Exit My Business
- Sell or Transfer to a Family Member
- Management Buyouts (MBO)
- Sell Your Shares to Co-Owners
- Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
- Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions
- Lease to Own
- Initial Public Offering (IPO)
- Become a Passive Owner
- Maintain a Lifestyle Company
- Gift the Business
- Liquidate the Business
- Worker Co-Ops
- Close the Business
GUIDE: EXIT YOUR BUSINESS | STRATEGY FOUR:
Employee Stock Ownership Plan
Do you want to save this information for later?
Send this guide to your e-mail for FREE!
Iowa Employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) are a useful tool that allows departing owners to share the business equity with existing employees. ESOPs are commonly used to create a market for the shares of departing owners of successful companies and to reward the employees of the company.
To set up an ESOP, a company will create a trust fund, into which either new shares of its own stock or cash to buy existing stock will be contributed and stored. Any contributions made to this fund are tax-deductible, which makes this plan attractive to many companies.
Once the company accumulates new shares, or uses its cash contributions to buy back existing shares, the shares are allocated to individual employee accounts. The allocations are commonly made on the basis of relative pay, although other nondiscriminatory methods can be used as well. The employees will gain an increasing right to the shares in their account as long as they continue to work at the company, also known as vesting.
When employees leave the company, they receive however much stock they have vested. These shares must be bought back by the company at their fair market value. These shares give employees the right to vote on all issues within public companies, and the major issues within private companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about exiting your business? You should consider checking out our Resource Navigator. It houses the contact information of 400 of our most helpful partners from across the state who provide free to low-cost assistance to Iowa entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Q: What is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan?
A: An ESOP is a way for an exiting business owner to share their equity of the business with new and existing employees.
Q: Is an ESOP for every company?
A: No, it depends on the company and the type of employees it attracts. For example, a full-time college graduate may have a different set of values or commitment to a company compared to a high school sophomore.
Q: Are there any similar options to an ESOP?
A: Worker Co-Ops might be the most similar to an ESOP.
Want to save this information for later?
Enter your name, email and ZIP Code below and we will send the Exit a Business Guide to your email inbox for FREE!
NOTICE: The information included on this website is to be used only as a guide. It is not intended to cover all provisions of the law or every taxpayer's specific circumstances.
GUIDE: EXIT A BUSINESS
Connect with Us!
Get insights, inspiration and events to help you start, grow and accelerate businesses in Iowa.
Subscribe
How can we help you?
Our team helps grow entrepreneurship in Iowa every day.