From 27% to 11%: Cutting $4.2M in Taxes on a $25M Business Sale with Nick Saloom and John Blanchard

In this episode of the M&A Launchpad Podcast, hosts Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa sit down with John Blanchard and Nick Saloom of Engineered Tax Mitigation to unpack how business owners can dramatically reduce the tax hit on a sale. John and Nick explain how they work alongside a seller's existing CPA and legal team to compress effective tax rates, why depreciation recapture catches so many sellers off guard, and how getting involved years before a sale can also boost a company's valuation.    The conversation includes a real case study: a $25 million business sale where proactive tax planning took the blended tax rate from 27% down to 11%, putting an extra $4.2 million in liquid proceeds in the sellers' pockets.    In this episode, we discuss:  Why tax planning needs to start years before a liquidity event, not at closing  How personal expenses run through the business quietly suppress EBITDA and valuation  Why depreciation recapture (Section 1245/1250) surprises sellers who assume they only owe capital gains  A real case study: compressing a $25M sale from a 27% blended tax rate to 11%  Deferred Sales Trusts vs. Deferred Sales Trust Plus, and how they compare to a compressed-rate strategy  Why buyers, not just sellers, can benefit from bringing in a tax mitigation team    Guest Contact Information  John Blanchard, Engineered Tax Mitigation  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanchard/  Nick Saloom, CPA, MBA, Engineered Tax Mitigation  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-saloom-7abb27a4/  Website: etmwealth.com  Phone: 888-799-0288    Additional Resources  Thinking about buying a business? Connect with the Equity Launchpad team to learn more about acquisition entrepreneurship and upcoming opportunities.  Contact Casey Minshew and Feras Moussa: [email protected]  Explore more: https://www.equity-launchpad.com    About The M&A Launchpad: The M&A Launchpad provides insights into acquiring, investing in, and selling profitable businesses in the lower to middle market. Whether you are a business owner, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, we will provide you with the knowledge, guidance, and capital to navigate the world of mergers and acquisitions. The M&A Launchpad presents a series of weekly podcast episodes and hosts an annual M&A Launchpad Conference tailored to the M&A community. Connect with M&A Launchpad: 🎧 Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mW6i4ooujqC7eOPWmguU7 🎧 Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m-a-launchpad/id1740382586 🎟️ Attend Upcoming M&A Launchpad Conference: http://malaunchpad.com/