Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) Services
Your startup has big potential. We’ll help you turn it into real, tax-advantaged wealth.
With Citrine Capital on your side, you can grow from an early-stage startup to a successful exit with a qualified small business stock strategy that ensures you keep more of what you've built.
Plan Ahead with Expert QSBS Planning Services
QSBS rules are designed to reward your entrepreneurial spirit, and our team makes sure you capture every benefit.
We help startup founders realize the full potential of their ownership stake by advising on equity issuance, documenting corporate assets, and ensuring compliance with the requirements for QSBS eligibility. For early-stage grants, we can help evaluate whether an 83(b) election is right for you - so your QSBS clock starts as soon as possible for favorable tax treatment.
That means proactive monitoring of key financials and company activities that could impact your tax-free gain potential. Beyond QSBS, our financial advisors provide tailored guidance for every stage of you and your company’s growth, from early planning to exit strategy and everything in between.
End-to-End QSBS Planning for High-Growth Startups
Maximize the QSBS tax benefit with smart financial moves that protect your eligibility and turn your equity into long-term wealth.
QSBS Qualification
Wondering if your shares qualify for QSBS benefits? We’ll walk you through the rules, explain the process, and help build a path towards a successful exit.
Strategic Equity Guidance
From equity issuance to documentation, we advise on steps that keep you on track for QSBS benefits - whether your goal is a full five-year hold or an earlier exit under the new tiered rules.
Exit Planning
We’ll work closely with you on your exit - whether through sale, IPO, or secondary transaction - to preserve QSBS benefits and minimize your tax bill.
Compliance Monitoring
We track key financial and operational criteria to help you avoid missteps that could jeopardize your QSBS status under Section 1202.
Liquidity Planning
Liquidity events can be complex. We’ll help you structure them to maximize your QSBS tax advantage while aligning with your broader financial goals.
Tax Planning
Integrate QSBS with advanced tax planning strategies such as trust stacking to potentially multiply your exclusion beyond the new $15M per-taxpayer cap.
The Citrine Capital Approach to QSBS
The QSBS exemption can eliminate up to 100% of your capital gains tax - and with the new tax rules, you may qualify for partial exclusions after just three or four years. Yet many founders miss out on these benefits because of missed deadlines or overlooked requirements.
We’ll keep you informed on new opportunities like the raised $15M capital gains exclusion cap and the increased $75M asset ceiling - so more of your equity can qualify. Our proactive, year-round approach tracks eligibility factors like asset limits, permitted business activities, and shareholding timelines, so you stay compliant and ready when an exit opportunity appears.
Our goal is simple: help you build, scale, and exit - capturing the full QSBS tax advantage you’ve earned without leaving money on the table.
Comprehensive Financial Advisory Services for Founders & Entrepreneurs
At Citrine Capital, we offer a full suite of advisory services to help you manage every aspect of your life, from business planning to estate strategy.
Startup Planning
From formation to fundraising, we help you make sound financial decisions at every stage. Our guidance gives you a clear path forward - and fewer sleepless nights.
Financial Planning
As a founder, your income may be lower and less predictable than it was in traditional employment - especially while much of your net worth is tied up in company equity. We help you navigate these cash flow challenges, plan around unknown liquidity timelines, and coordinate your business and personal finances so they work toward the same goals.
Wealth Management
Gain the financial freedom to fund your next venture or never work again. Our tax-efficient wealth strategies are designed with your life goals, timelines, and risk tolerance in mind.
Tax Planning
From QSBS strategies to multi-year tax projections, we’ll help you optimize taxes at every stage of your journey. Our planning spans equity events, investments, and estate strategies - so more of what you earn stays with you.
Who We Work With
We partner with the startup founders and entrepreneurs who call the Bay Area home to help them turn early risk into lasting wealth.
As a leading San Francisco wealth management firm, we help high-growth startups and their leaders make sound decisions. We understand the pace and pressure of the region, and our strategies are built for the realities of scaling in the Bay - volatile markets, shifting valuations, and liquidity events that can be years in the making. You can rely on our guidance to align with your goals and turn momentum into meaningful results. We deliver clear, forward-looking strategies built for the realities of building and ultimately exiting a company in the Bay Area.
Why Bay Area Professionals Choose Us
A well-designed financial strategy should usher you through QSBS planning and beyond. Our clients trust us to simplify complex rules, protect their upside, and keep them moving forward with clarity.
Transparent Financial Advice
We’re fee-only fiduciaries, so our advice is always objective and in your best interest. No commissions. No hidden agendas.
Founder-Focused Planning
Your business is personal, and so is our approach. We’ll design a roadmap that reflects your goals, risk tolerance, and unique
liquidity timeline.
End-to-End Support
From formation to fundraising to exit, we grow with you - bringing the right expertise at every stage, including liquidity planning
and QSBS opportunities.
Explore QSBS Opportunities Today
The QSBS exemption can eliminate capital gains tax on up to $15 million per year if you hold qualifying shares for at least five years. Under the new rules, you may still receive partial tax relief if you exit after three or four years. With Citrine Capital, you’ll have a personalized QSBS strategy that’s designed to help you maximize your opportunities.
Start by completing a quick form to see if we’re the right fit. If so, we’ll schedule a discovery call to learn more about your goals and outline the next steps toward unlocking your tax-free gains.
Get started today and see how QSBS planning could protect and grow your wealth.