When does an S shareholder's stock basis get reduced?

In the context of S corporations and the treatment of an S shareholder's stock basis, it is essential to understand how stock basis is adjusted in response to both income and distributions.

The stock basis of an S corporation shareholder is primarily affected by the shareholder's share of the corporation's income or loss, as well as any distributions received from the corporation. The key point is that the basis is adjusted before distributions are taken into account. This means that any income or loss items that a shareholder must report impact the stock basis before any distributions the shareholder receives from the corporation.

When an S corporation earns income, that income increases the stock basis. Conversely, if the S corporation incurs a loss, that loss decreases the stock basis. After these adjustments for income or loss, we then look at any distributions made to the shareholders. If a shareholder receives distributions after these adjustments, the basis will be reduced accordingly but only to the extent of the shareholder's remaining basis. If the basis has already been reduced by losses or increased by income, it must first go through this adjustment process prior to reflecting any distributions.

This sequencing is crucial in ensuring that shareholders do not receive tax benefits from distributions that exceed their economic investment in the S corporation. Hence, understanding that stock basis is reduced