Darrow Wealth Management

Most entrepreneurs are so focused on the GROSS sale price they overlook what they'll actually NET after taxes when selling their business. Here are the key tax implications every business owner needs to understand pre-exit.

Understanding The Tax Implications Of Selling Your Business Maximize after-tax proceeds when selling your business through deal structuring, proactive tax and liquidity planning, and the right advisory team.

Where should you put extra cash after a 401(k)? There are 3 main options: a brokerage account, IRA, or Roth IRA. TLDR: a taxable account is usually the best option for high earners.

Where to Save After Maxing Out Your 401(k) | Darrow Wealth Management Where to put money after maxing out a 401(k): brokerage account, traditional or Roth IRA. For high earners, a brokerage account is typically the best option.

With companies like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic expected to go public, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for IPOs — and for employees with stock options and equity on the line. 📈

One thing we always tell clients: you only get one shot at this. The planning you do (or don't do) around a liquidity event can meaningfully affect how much of your equity becomes lasting wealth.

Our Kristin McKenna, CFP® put together a pre-IPO financial planning checklist for Forbes that covers what employees should be thinking about before their company goes public:

💡 Understanding your equity type and what it means for taxes

⌛ Exercise timing and AMT exposure

💲 Cash flow planning for the costs of exercising and timing of tax payments

🔒 Lock-up period strategy

📊 Start building a diversification plan before the window opens

🤝 Assembling your advisory team early

✅ Read the full checklist:

Pre-IPO Financial Planning Checklist For Employees Pre-IPO employees can use this checklist to organize equity, plan exercises and taxes, evaluate tender offers, diversify concentrated stock and prepare for an IPO.

#1 Tax Planning Tip for Employees with Equity: Before selling in an IPO or tender offer, find out if your shares qualify to be 100% tax-free (up to $10M or $15M) using the Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) tax exemption.

Qualified Small Business Stock: QSBS Tax Exemption for Startup Shares | Darrow Wealth Management Qualified small business stock can save millions in taxes. Find out if your stock or options qualify a QSBS gain exclusion under Section 1202.