Business Exit Planning
in Evanston, IL.
You built something worth selling. Now make the proceeds last.
For most business owners, the sale is the retirement plan. The proceeds have to replace the salary, the benefits, and the income stream you've depended on for decades. That's a high-stakes transition, and it requires more than just a financial advisor who handles 401(k)s.
At our firm, we've guided business owners in Chicago's Northern Suburbs through exits and liquidity events for nearly 50 years. We know the questions to ask before you sign, and the mistakes to avoid after the wire hits.
What this looks like in Evanston.
Several of Evanston's successful business owners, from professional service firms to healthcare practices and retail businesses along Central Street and the downtown corridor, have worked with us through the sale of their companies. Our proximity on Davis Street makes us an accessible partner for the pre-sale planning, proceeds management, and retirement income transition that follows a liquidity event, and our 50-year presence in Evanston means we understand the community context in which these businesses were built.
The county details.
Cook County business sellers face a tax environment with two important state-level considerations. Illinois taxes capital gains at the flat 4.95% rate with no preferential capital gains treatment, adding to the federal capital gains tax on the full gain. On a $3 million gain, the Illinois tax alone is approximately $148,500. The Illinois estate tax is equally important: business sale proceeds that substantially increase net worth can push a Cook County family well above the $4 million Illinois exemption, making pre- and post-sale estate planning essential. We address both the Illinois capital gains exposure and the post-sale estate tax picture before any deal closes.
Why Evanston.
Evanston residents benefit from proximity to world-class healthcare at NorthShore University HealthSystem, a strong public transit system (Metra and CTA), and a cultural scene that makes retirement anything but boring.
Things Evanston families ask.
Down the shore.
Talk to a Evanston
advisor.
One free conversation about business exit planning, at your kitchen table, our Evanston office, or a video call.