356, if, in connection with the exchange—
- (A)The shareholder or security holder exchanges property for stock or securities in an exchange to which neither section 354 nor section 356 applies;
- (B)The shareholder or security holder exchanges property for stock or securities in a transaction for which an election to apply section 362(e)(2)(C) is in effect; or
- (C)Liabilities of the shareholder or security holder are assumed.
- (ix)This paragraph (a)(2) shall apply to determine the basis of a share of stock or security received by a shareholder or security holder in an exchange described in both section 1036 and section 354 or section 356.
- (b)Allocation of basis in exchanges to which section 351 or 361 applies.
- (1)As used in this paragraph (b), the term stock refers only to stock which is not “other property” under section 351 or 361 and the term securities refers only to securities which are not “other property” under section 351 or 361.
- (2)If in an exchange to which section 351 or 361 applies property is transferred to a corporation and the transferor receives stock or securities of more than one class or receives both stock and securities, then the basis of the property transferred (as adjusted under § 1.358-1) shall be allocated among all of the stock and securities received in proportion to the fair market values of the stock of each class and the securities of each class.
- (c)Examples. The application of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section is illustrated by the following examples:
- (d)Effective/applicability date. This section generally applies to exchanges and distributions of stock and securities occurring on or after January 23, 2006. However, paragraph (a)(2)(iii) and Examples 15 and 16 of paragraph (c) of this section apply to exchanges and distributions of stock and securities occurring on or after November 12, 2014. See § 1.358-2T(a)(2)(iii) and § 1.358-2T(c), Examples 15 and 16, as contained in 26 CFR part 1, revised April 1, 2014, for exchanges and distributions of stock and securities occurring on or after November 21, 2011 and before November 12, 2014; see § 1.358-2(a)(2)(iii), as contained in 26 CFR part 1, revised as of April 1, 2011, for exchanges and distributions of stock and securities occurring on or after January 23, 2006 and before November 21, 2011.