It’s still early in the year, but for many of us, that means some already broken New Year’s resolutions. It’s not too late, however, to jump back on the improvement wagon and resolve to make the most of employee ownership at your company in 2024.
Based on our more than three decades providing practical communication, training and ownership-culture development services, here’s some real-world suggestions (i.e., ESOP resolutions) you can implement to be more effective this year while laying a solid foundation for future success.
The ESOP Association
ESOP Association Resources
Mar. 21
In February, The ESOP Association held its annual Professionals’ Forum in New Orleans, which featured an unveiling of the Association’s latest advocacy effort and lively discussions on the most critical ESOP issues. The Forum, the only event of its kind, serves a key role as a high-level discussion venue, sounding board, and learning experience for ESOP professionals.
Mar. 20
Photo: KMI International founder and CEO John Manning (right) with John Burgess
Mar. 14
Among an ESOP trustee’s most important responsibilities is setting the annual share price for company stock held by the ESOP. This price is used to facilitate transactions involving the ESOP or plan participants, and gives all participants the “current” value for what is one of their key retirement accounts. Because the ESOP trustee typically relies on an independent valuation prepared by an ESOP valuation professional or firm to determine the annual price, selecting the right professional and giving a complete review of the valuation is of the utmost importance.
Mar. 07
All ESOP Association members are eligible to apply to join any of the Association’s six Professional Advisory Committees. The Advisory Committees' mission is to help identify emerging issues, discuss best practices, and formulate the educational content for the hundreds of educational conference sessions held throughout the nation each year.
Mar. 05
The ESOP Association’s Newest Initiative Aims to Synthesize Compelling ESOP Messages Across Industry, Demographic Sectors, and Audiences
I have often said that as a community we are really good at talking about employee ownership to one another, but really bad in how we communicate to everyone else. The ESOP Association and The Employee Ownership Foundation have joined forces to try to do something about that, and provide meaningful, data-driven research to help you in your marketing and communications, too.
I have often said that as a community we are really good at talking about employee ownership to one another, but really bad in how we communicate to everyone else. The ESOP Association and The Employee Ownership Foundation have joined forces to try to do something about that, and provide meaningful, data-driven research to help you in your marketing and communications, too.
Sep. 28
This is the first in a series of three articles regarding the preparation of the Section 409(p) test specific to S-Corporation ESOPs. Previously published articles have provided a general overview of how the test works and the dire consequences of failing the test, but this series will describe the mechanics and information required to perform the test.
Sep. 22
Notice to Taxpayers is Heavy on Innuendo, Light on Specifics
On August 9, the Internal Revenue Service issued a statement suggesting a greater focus in the next year on S-Corp ESOPs and tax compliance, particularly for companies with a parent holding or management company structure and certain owner finance arrangements. While very short on specifics, the IRS communication appears to be driven by aggressive marketing of ESOP plans by some, although the IRS provides no specific examples of where an ESOP has been used in the manner they suggest.
On August 9, the Internal Revenue Service issued a statement suggesting a greater focus in the next year on S-Corp ESOPs and tax compliance, particularly for companies with a parent holding or management company structure and certain owner finance arrangements. While very short on specifics, the IRS communication appears to be driven by aggressive marketing of ESOP plans by some, although the IRS provides no specific examples of where an ESOP has been used in the manner they suggest.
Sep. 18
In early August, judges convened at The ESOP Association’s headquarters in Washington, DC, to review all entries submitted for the 2023 Annual Awards for Communications Excellence, or the AACE Awards.
The competition for this year’s AACE Awards was fierce, with ESOPs submitting more exceptional entries than in 2022, making the judges’ job much harder. Entries are accepted from TEA members divided into two categories:
The competition for this year’s AACE Awards was fierce, with ESOPs submitting more exceptional entries than in 2022, making the judges’ job much harder. Entries are accepted from TEA members divided into two categories: