An Estate Planner's Guide to Buy-Sell Agreements for the Closely Held Business - 4th Edition - Louis A Mezzullo

An Estate Planner's Guide to Buy-Sell Agreements for the Closely Held Business 4th Edition Louis A Mezzullo ISBN 9781639055487

An Estate Planner's Guide to Buy-Sell Agreements for the Closely Held Business, Fourth Edition is a comprehensive resource for estate planning attorneys and other advisors who work with closely held businesses and their owners. This guide provides a thorough understanding of buy-sell agreements, including their objectives, drafting considerations, and the tax and non-tax issues that arise in practice.

Even attorneys who are not directly involved in drafting buy-sell agreements must understand these issues to effectively advise clients. This book explains how buy-sell agreements help accomplish business owners’ goals, prevent conflicts, and manage succession planning. Key topics include:

• Objectives of Buy-Sell Agreements: Why these agreements are essential and how they protect the interests of owners and the business.

• Drafting Considerations: Detailed guidance on structuring agreements, including both tax and non-tax issues.

• Valuation of Business Interests: Methods for establishing the value of a closely held business interest for estate tax purposes, including when the agreement’s price can determine that value.

• Income Tax Implications: Analysis of potential tax consequences arising from the agreement.

• Entity-Specific Guidance: Special considerations for S-Corporations, partnerships, and professional corporations.

• Family-Owned Businesses: Addressing unique challenges and valuation issues in family business contexts.

• Case Law and Tax Updates: Updated to reflect changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, including discussion of the Connelly case, which addresses the role of buy-sell agreement pricing and life insurance proceeds in determining estate tax value.

This fourth edition equips advisors with the knowledge to review buy-sell agreements critically, understand transfer restrictions, and counsel clients on the purchase of an owner’s interest in cases of death, disability, or voluntary exit. It is an essential tool for any attorney or advisor guiding clients through succession planning and business continuity for closely held enterprises.

An Estate Planner's Guide to Buy-Sell Agreements for the Closely Held Business 4th Edition Louis A Mezzullo ISBN 9781639055487, 978-1639055487 & 9781639055494

Author
Louis A Mezzullo