Skip to main content
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Briefing Book
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Fiscal Facts
Twitter
Facebook
Logo Site
  • Topics
    • Individual Taxes
    • Business Taxes
    • Federal Budget and Economy
    • State and Local Issues
    • Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms
  • TaxVox Blog
  • Research & Commentary
  • Laws & Proposals
  • Model Estimates
  • Statistics
  • Features
Journal Article

Private Equity Is a Business: Sun Capital and Beyond

Steven M. Rosenthal
September 24, 2013
Download PDFPrint
Share

Primary tasks

  • Overview(active tab)
  • Full Report

Abstract

Private equity has grown exponentially: it now controls and operates a large number of the companies in our economy. But private equity is just that: private. Its operations are confidential and difficult to parse. This article attempts to demystify the business of private equity. It also describes the unanimous decision by the 1st Circuit that a private equity fund is a trade or business for purposes of ERISA. Finally, the article discusses the tax implications of "trade or business" status for private equity funds and recommends further guidance from Treasury.

Research Area

Business Taxes Pass-through entities Individual Taxes Capital gains and dividends
To reuse content from the Tax Policy Center, visit copyright.com, search for the publications, choose from a list of licenses, and complete the transaction.

Meet the Experts

  • Steven M. Rosenthal
    Senior Fellow
Research report

New Evidence on The Effect of The TCJA On the Housing Market

Robert McClelland, Livia Mucciolo, Safia Sayed
March 30, 2022
  • Donate Today
  • Topics
  • TaxVox Blog
  • Research & Commentary
  • Laws & Proposals
  • Model Estimates
  • Statistics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Newsletters
Twitter
Facebook
  • © Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and individual authors, 2022.