Avoiding Tax on a Business Sale

Charles owned 100% of the stock in a small technology company that he started 30 years ago. At 65 years of age, he began thinking about selling the business.

Charles met with his advisors to discuss the company's value and identify potential buyers. Because the company's client base and product offerings had grown significantly over the years, Charles soon realized that the business would sell for a significant sum.

Charles: I knew I had a tax problem. If I sold the business, I would lose much of the value to taxes. I needed enough out of the sale so that my spouse and I could retire comfortably.

One of Charles's advisors recommended that he consider making a gift of some of his stock to his favorite charity. If Charles made the gift prior to the sale of his business, he would avoid capital gains tax on that stock and receive a charitable income tax deduction to further reduce his taxes on the cash he received from the sale.

Charles: I transferred $1 million in stock to the charity and received a $1 million charitable income tax deduction. When the company sold, I was so happy I had listened to my advisor and made the gift.

Charles's tax deduction made it possible for him to preserve his wealth by avoiding the payment of substantial capital gains tax on the sale of his business. As a result, Charles was able to use some of the cash from the sale to purchase a condominium and invest the balance for retirement.

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