“Tax free” – two words that often bring great delight when they are spoken by a tax adviser to the owner of a business, whether he is considering the disposition of a single asset, or of substantially all of the assets, of his business. (It’s the feeling I have when the local McDonald’s offers two-for-one

Picking up on yesterday’s discussion, how can a PEF reconcile its preference to acquire a depreciable or amortizable basis for its target’s assets while, at the same time, affording the target’s owners the opportunity to roll-over a portion of their equity in the target into the PEF HC on a tax-favored basis? The answer is hardly simple, and it will depend upon a number factors.
Continue Reading Rolling Over Target Equity Into A PE Fund: Part II

For many business owners, the final step of a successful career may be the sale of their business. At that point, the investment into which the owners have dedicated so much time, effort and money is liquidated, leaving them with what is hopefully a significant pool of funds with which to enjoy their retirement, diversify

In today’s cautionary tale, we hear about a doctor, his self-directed simplified employee pension (“SEP”) individual retirement account (“IRA”), the investment of IRA funds in a business, and the consequences of crossing over the perilous line between “direction” and “control.”

The Facts

Dr. V., an anesthesiologist, ran a medical practice with three partners (the

When A Business Fails

It goes without saying that no one goes into business in order to realize a loss. Unfortunately, not all businesses succeed, and many owners suffer significant losses. The challenge presented for the tax adviser to the business is how to best utilize those losses for income tax purposes and, thereby, to

In earlier posts, we discussed how the division of a closely-held, corporate-owned business may be effected without incurring an income tax liability for either the corporation or its shareholders. The ability to effect such a division on a tax-efficient basis may be especially important in resolving a dispute between shareholders who may have already

“Tax-Free” Basics

In general, gain or loss must be recognized upon the exchange of property by a taxpayer if the new property differs materially, in kind or extent, from the old property.

The purpose of the so-called “reorganization” provisions of the Code is to except from this general rule certain specifically described corporate exchanges that