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Shareholders of C-Corps often experience significant anxiety when it is time to exit their business. If they are fortunate, they will exit by way of a stock sale. In these cases, their Corporate Tax is $0 and then when the proceeds are distributed to the shareholders, the capital gains taxes will be approximately 20%.
To minimize future taxes and third party liabilities, the majority of buyers prefer to purchase selected assets of the seller rather than its stock. The total taxes associated with the asset sale of a C-Corp is typically more than 50% of the corporate gain (i.e. approximately 40% of the gain over the basis is taxed at the corporation's income tax rate. The gain often drives that corporate rate to the highest level because the gains are treated as ordinary income by the corporation. When the remaining funds in the C-Corp are distributed to the shareholders, they are taxed again at the individual shareholder's capital gains tax rate, normally 20%.
In many cases, C-Corp shareholders receive offers for asset rather than stock sales.
Dave Kauppi is a Merger and Acquisition Advisor with MidMarket Capital Advisors, LLC. MMCA is a private investment banking and business broker firm specializing in providing corporate finance and business intermediary services to entrepreneurs and middle market corporate clients in a variety of industries. The firm counsels clients in the areas of M&A and divestiture, family business succession planning, valuations, minority interest shareholder sales, business sales and business acquisition. Dave is a Certified Business Intermediary (CBI), a licensed business broker, and a member of IBBA (International Business Brokers Association) and the MBBI ( Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries). Contact Dave Kauppi at (630) 325-0123, email davekauppi@midmarkcap.com or visit our Web page www.midmarkcap.com.
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