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.Learn the tax implications for each type of sale. Asset Sale lets buyers choose specific assets and liabilities; Stock Sale doesn't. Stock sales tend to attract taxes too. Generally, a stock sale is better for the seller and an asset sale is better for the buyer. A seller may pay higher income taxes in an asset sale. 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, sellers are subject to potentially higher taxes than in a stock sale.