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Warrior Business Services

Industry

Built for Indiana family-owned business.

Year-round CPA work for Indiana family-owned businesses — succession, multi-generational tax planning, buy-sell agreements, and the conversations behind each.

Schedule a consultationCall 260-749-2200
Indiana family-owned business succession — multi-generational hands working together in a small business

Family-owned business is more than a label — it's a different operating reality. The owner is the founder. The next gen might be in the business or might be in college. Cash flow funds both the operation and a household. Decisions about hiring, capital, comp, and exit affect dinner-table conversations.

We work with Indiana family businesses across industries because the dynamics are similar: the planning has to handle both the business and the family at once. That's how we've built our practice.

What's different about family-owned business tax planning?

The owner-as-individual and the business overlap more. Owner-comp, retirement plans, family employment (spouse, kids), real estate held outside the business, charitable giving via the business, and succession plans all interact. Plans that optimize the business in isolation often disserve the family.

Family income shifting (employing kids in the business), spousal compensation, and household tax position all factor in. Done well, this is six-figure-impact planning over a decade.

How do you handle multiple generations in the business?

Carefully — and with the owners aligned, not just whoever happens to be on the call. Comp structures for next-gen working in the business, equity transfer timing, governance (who has decision rights), and what "fair vs. equal" means when there are non-business heirs are all common conversations. We facilitate, but the family decides.

What's typical timeline for family business succession planning?

Five to ten years before transition is ideal. That window lets us fix the things that depress value (owner-dependency, customer concentration, books that don't withstand diligence) and structure the transfer tax-efficiently. Shorter windows narrow the options.

Common questions

Family-Owned Business — questions we get

What if my kids don't want the business?
Then we plan for external sale, ESOP, or wind-down — not family transition. Many family businesses end up sold; the question is to whom and on what terms. We don't push family transition if it's not the right answer.
What about employing my spouse or kids in the business?
Common and often beneficial — kids on payroll can fund Roth IRAs, spousal employment unlocks retirement plan contributions. Must be bona fide work for bona fide compensation. We structure correctly.
How do you handle non-business heirs in succession?
Multiple options: equalize with non-business assets, life insurance, preferred stock in the business, or installment buy-outs. There's no universal right answer; we model what fits the family's specific situation.
Do you work with the family's wealth advisor and attorney?
Yes — we coordinate as the tax/financial seat of the deal team. The attorney drafts agreements; the wealth advisor manages personal assets; we model the tax position and own the business financials.
What about gift tax and estate tax?
Federal gift/estate exemption is $13.99M per person for 2025 — most Indiana family businesses aren't driven by federal estate tax. Indiana has no state estate tax. Gift tax planning for lifetime transfers is more often the conversation.
Can you handle a complicated family situation?
Yes — second marriages, family conflict, partial estrangement, prior bankruptcies, and other realities don't stop the planning. We've worked through most of it.

Most relevant services

Where to start

Long-term

Succession & Exit

Selling, succeeding, or just stepping back. Buy-sell agreements, valuations, family transfers, and the tax timeline that goes with each.

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Strategic

Strategic Tax Planning

We model the year before it ends. Estimated payments, retirement contributions, entity-level moves, and family income shifting.

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Advisory

Fractional CFO

A CFO for businesses that don't need one full-time. Cash-flow models, owner-comp planning, scenario forecasts, monthly read-outs.

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Strategic

Business Advisory

The conversation you'd pay $400/hr for, included monthly. Quarterly reviews, decision support, and a CPA who picks up.

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Next step

Ready to keep more of what you earn?

Talk to a CPA who actually picks up. Quick scoping call, no pressure — we'll tell you straight if we're the right fit.

Schedule a consultationCall 260-749-2200