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.An asset sale otherwise known as an asset deal or asset purchase is a special type of business sale that only deals with assets and liabilities. An asset sale is when only the individual assets are purchased. Learn the tax implications for each type of sale. Asset Sale lets buyers choose specific assets and liabilities; Stock Sale doesn't. In an asset sale, the buyer's basis for depreciation is the allocated purchase price of the transferred assets. Asset sales are types of business transaction where buyers purchase assets from a business, and the sellers retain legal ownership of the company. 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. Generally, a stock sale is better for the seller and an asset sale is better for the buyer.