The sale of your business could be the most significant financial event of your life. While investment bankers and attorneys focus on getting the deal done, we make sure the deal serves you, your family, and your long-term goals.
We Help Business Owners Turn Their Biggest Asset into Their Greatest Legacy
Selling a business can trigger millions in capital gains taxes—potentially reducing your wealth by 30–40% or more. Our advanced planning solutions are designed to protect what you’ve built by helping you:
- Avoid capital gains taxes on the sale of your business
- Receive lifetime income—for yourself, your spouse, and future generations
- Diversify investments without paying taxes when buying or selling
- Defer income taxes, potentially indefinitely
- Grow your wealth tax-deferred, not just for you, but for your heirs
- Maintain flexibility and control during and after the sale
- Reduce Estate Taxes if you face a taxable estate
Real Results: Case Study – When Robert and Laura Sold Their $10.25M Software Business, They Owed $0 in Capital Gains Tax
At ages 77 and 67, Robert and Laura were ready to step away from the day-to-day demands of running their successful software services company. Valued at $10.25 million with zero cost basis, the potential capital gains tax hit was enormous. They also owned the copyrights to software essential to the business—and wanted to include that in the sale.
We wanted peace of mind, a steady income, and a way to leave something meaningful for our family. Sterling gave us all three.– Robert M
Their goals were clear:
- Sell the company within the year
- Avoid capital gains tax
- Create flexible retirement income
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Build a tax-deferred legacy for their daughters and grandsons
Working with Sterling, Robert and Laura:
- Created two tax-exempt trusts—one for each daughter, with income flowing to the grandchildren after
- Contributed both the business and software copyrights to a Master LLC
- Funded each trust with half the LLC units
- Sold the business and copyrights from within the tax-exempt structure
The result?
The sale of the business closed at $10.25 million with no capital gains tax due, thanks to the strategic use of tax-exempt trusts. Robert and Laura now receive up to $500,000 per year in flexible income, with the ability to defer or reinvest any unneeded income to grow tax-deferred within the trust. After their passing, the income stream continues for their daughters, and eventually their grandchildren, ensuring multigenerational benefits. In addition to these advantages, they received an immediate income tax deduction equal to approximately 10% of the contributed value and retained strong liquidity and control—even though the assets are held within irrevocable trusts.