and Section 1244 stock

Small Business Investment Company Stock

Report on line 10 ordinary losses from the sale or exchange (including worthlessness) of stock in a small business investment company operating under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958. See section 1242.

Also attach a statement that includes the name and address of the small business investment company and, if applicable, the reason the stock is worthless and the approximate date it became worthless.

Section 1244 (Small Business) Stock

Individuals report ordinary losses from the sale or exchange (including worthlessness) of section 1244 (small business) stock on line 10.

To qualify as section 1244 stock, all six of the following requirements must be met.

You acquired the stock after June 30, 1958, upon original issuance of the shares from a domestic corporation (or the stock was acquired by a partnership in which you were a partner continuously from the date the stock was issued until the time of the loss).

If the stock was issued before November 7, 1978, it was issued under a written plan that met the requirements of Regulations section 1.1244(c)-1(f), and when that plan was adopted, the corporation was treated as a small business corporation under Regulations section 1.1244(c)-2(c).

If the stock was issued after November 6, 1978, the corporation was treated as a small business corporation at the time the stock was issued under Regulations section 1.1244(c)-2(b). To be treated as a small business corporation, the total amount of money and other property received by the corporation for its stock as a contribution to capital and paid-in surplus generally may not exceed $1 million.

The stock was issued for money or other property (excluding stock or securities).

The corporation, for its 5 most recent tax years ending before the date of the loss, derived more than 50% of its gross receipts from sources other than royalties, rents, dividends, interest, annuities, and gains from sales and exchanges of stocks or securities. (If the corporation was in existence for at least 1 tax year but fewer than 5 tax years ending before the date of the loss, the 50% test applies for the tax years ending before that date. If the corporation was not in existence for at least 1 tax year ending before the date of the loss, the 50% test applies for the entire period ending before that date.) The 50% test does not apply if the corporation's deductions (other than the net operating loss and dividends-received deductions) exceeded its gross income during the applicable period. But this exception to the 50% test applies only if the corporation was largely an operating company within the 5 most recent tax years ending before the date of the loss (or, if less, the entire period the corporation was in existence).

If the stock was issued before July 19, 1984, it must have been common stock.

The maximum amount that may be treated as an ordinary loss is $50,000 ($100,000 if married filing jointly). Special rules may limit the amount of your ordinary loss if (a) you received section 1244 stock in exchange for property with a basis in excess of its FMV or (b) your stock basis increased because of contributions to capital or otherwise. See Pub. 550 for more details. Report on Schedule D losses in excess of the maximum amount that may be treated as an ordinary loss (and all gains) from the sale or exchange of section 1244 stock.

Keep adequate records to distinguish section 1244 stock from any other stock owned in the same corporation.

more on Section 1244

Internal Revenue Bulletin No. 1997-39, September 29,1997 (pages 1 to 8)
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb97-39.pdf

update 3/12/08
Final regs section 1.165-5(i) were issued for abandonment of stock or other securities after March 12, 1008.   If the security is a capital asset then the resulting loss is treated as a loss from the sale or exchange of a capital asset on the last day of the taxable year.  The loss is only allowed if all rights in the abandoned security are permanently surrendered and relinquished for no consideration.