As a business owner, you need to develop a solid business succession plan that defines the role that your company will play in your retirement and estate plans.Whether you plan to pass the business on to your children or sell it outright, each option has unique considerations.Succession plans can be structured any way you like, just so long as you have one in place well before you need it.
When structured correctly, intrafamily sales may help you reduce gift and estate tax obligations while you pass valuable assets to your heirs.There are a wide variety of methods you can employ when structuring an intrafamily sale, with potential short- and long-term benefits for you and your heirs.Each method has strengths and weaknesses in terms of suitability, complexity, and cost, and your goals will determine which techniques are most appropriate.
If you own a business that you wish to pass on to your heirs, a Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) can offer tax savings and other advantages.A GRAT is a popular method of transferring property tax -efficiently, such as stock in a closely held business, to a trust in exchange for an annual payment (or annuity) for a term of years.GRATs allow a business owner to maintain control of the business, while passing along appreciation to the beneficiaries in the form of closely held stock.
