Updated February 8, 2021
Unlike the typical 401(k) plan, ESOPs aren't an "off-the-shelf" retirement plan.
Until recently, each ESOP plan had to be individually designed to serve a specific set of purposes. The IRS recently allowed ESOP plan ...
[Read more] about How An ESOP Program Is Put Together – Some Assembly Required
ESOP Blog
The Truth About S Corporation ESOPs
In 1996, Congress enacted legislation[1] that for the first time permitted an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) to be an eligible S corporation shareholder, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 1997. In 1997 the law was modified ...
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Who Are the ESOP’s Trustees and How Do I Determine That?
ESOP trustees are selected by the Board of Directors. Watch our video to learn more about how to choose your ESOP trustees.
ESOP Trustees
The law requires the board to be responsible for the prudent selection, monitoring, ...
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Who Is Legally Responsible for Valuing the ESOP Stock?
The ESOP appraisal process is the legal responsibility of the trustee. Learn more about the process in this video.
ESOP Valuation
The ESOP trustee is the owner of the shares and must report the value of the stock ...
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Who Votes the Shares Held in the ESOP?
The Code requires that company stock in the ESOP must have full voting rights. In this video, we discuss who votes the shares held in the ESOP.
Voting Rights for ESOP Participants
Since the ESOP trustee is the shareholder, the trustee ...
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Who Participates in the ESOP?
Since an ESOP is a qualified retirement plan, it is subject to the same eligibility and coverage rules as other plans such as profit-sharing plans. Watch our video to learn more about who participates in the ESOP.
ESOP ...
[Read more] about Who Participates in the ESOP?