A founder plans a clean exit

Before the sale, we restructured ownership and timed gains across tax years, so more of the proceeds stayed with the family.

Portrait of a business owner in a dark blazer

Key result

38%

Lower yearly tax bill

Case study

Client

Founder of a family-owned manufacturing firm

Focus

Business owners

Timeline

14 months

The challenge

The founder of a family manufacturing business had an offer on the table and only a few months to act. Most of his wealth was tied up in the company, ownership was held in his name alone, and a single large sale would have pushed the full gain into one tax year.

Our approach

We worked with his accountant and attorney to restructure ownership before the deal closed, bringing his spouse and two adult children into the plan in a way that matched how the family actually ran the business.

We also spread the proceeds over several tax years through an installment structure and set aside part of the sale for charitable giving. The rest was invested in a diversified portfolio built to support the family for decades.

The result

The family’s yearly tax bill came in 38% lower than it would have under a single-year sale. The founder stepped away on his own timeline, and the proceeds are now organized so that more of them stay with the people he built the business for.

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