Tax Planning and Structuring
Gould & Ratner’s tax planning and structuring services are uniquely positioned to provide our clients with an in-depth, multidisciplinary approach to tax, accounting, corporate, real estate and other interests. We focus on the distinct and often complicated tax and corporate structure issues facing privately held businesses and their owners.
Tax planning and structuring are integral parts of the strategic counsel we provide to family offices, closely held companies, partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations, and wealthy individuals, including large estates and trusts. Our services offer a comprehensive and coordinated framework that addresses a full-scope of business considerations including estate, wealth, financial and investment planning, philanthropic, administrative and dispute resolution.
We help clients form, operate and unwind virtually all forms of joint ventures, serve private equity funds with fund formation and acquisition transactions, assist operators and investors on structuring complex real estate transactions, and handle a variety of issues with other pass-through entities seeking tax-efficient operations.
Our team of lawyers and tax professionals bring significant credentials to the table. Many of our partners have worked with wealthy individuals and families, and their advisors, for at least 20 years. Several of our lawyers possess additional qualifications, including CPA, CFP® and LL.M. in taxation.
Representative Matters
- Advise family and other entrepreneurial businesses on tax efficient ownership structures.
- Advise multi-generation families and their businesses in developing and implementing strategies to assure transition and continuity of family business activities, long-term wealth transfer and charitable goals.
- Designed, structured and implemented corporate acquisition transactions, including tax-deferred roll-over of management equity.
- Assisted with tax structure and related planning for acquisition of major retail and related operations out of bankruptcy.
- Developed strategies and business organizational structure and related planning for acquisition of major retail and related operations out of bankruptcy.
- Counsel on transaction design and capital structuring for myriad corporate acquisitions of domestic and foreign operations.
- Represented subchapter C corporate entity with over $150 million of investment assets to unlock appreciation potential from unfavorable double-taxed corporate structure.
- Advisor to closely held corporate businesses in design and implementation of various deferred compensation and pseudo-equity plans for key management personnel.
- Designed and implemented successful strategies for home builders and developers to separate business properties and investment properties to preserve favorable capital gains rate potential, as well as tax-deferred roll-over of recognized gains on disposition of investment properties.
- Represented multistate retail business in the tax-free spinoff of various real property interests to shareholders.
- Represented multistate manufacturing business in tax-free spinout of real estate assets.
Publications
- IRS Issues Guidance on Termination of Employee Retention Credit , December 8, 2021
- Infrastructure Bill Includes Termination of Employee Retention Tax Credit , November 11, 2021
- Proposed Federal Tax Changes Take Aim at Wealthy Businesses and Individuals , October 7, 2021
- New Tax Bill Puts a Stop to Incentives for Startup Investing , September 20, 2021
- IRS Issues Additional Guidance for Claiming the Employee Retention Tax Credit , August 9, 2021
- IRS Notice Provides Relief for Renewable Energy Construction Projects , July 26, 2021
- Pending Changes to Illinois Tax Laws Include SALT Workaround , June 4, 2021
- IRS Issues Guidance for Claiming the Employee Retention Credit for the First Half of 2021 , April 6, 2021
- IRS Extends Federal Income Tax Filing Deadline for Individuals to May 17 , March 22, 2021
- IRS Issues Guidance for Employers Claiming 2020 Employee Retention Credit , March 17, 2021
- The Latest COVID-19 Stimulus: Highlights of Key Tax Provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 , March 15, 2021
- IRS Finalizes Carried Interest Regulations , January 19, 2021
- Stimulus Bill Increases Deduction Amount for Most Business Meals , January 14, 2021
- New Stimulus Allows Faster Depreciation of Certain Residential Rental Property Held by Electing Real Property Trades or Businesses , January 14, 2021
- Congress Passes $900 Billion Relief Act and Revises the PPP , December 23, 2020
- Employee Retention Tax Credit Extended and Expanded , December 23, 2020
- Why Taxpayers May Want to File a Protective Claim With the IRS for a Refund of ACA-Related Taxes , July 9, 2020
- IRS Issues Taxpayer-Friendly Regulations on Section 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges , June 25, 2020
- IRS Automatically Postpones Additional Payment, Filing Deadlines to July 15 , April 14, 2020
- IRS Extends Deadlines for 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges , April 10, 2020
- Federal Gift and GST Tax Returns and Payments Due Date Delayed Until July 15 , April 1, 2020
- IRS Issues COVID-19 Tax Credit Details and Instructions , April 1, 2020
- COVID-19 Disaster Relief Payments to Employees Not Considered Taxable Income by IRS , March 31, 2020
- CARES Act Provides Tax Relief to Individuals, Businesses Impacted by COVID-19 , March 30, 2020
- Some Employers Eligible for Reimbursement of Employee Paid Leave Related to COVID-19 , March 24, 2020
- Federal Income Tax Payment Deadline Extended for 90 Days Beyond April 15 , March 18, 2020
- Ownership of Foreign Assets May Require Filing of Form BE-10 , February 19, 2020
- New Year Brings New Rules for Retirement Accounts , January 2, 2020
- Illinois Allows Easier Way For Remote Retailers to Collect Sales Tax , July 16, 2019
- The New Limited Interest Deduction: Good For Business? , February 5, 2018
- The Tax Bill Cometh: Moves To Consider Before 2018 Arrives , December 31, 2017
- Stealth Aspect in Tax Package May Have Not So Stealthy Impact on Deals , December 18, 2017
- New IRS Proposal Severely Limits Effective Estate Tax Planning Strategy , GR Client Alert , October 2016
- Illinois Appeals Court Holds Taxation of Trust Established by Illinois Grantor Unconstitutional , GR Client Update , December 2013
- Tax Changes Affect Estate Planning and the Selling of a Home , Chicago Daily Law Bulletin , December 9, 2012
- Estate Tax Reform: A Window of Opportunity , Estate Planning and Tax Update , December 2010
- The Uncertain Fate of Estate and Gift Taxes , July 2010
- New Tax Rules for Deferred Compensation , GR Review , June 2009
- The Importance of Choosing a Home for Your Trust , GR Review , September 2008
- The Dilemma of Partnership "Divorce" in the Context of Tax-Deferred Like-Kind Exchanges , Client Update , February 2008
- IRS Disavows Popular Year-End Tax-Planning Move , GR Review , February 2008
- Municipal Bonds: State Tax Exemption Hangs in the Balance , GR Review , December 2007
- Illinois Legislature Moves to Capture Tax Revenues , GR Review , June 2007
- New Tax Deduction Limitations on Charitable Contributions , GR Review , February 2007
News
- Gould & Ratner Selects Practice Chairs, Announces New Vice Chair Role, March 13, 2023
- Gould & Ratner Represented JJD Management in the Acquisition of Metaltec, October 20, 2022
- Gould & Ratner Named to 2023 U.S. News Best Lawyers and “Ones to Watch” Lists, August 18, 2022
- Abby Mahony Joins Tax Planning and Structuring Practice, July 13, 2022
- Seven Gould & Ratner Attorneys Elevated to Partner, December 1, 2021
- Gould & Ratner Lawyers Named to Crain's 2020 Notable Women in Law List, September 8, 2020
- The Natural Segue Between Tax Compliance and Estate Planning: Jennifer Tolsky Promoted to Partner at Gould & Ratner, May 8, 2019
- Jennifer Tolsky Named Partner at Gould & Ratner, April 25, 2019
- Ilana Schwartz Bley Joins Gould & Ratner, November 19, 2017
- Possible Tax Changes Could Disrupt 1031 Exchanges, Law360.com, May 8, 2017
Tax Planning and Structuring Team
Gerry Fellows advises on tax and compliance issues triggered by estate planning and wealth transfer, charitable planning, capital structure, entity formation and tax controversies....
As an advisor and counselor to entrepreneurs, closely held businesses, and wealthy families and their family offices, Steve Gustafson draws upon multiple disciplines to...
