Business Sale Tax Planning for Owners
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Selling Your Business? Plan Before You Sign.
You’ve spent years building your business. When it’s time to sell, the price you negotiate matters—but so does how much you keep after taxes.
The structure of the sale, the assets involved, your ownership basis, and the timing of payments can all affect your tax outcome. Once an agreement is signed or the sale closes, some planning opportunities may be difficult or impossible to change.
Crescent CPA helps business owners evaluate the tax consequences of a sale before the deal is finalized, so they can make informed decisions and plan for what comes next.
How Can You Reduce Taxes When Selling a Business?
Every business sale is different. We review your ownership structure, proposed transaction, financial goals, and available planning opportunities to help you understand your potential after-tax proceeds.
Depending on your situation, our review may include:
Asset Sale vs. Ownership Sale: Comparing the potential tax consequences of selling business assets versus selling stock or an ownership interest.
Purchase Price Allocation: Evaluating how the sale price is allocated among assets, goodwill, and other components—and how those allocations may affect taxable income.
Capital Gains and Depreciation Recapture: Estimating which portions of the sale may receive capital gains treatment and which may be taxed as ordinary income.
Installment Sale Planning: Considering whether receiving payments over multiple years could spread eligible gain over time, while accounting for buyer risk and other tax rules.
Ownership Basis and Entity Structure: Reviewing your S corporation, partnership, LLC, or C corporation structure and the records needed to calculate your gain.
Qualified Small Business Stock: Evaluating whether the sale of eligible C corporation stock may qualify for a potential gain exclusion.
Charitable Remainder Trust Planning: Evaluating whether contributing an ownership interest to a properly structured charitable remainder trust before a sale could support your charitable goals, provide an income stream, and potentially defer capital gains taxes. Timing, the type of ownership interest, and the terms of the proposed sale are critical.
Charitable and Retirement Planning: Considering charitable giving and retirement strategies that align with your goals and the timing of the transaction.
State and Multistate Taxes: Reviewing potential state tax obligations based on where you live, where the business operates, and the assets being sold.
Know What You’ll Keep Before You Close
A business sale can affect more than your tax return. It may also shape your retirement, investment strategy, charitable giving, and family’s financial future.
Crescent CPA works with business owners to estimate the tax impact of a proposed sale, identify opportunities worth considering, and coordinate with their attorney, financial advisor, and other transaction professionals.
Whether you’re preparing to sell a medical practice, professional services firm, closely held company, or other business, the best time to start planning is before the terms are final.
Crescent CPA is based in New Orleans and provides proactive tax planning to business owners in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and nationwide.
Contact
(504) 264-3289 - text preferred
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Crescent CPA LLC
4823 Pitt Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115