In an asset sale, the new owner purchases the business's physical assets. The seller retains all rights to the legal entity.The sale of a trade or business for a lump sum is considered a sale of each individual asset rather than of a single asset. Many Buyers will require that a sale be structured as an Asset Purchase in order to avoid responsibility for prior liabilities or expenses of the business. 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 California, sales tax is generally imposed on an asset sale of a company unless the company being sold is a service business (where the "occasional sale". Use Schedule D-1 to report the sale or exchange of business property when the California basis of the asset(s) is different from the federal basis. An asset sale will likely result in a combination of gain taxed at both ordinary and capital gains rates, depending on the nature of the individual assets.