Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle A— Income Taxes › Chapter 1— NORMAL TAXES AND SURTAXES › Subchapter K— Partners and Partnerships › Part II— CONTRIBUTIONS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TRANSFERS › Subpart B— Distributions by a Partnership › § 732
When a partnership gives you property other than money, you normally take over the partnership's own tax basis in that property. But your basis can't be more than the basis of your partnership interest minus any money you got in the same deal. If the property comes when your whole partnership interest is being closed out, your basis in it equals your interest's remaining basis after subtracting any money received. When you get several properties at once, the basis is divided up in a set order: first to unrealized receivables and inventory items, then to the other properties, with specific rules that spread any needed increase or decrease based on each property's unrealized gain or loss and fair market value. If you got your interest by a transfer when no section 754 election was in effect, and you receive property within 2 years after that transfer, you can elect to use the basis the property would have had under section 743(b). These rules don't apply where the distribution is treated as a sale or exchange under section 751(b). A separate rule applies when a corporate partner receives stock of a corporation it controls: the stock's inside basis may have to be reduced, and any reduction that can't be absorbed is taxed to the corporate partner as long-term capital gain.
Full Legal Text
Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
26 U.S.C. § 732
Title 26 — Internal Revenue Code
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73