Protect your family business legacy with structured, tax-efficient succession planning
Comprehensive planning for the generational transfer of your family business: legal structure, family protocol, inheritance tax optimisation and corporate governance for the next generation.
Family business owner planning the generational transfer of the company
Included services
Succession tax planning
Analysis of the tax reliefs available for family business transfers: the 95% reduction in Inheritance and Gift Tax, requirements for the Wealth Tax exemption and strategies to minimise the total tax burden on the transfer. We also compare lifetime donation against inheritance to identify the optimal route.
Family protocol design
Drafting of the family protocol governing relations between family members as owners: access to capital, rules for family members joining the business, dispute resolution mechanisms, dividend policy and conditions for transferring shareholdings among family members.
Governance structure
Design and implementation of appropriate governance bodies for the family business: professionalised Board of Directors, Family Council, Executive Committee and decision-making mechanisms that balance family participation with management efficiency.
Wealth transfer strategy
Planning of the transfer of both business and personal assets: lifetime donation vs. inheritance, use of family holding companies, asset-holding entities and other structures that optimise the transfer and protect the estate against future contingencies.
Business valuation
Valuation report for the family business using recognised methodologies (discounted cash flow, market multiples, net asset value) for use as a basis in negotiations between heirs, partial transfer transactions or buy-out agreements with minority shareholders.
Next-generation advisory
Onboarding and training programme for successors: understanding financial statements, directors' obligations, tax responsibilities of the new owner and planning the handover of management responsibilities.
Investment
Custom quote based on family structure, number of entities and complexity of the estate.
Spanish family businesses facing generational change
More than 85% of Spanish companies are family-owned, and only one third successfully complete the transition to the second generation. The primary reason for failure is not economic or market-related: it is a lack of planning. Disputes between heirs, the tax burden of inheritance, the absence of proper governance structures and insufficient preparation of successors are the factors most likely to destroy solid businesses with decades of history behind them.
Succession planning is not a notarial formality: it is a process that requires tax analysis, legal design, family accompaniment and, in many cases, mediation. At BMC we work with family businesses at every stage of this process, from the initial conversation through to the effective transfer of control, providing the technical perspective and practical experience needed to make the transition orderly and efficient.
The cost of not planning
Inheriting a business without prior planning can generate a tax bill that forces heirs to sell assets or take on debt to pay Inheritance Tax. A 95% reduction on the value of the company can mean a saving of hundreds of thousands of euros, but it only applies if the conditions are met at the time of death. Those conditions cannot be met retrospectively: they must be built over time. Planning also allows all family members to agree on the rules of the game before they come into force, avoiding the disputes that arise when decisions are made under the weight of grief and uncertainty.
Frequently asked questions
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