Now it is year-end tax planning time again! Especially for people with some exposure in stock markets, what you do in the next three weeks may have a huge impact on how much tax you should pay for tax year 2004. Especially, if you own or had owned any of the following stocks in any periods of 2004, you need to listen to the heads-up from CCH Capital Changes.

In this press release, CCH Capital Changes have identified "Top Ten Tax-Complex Corporate Actions for 2004." The list includes the following companies (and why they are nominated):

WorldCom, Inc.—Accounting for Worthless Securities
Viacom, Inc.—Allocating Basis in Split-Off of Blockbuster
Microsoft Corp.—Special and Qualified Dividend Income Tax Treatment
TECO Energy, Inc. and PPL Corp.—Early Settlement/Exchange of Equity/Debt Units
Rolls-Royce Group, plc—Determining Taxes Upon Receipt of B Shares
Abbott Laboratories—Determining Basis for Spin-Off of Hospira
Telebras HOLDRs—Distribution of Component of Bundled Shares
Tengasco, Inc.—Reporting Mandatory Allocation of Basis in Rights Offering
Carlton Communications/Granada plc—Factoring Basis Allocation for Merger
Aventis, S.A./Sanofi-Aventis—Realizing Fair Market Valuations in Taxable Merger

If you don't find your holdings in this list, congratulations! But don't forget you still have a lot of choices to affect your tax status. Take a look at 8 Profitable Year-End Tax Moves.