Insights
Business Valuation Appraisal Guides & Insights
Expert guidance on business valuation valuation — what drives value, when you need a USPAP-compliant appraisal, and how the process works.
Latest posts
Normalizing Owner Salary and Add-Backs Before You Sell Your San Francisco Business
Normalizing owner salary in a business valuation means replacing reported compensation with its true market cost, not simply adding back every dollar the owner was paid. This guide walks San Francisco owners through the three standard add-back categories, the documentation each one requires, and a worked example showing how SDE and normalized EBITDA treat the same owner paycheck differently.
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How to Appeal a Business Personal Property Tax Assessment in San Francisco
Appealing a business personal property tax assessment in San Francisco means filing with the Assessment Appeals Board, not the Assessor, and only during the July 2 to September 15 window. This guide covers the deadlines, documentation, and independent valuation evidence that give an appeal its best chance.
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What the Estate Tax Exemption Sunset Reversal Means for San Francisco Business Valuation in 2026
The feared 2026 estate tax exemption sunset never happened: Congress fixed the federal exclusion at $15 million per person instead of letting it collapse. Here's why San Francisco business owners with growing companies still need a current, qualified valuation to use that new headroom before the rules change again.
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How California's Probate Referee Values a Business Interest in a San Francisco Estate
A California probate referee, not the executor or the court, sets the fair market value of a decedent's business interest for the Inventory and Appraisal. Here's how that appraisal works for a San Francisco estate and what documentation actually shapes the number.
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How Appraisers Value a San Francisco Tech Startup With Recurring Revenue but No Profit
Valuing a startup with no profit means setting aside the income approach and leaning on ARR multiples, burn rate analysis, and net asset value instead. Here's how a business appraiser builds a defensible number for a cash-burning San Francisco SaaS company.
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California Business Personal Property Tax: What San Francisco Owners Must Report on Form 571-L
San Francisco businesses must file Form 571-L every year to report furniture, equipment, and fixtures for business personal property tax, and missing the April 1 deadline triggers a mandatory 10% penalty. This guide covers what to report, key deadlines, the $4,000 low-value exemption, and how an independent appraisal supports an assessment appeal.
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SDE vs EBITDA in Business Valuation: Which Metric Fits Your San Francisco Company?
SDE and EBITDA measure a business's earnings differently, and using the wrong one in a valuation can shift the concluded value by tens of thousands of dollars. This guide explains which measure fits owner-operated San Francisco businesses versus professionally managed ones, and why the choice changes the multiple a buyer will pay.
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IRS Qualified Business Valuation and Estate Tax Rules for San Francisco Owners
California has no state estate tax, but a closely held San Francisco business can still push an estate over the federal exemption line. Here is when Form 706 requires an IRS-qualified business valuation and what that appraisal must contain.
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Business Valuation in a California Divorce: How Community Property Splits a San Francisco Business
Business valuation in a California divorce turns on when the business grew, not just what it's worth today. This guide explains the community property rules, the date-of-separation pivot, and how Pereira and Van Camp apportion growth between spouses.
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