Missouri Laws 351.210 – Paid-in surplus — its distribution and restrictions
1. Paid-in surplus, whether created by reduction of stated capital or otherwise, may be distributed in cash or in kind to the shareholders entitled thereto, subject to the following restrictions:
(1) No such distribution shall be made to any class of shareholders unless all cumulative dividends accrued on preferred or special classes of shares entitled to preferred dividends shall have been fully paid;
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 351.210
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Net assets: for the purpose of determining the right of a corporation to purchase its own shares and of determining the right of a corporation to declare and pay dividends and the liabilities of directors therefor, shall not include shares of its own stock belonging to a corporation. See Missouri Laws 351.015
- Paid-in surplus: means all that part of the consideration received by the corporation for, or on account of, all shares issued which does not constitute stated capital minus such formal reductions from said sum as may have been effected in a manner permitted by this chapter. See Missouri Laws 351.015
- Stated capital: means at any particular time the sum of:
(a) The par value of all shares then issued having a par value. See Missouri Laws 351.015
(2) No such distribution shall be made to any class of shareholders when the net assets are less than its stated capital or when such distribution would reduce the net assets below the stated capital.
2. The corporation may by resolution of its board of directors apply any part or all of its paid-in surplus to the reduction or elimination of any deficit arising from operating or other losses, or from diminution in value of its assets.