An asset sale is the purchase of individual assets and liabilities, whereas a stock sale is the purchase of the owner's shares of a corporation. In a stock sale, the buyer acquires equity from the target company's shareholders.While an asset sale outshines a stock sale in company structure support, it loses a fair amount of points when it comes to tax implications. Asset Sale lets buyers choose specific assets and liabilities; Stock Sale doesn't. Learn the tax implications for each type of sale. With an asset sale, the buyer is buying the assets of the business. These assets will be identified in the purchase and sale agreement. An asset sale allows the transfer of specific assets and liabilities while the seller remains being owner of the legal entity. In an asset sale, you can either sell the property as part of the deal or retain it. The differences between asset and stock acquisitions is clearly seen in the area of liabilities.