Estate tax planning is becoming more crucial due to two major factors, explains Jim Nalley, CPA/ABV, CFF, CVA. If you have a high-net-worth estate, address these issues now to avoid future pitfalls and realize potentially significant tax savings!

BCC team members took a break from business transfers and valuations to support our community by volunteering for the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity. Here we share a few photos showing off our alternative skills!

Tom Cavanagh shares insights gained from advising business owners in the Iowa and Midwest markets, as well as a unique perspective from his firsthand conversations with colleagues from around the world at a recent M&A conference in Thailand. See what he has to say in this Des Moines Business Record interview.

Each September, Iowa CPAs are encouraged to volunteer, benefiting the community, fostering teamwork, and promoting the profession. This year, the Iowa Society of CPAs is celebrating their 10th anniversary of ISCPA Month of Service! BCC’s Michelle Hutson, CPA/ABV, ASA (and ISCPA Month of Service Committee Chair) shares her experience with this year’s volunteer theme “Disaster Relief.”

NACVA announces their 2023 “30 Under Thirty” honorees, including two from BCC Advisers!

As we get further into 2024, the M&A environment appears poised for recovery, buoyed by returning confidence and realistic expectations. Baby boomer owners aren’t getting younger, organic growth isn’t getting easier, and private equity firms aren’t receiving less pressure to deploy their funds. While challenges certainly remain, the outlook for M&A is a cautiously optimistic one.

Today, folks are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to inflation, rising Fed rates, input shortages, transportation costs and employment disequilibrium.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doubled the unified federal gift and estate tax exemption — and inflation has boosted it even further. For individuals who make gifts in 2023 or die in 2023, the unified exemption is $12.92 million (up from $12.06 million for 2022). Unfortunately, this favorable tax law provision is scheduled to expire after 2025, unless Congress extends it. This article explains why it’s time for private business owners to consider transferring ownership to the next generation or their favorite charities.

NACVA announces their 2022 “30 Under Thirty” honorees, including BCC’s Michelle Hutson!

By Lindy Ireland, Vice President and Shareholder The topic of bank value is a favorite discussion among bankers. If you are like most bankers, you have a sense of the multiples of book value at which banks have recently traded in your area and around the state.

BCC Advisers shareholder Matt Fett, CFA, ASA had the opportunity to visit with Bryan Dewhurst and Phillip Ramsey, co-founders of Uncommon Wealth Partners, about business valuations on “The Uncommon Life Podcast.” When do you need a business valuation? Here's where to listen to find out.

The availability of quality workers remains a top challenge facing business owners today. Given the difficulty businesses have keeping their best talent, adding new talent to grow, or simply satisfying current demand, we are seeing more companies pursuing acquisitions for the labor pool and talent. This spans all industries and can be an excellent solution.

Did you know October is Employee Ownership Month? It’s a month-long celebration of ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) and the benefits employee ownership provides to employees, companies, local communities, and the nation. Here’s how it got started…

What is the ideal strategy for business owners facing retirement? BCC business valuation expert Jennifer Julander shares advice for planning an exit strategy.

It’s critical for business valuation professionals to assess cyber risks when valuing a business. In this article BCC Advisers highlights the far-reaching effects of cyberattacks, frameworks that experts use to evaluate cyber risks and ways these risks may be factored into an expert’s conclusion.

The business world has changed dramatically over the last two years. When buying a business, it’s imperative to evaluate its expected future performance, rather than focus on its historical results. In this article BCC explains how strategic due diligence can help vet an acquisition’s potential success or failure by concentrating on four key areas: the market, customers, competitive positioning and management.

A recent U.S. Tax Court case addressed the valuation of majority interests in five real estate holding companies for estate tax purposes. Estate of Warne involved several valuation issues. Perhaps most significantly, the court held that, when a 100% interest is split for purposes of charitable contribution, its full value is includable in the taxable estate. But the estate’s charitable deduction is limited to the discounted values of the fractional interests received by the charities.

A question that often arises in divorces cases is: To what extent should goodwill be included in the marital estate? The treatment of goodwill varies from state to state. In some situations, it may be necessary to consider legal precedent from other states for guidance. In this article BCC Advisers summarizes a recent appellate court case from Kentucky that addresses this issue.

Both financially distressed businesses and buyers considering acquiring a company in bankruptcy require the expertise of an experienced business valuation professional. These experts can help owners make informed decisions about their troubled company’s future and maximize liquidation proceeds. In this article BCC Advisers explains how business valuation professionals can provide buyers with accurate appraisals of distressed businesses and their assets.

Health care valuations have become particularly challenging during the pandemic. In this article BCC Advisers discusses some of the challenges facing health care and how valuation professionals have adjusted their analyses to cope with market disruptions and uncertainty about the future of this industry. A sidebar highlights a recent increase in cyberattacks targeting health care providers and how investing in measures designed to mitigate financial losses can pay off over the long run.