Arkansas Best Corp. v. Commissioner

Arkansas Best Corp. v. Commissioner
Argued December 9, 1987
Decided March 7, 1988
Full case nameArkansas Best Corporation v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Citations485 U.S. 212 (more)
108 S. Ct. 971; 99 L. Ed. 2d 183
Case history
Prior83 T.C. 640 (1984); 800 F.2d 215 (8th Cir. 1986); cert. granted, 480 U.S. 930 (1987).
Holding
Loss arising from sale of stock is capital loss, regardless of taxpayer's motive in purchasing the stock.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
William J. Brennan Jr. · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
Case opinion
MajorityMarshall, joined by unanimous
Kennedy took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.
Laws applied
Internal Revenue Code § 1221

Arkansas Best Corporation v. Commissioner, 485 U.S. 212 (1988), is a United States Supreme Court decision that helps taxpayers classify whether or not the sale of an asset is an ordinary or capital gain or loss for income tax purposes.