Learn the tax implications for each type of sale. 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.Stock sales tend to attract taxes too. A seller may pay higher income taxes in an asset sale. Generally, a stock sale is better for the seller and an asset sale is better for the buyer. In stock sales, the buyer purchases the owner's shares of the corporation. Unlike asset sales, stock sales do not require conveyances of each individual asset. In an asset sale, the buyer selects specific assets and typically avoids inheriting liabilities. A stock purchase is a complete purchase of a company, including all the assets and liabilities. As a general rule, sellers prefer stock sales and buyers prefer asset sales.