Exiting your business is often the most significant financial event of your life. Without strategic planning, capital gains and estate taxes can erode a substantial portion of the wealth you have built.

"Tax-advantaged succession" means structuring the deal to keep more money in your pocket. Depending on your goals, this might involve:

• Installment Sales: Spreading the income (and the tax liability) over several years rather than taking a massive tax hit in a single year.

• Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs): A powerful tool that can allow you to sell appreciated business assets tax-free, receive an income stream for life, and secure a charitable deduction.

• Gifting Strategies: For family transfers, utilizing lifetime gift tax exemptions to transfer non-voting shares to heirs before the business valuation peaks.

• Buy-Sell Agreements: Ensuring a pre-funded plan (often via life insurance) is in place so partners can buy out a deceased or retiring owner without draining company cash flow.

The key is timing. Many of these strategies must be implemented years before you sign a Letter of Intent to sell.