ESOP Valuation and Financial Advisory Services

With over thirty years of experience working with ESOP companies, their Trustees and prospective ESOP companies, Zick is a valuation and financial advisory services firm you can trust.

We complete ESOP related valuations and prepare formal Fairness Opinons where required, including:

• Valuations for pre-ESOP feasibility studies
• Valuations for use in connection with acquisitions of stock by an ESOP Trust from the sponsoring company or other shareholders
• Annual IRS and Department of Labor required independent appraisals of closely held company securities held in ESOPs and other qualified plans
• Fairness Opinions and underlying valuation analyses in connection with proposed purchases of stock by an ESOP, with sales of ESOP companies and in other situations as required by Plan Trustees

Over Thirty Years of Experience in ESOP Valuation Work

Our CPA/Certified Valuation Analysts are all trained and experienced in ESOP company specific valuation issues.  We understand the risks to a Trustee or Plan Sponsor of an erroneous or improperly completed business valuation! 

We've completed hundreds of ESOP related valuations over the last thirty years, and our ESOP valuation work has withstood the scrutiny of both IRS and Department of Labor examiners in those instances where clients have been audited by IRS or DOL.

Evolving Professional Standards

Professional standards for valuation services have evolved significantly during the last decade.  IRS and Congress have adopted detailed requirements a valuation professional must meet to be considered a "qualified appraiser" as well as standards for what can be considered to be a "qualified appraisal." Professional associations which certify valuation analysts have also adopted expanded and enhanced professional standards for valuation work.

The essence of all of these changes is that a business valuation will not stand up to IRS or DOL examination unless it is completed by a trained and experienced valuation professional, in accordance with current professional standards.

Our Certified Valuation Analysts fully comply with these requirements and standards in our ESOP related valuation work.

For those ESOP valuation clients who are interested in best practices in ESOP transaction and other ESOP valuation situations, we also follow upon request the valuation advisor recommendations and documentation requirements set forth in serveral non-binding Department of Labor Fiduciary Process Agreements for ESOP Transactions released commencing in 2014.