Both the seller and purchaser of a group of assets that makes up a trade or business must use Form 8594 to report such a sale. Ensure a successful asset acquisition with our detailed asset purchase agreement checklist, covering all critical steps from agreements to finalization.Asset purchase agreements are a useful way to: Carve out certain assets of a business without taking on liabilities or debt obligations. An asset purchase agreement (APA) is a legally binding document that details the terms and conditions related to the purchase and sale of a company's assets. Below is a general due diligence checklist with the first 8 of 16 items to cover your bases in a business or asset purchase transaction. In an asset purchase, the buyer agrees to purchase specific assets and liabilities. This means that they only take on the risks of those specific assets. Find Business and Personal Property Listing forms and Instructions on this page. In an asset sale, the new owner purchases the business's physical assets. The seller retains all rights to the legal entity.