An Introduction to ESOPs: How an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) can benefit your company, its owners, and its employees

An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is a benefit plan that, while providing a valuable employee benefit, can achieve a variety of corporate objectives, ranging from buying out the owner of a closely held company to divesting or acquiring subsidiaries. This short book explains the rules, uses, benefits, and other aspects of ESOPs in the U.S. It is useful as an introduction to the subject, as an accompaniment to a full-length book related to ESOPs, or as a concise reference for laypeople. Topics covered include what an ESOP is, types of ESOPs, tax incentives, company stock valuation, S corporation issues, contribution and allocation limits, employee coverage, benefit distributions, fiduciary and trustee issues, the rights of plan participants, determining whether an ESOP is right for you, and the steps to implement and administer an ESOP.