This final capital account tabulation is a great indicator of what a partner's taxable gain would be if the interest were sold. From a tax standpoint, a negative capital account is treated as a capital gain upon sale. Conversely, a positive capital account is treated as a capital loss if the interest is sold.
If a partnership holds IRC 751(a) property at the time of the sale, the partner recognizes gain or loss from its share of IRC 751(a) assets. The ordinary gain or loss is subtracted from the total gain or loss. The result is the partner's capital gain or loss from the sale.
A DRO requires a partner to restore any negative balance (deficit) in their capital account upon the liquidation of the partnership. The DRO demonstrates the partner's willingness to assume the economic risk of loss in the partnership.
But if his capital account is negative, all additional partnership losses are disallowed. He will need to keep track of his disallowed losses because he can use them to offset future income (once his capital account is positive again).
However, a partner's capital account can be negative. This generally happens when the partnership allocates losses or receives a distribution funded by debt incurred by the partnership. These actions can result in a taxable event for partners, so proactive steps need to be taken to avoid a negative balance.
If a partnership holds IRC 751(a) property at the time of the sale, the partner recognizes gain or loss from its share of IRC 751(a) assets. The ordinary gain or loss is subtracted from the total gain or loss. The result is the partner's capital gain or loss from the sale.
The best way to sell your limited partnership interest may lie in finding an experienced broker or advisor who can help you to identify potential buyers and guide you through any negotiations that may arise.
To enter IRC Section 751 Gains and Losses: Go to Screen 17.1, Dispositions. Enter two transactions, one for the ordinary income and one for the capital gains income. NOTE: the ordinary income transaction must be SHORT TERM to show on line 14 of the 1040.
Losses suspended under the at-risk rules may become deductible in a year in which a partner does not have tax basis in his partnership interest. The deduction of the suspended losses in a subsequent year reduces the amount the taxpayer is at risk (Sec. 465(b)(5)).