What estate planning strategies should business owners consider while their company is growing?

One of the best places to start with estate reduction strategies is gifting up to the annual exclusion limit. For 2026, you are able to give any individual up to $19,000 absolutely tax free. They do not owe any tax on the gift and neither do you. You can do this for as many individuals as you want to.
This exclusion can be used to give away shares of the family business tax-free. After 10 years, each grandkid could have $190,000 worth of ownership and there would be no tax involved. The value of the ownership could continue to grow as the business grows of course. The great thing about this strategy is that it does not require trusts to use.
The biggest mistake with estate planning is not thinking about it early enough. We have also found it helpful for owners to know exactly how much money they need for themselves. We do this using a monte carlo. Then, they can be free to give away amounts beyond that.

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