• Building toward growth or exit — Whether 1 year or 10 years out, the right planning starts long before the transaction.
  
• Concentrated business value — Most of your net worth is illiquid and tied up in the business.
  
• Multi-entity complexity — Operating company, holding company, real estate LLCs, family partnerships.
  
• Employee benefit needs — 401(k), defined benefit plans, group health, cafeteria plans for retention and tax efficiency.
  
• Estate exposure — Business value pushing you into estate tax territory.

• Pre-transaction planning
  Tax structuring 12–36 months before a sale to maximize after-tax proceeds.

  
  

• Section 1202 QSBS
  Qualification analysis, stacking strategies, and pre-sale planning to maximize the federal exclusion.

  
  

• Entity selection & restructuring
  S-corp, C-corp, LLC, partnership — choosing and changing entity types as the business evolves.

  
  

• Buy-sell agreements
  Funding strategies, valuation methods, and trigger provisions for partner or owner transitions.

  
  

• Cash balance & DB plans
  Aggressive retirement plan structures that can shelter $200K+ per year for the owner.

  
  

• Post-sale wealth deployment
  Coordinated investment, estate, and charitable strategy for liquidity event proceeds.

LPL Financial and LPL representatives do not provide tax or legal advice.

• I'm 12 months from selling. What should I be doing right now?
  
• Can I qualify for QSBS exclusion? Can I stack it?
  
• I want a defined benefit plan for myself. Is my business big enough?
  
• I'm rolling some equity into the buyer. How does that affect my tax bill?
  
• I want to gift business shares to my kids before the sale. How?