The ESOP Association

ESOP Association Resources

Sep. 26
Federal agencies have established policy to encourage government contracting with Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).[1] Entities that are certified DBEs typically earn a significant amount of revenue that they may not otherwise earn because of DBE certification.  Yet, DBEs face succession planning issues just like non-DBEs.  That raises a question:  If a DBE becomes ESOP-owned, will it be able to retain DBE status and continue to receive the benefits that come from DBE certification?
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Sep. 24
This year, TEA has been securing vital advancements to our policy agenda thanks to the unprecedented efforts of our members. It's easy to see that when our members engage and advocate for the ESOP community, legislative results are not far behind. Here is an overview of the record-breaking engagement of TEA members and the Congressional actions that followed.  
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Sep. 19
Mutual membership benefits will be extended across bordersNew Canadian Employee Ownership Trusts to be featured in full program track at Employee Owned 2024 in Las Vegas this November
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Sep. 12
For the last three years, the Employee Ownership Foundation has been proud to convene global thought leaders at the Oxford Symposium on Employee Ownership in the United Kingdom.  In 2024, in a testament to the event’s growing importance in expanding employee ownership around the world, the Symposium saw a record number of attendees from 23 countries across five continents.  
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Sep. 10
As we head into September, ESOPs across America begin to gear up in earnest for October and Employee Ownership Month. It’s always heartening to see the energy and enthusiasm on display during EOM, as our community celebrates the unique and unifying spirit of employee ownership. This year, we certainly have a lot to celebrate.  
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Sep. 02
Washington, D.C. – “Today, with great pleasure, I am signing into law a landmark measure that may finally give the American worker solid protection in his pension plan.”  With these words on September 2, 1974, President Gerald R. Ford signed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) into law.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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