Estate Planning for PA Business Owners

A Pennsylvania business owner's estate plan must address the business itself — succession, buy-sell, liquidity, family-business inheritance-tax exemption.

Buy-sell agreement

Funded with life insurance, defining what happens to the interest at death, disability, or departure.

Succession

Identify and develop the next generation of leadership well before the planned exit.

Family business exemption

PA's § 9111(t) exemption can eliminate inheritance tax — but only with proper 5-year holding and family-recipient compliance.

Liquidity

Life insurance funding the buy-sell or covering the inheritance tax bill prevents forced business sale at the founder's death.