A business sale is the highest-stakes estate planning moment most owners will ever face.
When a business is most of your net worth, a sale can materially increase your taxable estate in a single transaction. The window to act on gifting and trust planning before valuation spikes closes at signing. Most owners learn this too late.
Live in Washington or own WA property? The state's $3M exemption is five times smaller than federal — and most $3M–$10M households have real exposure.
WA estate tax exemption & bypass trust guide →What changes at the $2M–$50M level
Your action plan
Ordered by urgency. Items marked "Immediate" should be addressed within 2–4 weeks.
Run your estate tax snapshot with the expected proceeds as liquid assets. Most owners are shocked by the number.
Do this in My Wealth Maps →Time-sensitive gifting and trust planning is generally addressed before or at closing — not after. Your attorney can walk through the options and timing.
Find an estate attorney →Annual exclusion gifts and lifetime exemption usage are most efficient before the sale closes at peak value.
Do this in My Wealth Maps →Proceeds will flow into accounts that may have outdated designations or titling that may warrant review after a sale.
Do this in My Wealth Maps →Selling a business often eliminates a primary income source. Model your retirement projections with proceeds as the asset base.
Do this in My Wealth Maps →How prepared are you for business sale?
Answer 5 questions and get a personalized readiness score with specific gaps identified.
Get professional help
An estate attorney can execute the legal documents and topics many families discuss with counsel after this event.
Browse attorneys →A fiduciary advisor can model the financial impact and coordinate strategy across your full picture.
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