Succession planning is a way to ensure the smooth transition of management and business ownership. Business owners can use estate planning to complement succession planning. Estate planning is about more than avoiding probate. It is also crucial in continuing a company’s success for the years to come. A business owner with no estate plan may risk exposing their personal and business assets to preventable legal liabilities, taxes and disputes.
You have control over your successor
As a business owner, you have worked hard to get your company to where it is now. Estate planning will allow you to dictate who will inherit your business and how they should manage it. You must provide your successor with detailed and clear instructions on how you want them to continue running the company. An estate plan can also prevent other surviving heirs from quarreling over who will succeed you.
You can reduce the financial risks and the impact of taxes
When a business owner retires or unexpectedly passes, the goal of the owner and surviving successors is to preserve the wealth of the business. Tax laws and rates are constantly changing, and they can affect a business in several ways, especially when transferring ownership. Transferring a business to a new owner can have significant tax repercussions such as capital gains and federal estate tax.
Business owners should also consider the tax implications of the structure of their business and the available tax benefits that can contribute to the potential value and income of the company. When done effectively, you can use estate planning to maximize estate and gift tax advantages. Business owners must know how estate planning can manage financial risks and reduce the impact of taxes when succession planning.
A thorough estate plan can allow you to plan for your succession, protect your loved ones and preserve your business. Even when you are gone, you can ensure your legacy lives on.
