Buying and Selling A Business (including your Accounting Practice!)

This seminar will address the tax-efficient structuring strategies and related technical requirements when parties buy and sell a business – with special emphasis on the ALWAYS popular topic of how to buy and sell an accounting practice with the maximum benefit for both parties.

This course will review the common business acquisition structures, including a sale of equity versus a sale of assets, the differences between a corporation transaction versus a partnership transaction, and the differences if the payment is structured as an installment sale rather than a sale or full consideration at closing.

The program will also focus on the unique issues and challenges of selling an account practice, which can range from “selling” the business to younger members of the practice, to merging into another existing practice for a transition period, to simply an outright sale of the practice and immediate (or almost immediate) retirement.

Specific topics will include:

• Should the acquirer purchase the stock (equity) or just the assets?
• Should the acquisition be made using a C corporation, S corporation, or LLC (either a partnership or a single-member LLC)?
• When would a “tax free” merger make sense?
• Should you make the ownership transition over time, or should both sides “bite the bullet” and do it quickly?
• How long, if at all, should the selling practitioner stay involved?
• How can the seller “groom” the applicable business or practice to achieve the maximum value?
• What are the best tax strategies for buying a particular business? (Hint:  It depends on the business!)

Registration Form: 2024 Spring CPE Registration Form