Background
I live in Michigan and own an S-Corporation incorporated in Michigan. The S-Corporation is severely in debt, and I signed a personal guarantee on most of its debt. With help and advice of my attorney, I am going to be filing personal Chapter 7 bankruptcy. We will not be filing corporate bankruptcy since it wouldn't discharge the company's debt.
Unfortunately, a large amount of the S-Corporation's debt is to my father. Regrettably, my S-Corporation loaned money from him when both of us thought it would certainly be paid back.
The rest of the S-Corporation's debt is to the IRS for employment taxes, to the State of Michigan for employment taxes and sales taxes, and to several unsecured credit cards and loans.
I have zero assets. No house, and a car worth $1,000 maybe. No cash. It appears that the IRS and State of Michigan won't be going after me for Trust Fund Recovery Penalties for the employment and sales taxes, because they would be uncollectable.
My Question
I'm in the process of liquating the S-Corporation's remaining inventory. It isn't near enoguh to cover its debt. Since I'm not filing corporate bankruptcy, can my S-Corporation take the cash left after the inventory liquidation, and give it to my father, paying back a small amount of its outstanding loans?
I know this would be a preferential payment. I know that if the company were forced into corporate bankruptcy by its creditors (if that can even happen after I revoke its charter) that a trustee could force my father to give all the money back.
But, can I give it to him anyway -- and explain the situation, saying put it aside and wait a year or two to see if he is ever told to give it back? And hope it never comes to that?
Are preferential payments like this illegal in any way? If not, I know he wouldn't rely or use the money until it was "in the clear." I don't want to think about doing this if it risks anything more than having to give the money back.
And YES I'll be talking this through with my attorney, if I were to do this. I just like hearing the opinions on this forum before I take many of my ideas to my attorney. The advice and opinions on this board are incredible.
I live in Michigan and own an S-Corporation incorporated in Michigan. The S-Corporation is severely in debt, and I signed a personal guarantee on most of its debt. With help and advice of my attorney, I am going to be filing personal Chapter 7 bankruptcy. We will not be filing corporate bankruptcy since it wouldn't discharge the company's debt.
Unfortunately, a large amount of the S-Corporation's debt is to my father. Regrettably, my S-Corporation loaned money from him when both of us thought it would certainly be paid back.
The rest of the S-Corporation's debt is to the IRS for employment taxes, to the State of Michigan for employment taxes and sales taxes, and to several unsecured credit cards and loans.
I have zero assets. No house, and a car worth $1,000 maybe. No cash. It appears that the IRS and State of Michigan won't be going after me for Trust Fund Recovery Penalties for the employment and sales taxes, because they would be uncollectable.
My Question
I'm in the process of liquating the S-Corporation's remaining inventory. It isn't near enoguh to cover its debt. Since I'm not filing corporate bankruptcy, can my S-Corporation take the cash left after the inventory liquidation, and give it to my father, paying back a small amount of its outstanding loans?
I know this would be a preferential payment. I know that if the company were forced into corporate bankruptcy by its creditors (if that can even happen after I revoke its charter) that a trustee could force my father to give all the money back.
But, can I give it to him anyway -- and explain the situation, saying put it aside and wait a year or two to see if he is ever told to give it back? And hope it never comes to that?
Are preferential payments like this illegal in any way? If not, I know he wouldn't rely or use the money until it was "in the clear." I don't want to think about doing this if it risks anything more than having to give the money back.
And YES I'll be talking this through with my attorney, if I were to do this. I just like hearing the opinions on this forum before I take many of my ideas to my attorney. The advice and opinions on this board are incredible.
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