Question

Cheers Corporation purchased for $500,000 5,000 shares of Beer Corporation common stock (less than 5% of the outstanding Beer stock) at the beginning of the current year. It used $400,000 of borrowed money and $100,000 of its own cash to make this purchase. Cheers paid $50,000 of interest on the debt this year. Cheers received a $40,000 cash dividend on the Beer stock on September 1 of the current year. Cheers has $5 million of taxable income before any dividends-received deduction. a. What amount can Cheers deduct for the interest paid on the loan

Answer 1

Cheers Corporation

The amount that Cheers can deduct for the interest paid on the loan is:

= $50,000.

Step-by-step explanation:

a) Data:

Investment in Beer Corporation = $500,000

Number of Beer shares purchased = 5,000

Percentage shareholding in Beer Corporation < 5%

Amount borrowed for the investment = $400,000

Own cash used for the purchase = $100,000

Interest paid on the debt for this year = $50,000 = 12.5%

Cash dividend received for the year = $40,000

Cheers taxable income before dividends = $5 million

The amount of interest deductible = $50,000

b) Since the interest was made for the purpose of the investment in Beers Corporation, the whole amount of interest expense for the year is deductible.