Executive Summary
Estate planning for business owners is rarely straightforward, and it becomes significantly more complex when a potential sale of the business in question enters the picture. Timing matters and so does understanding how valuation interacts with both estate planning goals and the expectations of the IRS.
In Mercer Capital’s new 75-minute webinar, Valuing a Business Amid a Potential Sale: What Estate Planners Must Know, Nicholas J. Heinz, ASA and Thomas C. Insalaco, CFA, ASA, explain how to navigate valuation in such an uncertain environment.
When Estate Planning and M&A Overlap
A liquidity event can be transformative for a family, but it raises complex valuation questions. How do you determine fair market value for gift or estate tax purposes when an M&A process is underway but incomplete? This webinar offers insight into what valuation analysts must consider when a company is “in play.” Heinz and Insalaco explain how to evaluate indications of value that emerge from deal discussions, what constitutes relevant market evidence, and how to apply weights to preliminary offers that may or may not close.
What the IRS Expects
The presenters outline IRS guidance that provides insight into how appraisers should document assumptions and support their conclusions when a sale may occur soon after the transfer date. Estate planners will gain perspective on what information should be shared with valuation professionals and what documentation supports defensibility.
Practical Scenarios and Takeaways
Using examples drawn from real-world engagements, the webinar examines several practical scenarios:
A business exploring a sale but not yet under letter of intent
A transaction announced but not yet closed
A sale that falls through after gift transfers are made
In each case, Heinz and Insalaco discuss the influence of timing, negotiation progress, and third-party interest. They also highlight coordination points between the estate planner, client, and valuation expert to avoid costly missteps.
Watch the Recording
This session is designed for estate planning attorneys, tax advisors, and wealth professionals who advise business-owning families. Even if no sale is imminent, understanding how valuation shifts during an M&A process prepares planners to identify risk, manage client expectations, and anticipate IRS scrutiny.
The recording is available on Mercer Capital’s YouTube channel: Watch the webinar here.
For additional reading, the August 2025 issue of Value Matters® explores these same issues and offers complementary analysis.
Together, these resources seek to equip estate planners with practical guidance for advising clients whose estate planning and exit planning timelines may overlap—a scenario that is increasingly common in today’s dynamic M&A environment.