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ESOP Association Resources

Nov. 14
I’m sure you won’t be surprised when I make the statement “ESOPs are unique”.  An ESOP is not like other privately held companies, and it’s definitely not like a publicly traded company.  This is because ESOP employees are not just employees, they are also owners.  Owners expect (and deserve) different things from their company and likewise, the company should expect a different level of engagement when sharing ownership.
Nov. 09
SYNTHETIC EQUITY SERIES – PART THREE OF THREE
This is the third in a series of articles covering components of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) Section 409(p) test, which is specific to S-corporation ESOPs.  The first article discussed the items required for the test, one of which is information on any outstanding synthetic equity awards.  The second article defined and described common forms of synthetic equity for 409(p) purposes.  We recommend that you review these two articles before proceeding, as this article presumes knowledge of the concepts discussed in them.
Nov. 07
Happy Employee Ownership Month! It’s a special time for a special community.  Employee owners nationwide celebrate with tremendous pride. It’s a great time to reflect on the 11 million-plus employee owners in America who not only enjoy the individual benefits that accompany employee ownership, but also the contributions to communities and the social good that employee ownership adds.  We know we have a cause worth celebrating but also one – in the very nature of employee ownership – worth sharing.   
Nov. 02
From Oregon to Massachusetts and from Minnesota to Florida, TEA’s Chapter team logged some serious miles in October, hosting chapter and regional fall conferences across America.
ESOP Blog, Resource
Feb. 28
In this, our final installment on common criticisms of ESOPs—and why they are wrong—we’ll look at the assertion that ESOPs are not real ownership.
According to cynics, ESOPs are “fake” ownership plans. In “real” ownership, they argue, the owners control their assets by determining such things as who runs the company, who sits on the Board of Directors, when major corporate decisions are made that might impact the future of the company, and so on.
But ESOPs are true ownership.
ESOP Blog, Resource
Feb. 14
I often hear three criticisms about ESOPs: The second criticism is that ESOPs are a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Cynics say the tax breaks provided to ESOPs are money losers because the majority of American taxpayers pay higher rates to make up for the cost of ESOP tax benefits.
But anyone who says that must not have done very well in elementary school when they learned basic math. ESOPs offer great returns on tax incentives.
Resource, ESOP Report, Legal Update, Ownership Advantage, Washington Report, President's Page, Valuation, Beneficiary Designation
Feb. 01
The Impact of Tax Reform on ESOP C and S Corporation Business Valuations.