An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a qualified retirement plan that invests primarily in the company stock of the employer. Providing direct ownership opportunities to your employees through an ESOP encourages motivation and retention, and provides several major tax incentives to the selling stockholders and the corporation.
Owners consider selling to an ESOP as a way to increase employee retention, preserve the company’s legacy or incorporate into their succession plan. Establishing an ESOP is adaptable to almost any business strategy since there are many ways to structure it. However, your company must meet certain guidelines to be a good candidate. Our ESOP Checklist can serve as a starting point to determine if you should consider an ESOP for your business.
If you have additional questions or would like to discuss the results of your completed checklist, please contact David Bosch, ESOP Consultant, at dbosch@watkinsross.com.
