You Built the Business. Now Plan the Payoff.
The biggest tax decisions happen long before the deal closes.
Selling your business, merging with another company, going public, or buying out a partner can reshape your financial future. The right tax strategy starts well before the deal is signed—when you still have time to consider your options and plan for what you’ll keep.
30 minutes. Free. No tax return needed.
Who typically benefits
Business event planning matters most when a deal is on the horizon, whether it’s next quarter or in a few years.
A sale, a succession, or a partner buyout
An IPO, an acquisition, or a tender offer
Selling a portfolio or an operating business
A family business moving to the next generation
Questions we help answer
“We’ve received an offer for the company. Where do we start?”
“We may sell in a few years. How early should we plan?”
“My company is heading toward an IPO. What happens to my equity?”
“I’m buying out a partner. How should the deal be structured?”
“Does our buy-sell agreement still work the way we think it does?”
Numbers worth knowing
Key federal figures for qualified small business stock (QSBS), for stock issued after July 4, 2025.
$15 million
The maximum gain a shareholder can exclude from federal tax per issuer, or ten times basis if greater
100%
The share of the gain excluded after five years of holding, with 50% excluded at three years and 75% at four
$75 million
The limit on the company’s gross assets when the stock is issued, for it to qualify
How we help you
The team at WealthQuant Advisors helps you look at what’s coming and what you want afterward, then designs a tailored plan with your CPA, attorney, and deal advisors.
What’s coming, and when?
We build a timeline around the event, from today to closing and beyond, so every decision has a date.
What will the event cost in tax?
We estimate the gain and the federal and California tax on it, so you know what you’d keep before you negotiate.
How should the deal be structured?
Entity type, stock or asset sale, qualified stock rules, and payment terms can change the tax result. We raise these early, while they can still be changed.
What happens to the proceeds?
We plan how the proceeds are invested, gifted, or given to charity, so a one-time event funds the life you want.
Planning a sale, a buyout, or succession? Check your buy-sell agreement first.
In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in Connelly v. United States that life insurance a company owns to fund a share buyout can raise the company’s value for federal estate tax, even when the proceeds are earmarked for the buyout. For co-owned businesses, that can mean an unexpected estate tax bill. A Connelly review looks at how your agreement is funded and valued, and whether a different structure would work better, with your attorney and CPA.
One Big Move. Many Moving Parts.
A business transition can affect far more than the company itself. Your proceeds may influence your taxes, investment portfolio, retirement plans, and the wealth you eventually pass on. These decisions are interconnected, which is why it helps to consider them together.
WealthQuant Advisors helps connect the financial decisions surrounding a transition through related areas of planning:
Capital Gains Strategies
Understand the potential tax implications of selling your business interest and other appreciated assets.
Income Strategies
Evaluate how sale proceeds, deferred compensation, and other income sources may affect your tax situation.
Estate & Legacy Strategies
Consider how your wealth can support family, future generations, and the causes that matter to you.
Real Estate Strategies
Evaluate options for appreciated property in light of your objectives and circumstances.
Depending on your circumstances, specialized arrangements such as nonqualified deferred compensation may also warrant attention. The goal is to understand how individual decisions fit together before making commitments that could affect your long-term financial picture.
Common questions about business event planning
What is business event planning?
It’s tax planning around a major event in a business, such as a sale, merger, IPO, or partner buyout. The goal is to make the key decisions before the deal is set, when more options are still open.
How early should I start planning?
Ideally years before the event. Some moves, such as holding periods for qualified stock or restructuring ownership, take time and can’t be done once a buyer is at the table.
What is QSBS?
Qualified small business stock can let a shareholder exclude part or all of the federal tax on the gain when sold, if the company and the stock meet certain tests. Stock issued after July 4, 2025 follows new holding periods and caps. California does not follow the federal exclusion.
Does it matter whether I sell stock or assets?
Yes. Buyers and sellers are often taxed differently depending on the structure, so it becomes part of the negotiation. The right answer depends on the entity, the buyer, and your goals.
Will I owe California tax on the sale?
Most likely. California taxes capital gains as ordinary income, with rates up to 13.3%, and it does not follow the federal QSBS exclusion. A plan should account for both federal and state tax.
Educational only. Not tax, legal, or investment advice. Strategies depend on your situation.
See what your exit could look like
A free 30-minute Tax X-Ray. We’ll look at the event ahead, what it could cost in tax, and the moves worth considering. No tax return needed.