The goal of this paper is to provide a concise overview of Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transactions in an understandable manner that provides practical and regulatory insights into successful installations. The paper is oriented to those CPAs and other accounting professionals serving as a financial adviser (FA), including valuation work, to the fiduciaries of the ESOP.
ESOP attractiveness was magnified with the 1997 federal legislation permitting S corporations to sponsor ESOPs. This created an opportunity for CPAs to provide