In: Accounting
Explain 302(b)(2)'s requirement of "substantially disproportionate with respect to the shareholder" for a redemption to be treated as an exchange (aka stock ownership testes).
AS per 302(b)(2), redemption is considered as substantially disproportionate if:
1.Immediately after the redemption the the holding of a shareholder owns less than 50% of the voting power of all other classes of voting stock.
2. a shareholder outstanding proportionate ownership of the voting stock after redemption goes below 80% of the proportionate ownership before such redemption.
Example : Company A has got 1000 Shares of common stock.
These shares are held by 4 brothers B1, B2, B3 & B4 in the ratio of 25% each.
Suppose the Company redeems the shares say 150 from B1, 40 from B2, 20 from B3, 75 from B4, then for a redemption to be said disproportionate for any shareholder, the shareholder must own 80% of 25%, ie 20% less than that before the redemption.
In the above case, if any shareholders holding goes below 250*20% = 50 shares , then the same is said to be substantially disproportionate.
This will squarely apply in the case of B1 and B4 in the above example quoted.