Section 1239 provides in general that any gain from the sale or exchange of depreciable property between a husband and wife or between an individual and a controlled corporation on or before October 4, 1976 (and in the case of a sale or exchange occurring after that date if made under a binding contract entered into on or before that date), shall be treated as ordinary income. Thus, any gain recognized to the transferor from a sale or exchange after May 3, 1951, and on or before October 4, 1976 (or thereafter if pursuant to a binding contract entered into on or before that date), directly or indirectly, between a husband and wife or between an individual and a controlled corporation, of property which, in the hands of the transferee, is property of a character subject to an allowance for depreciation provided in section 167 (including such property on which a deduction for amortization is allowable under sections 168 and 169) shall be considered as gain from the sale or exchange of property which is neither a capital asset nor property described in section 1231. For the purpose of section 1239, a corporation is controlled when more than 80 percent in value of all outstanding stock of the corporation is beneficially owned by the taxpayer, his spouse, and his minor children and minor grandchildren. For the purpose of this section, the terms children and grandchildren include legally adopted children and their children. The provisions of section 1239(a)(2) are applicable whether property is transferred from a corporation to a shareholder or from a shareholder to a corporation.

[T.D. 6500, 25 FR 12021, Nov. 26, 1960, as amended by T.D. 7569, 43 FR 51388, Nov. 3, 1978]