Enhanced Tax Breaks for Qualified Small Business Stock Under OBBBA

Do you own stock in a high-growth small business? Or are you a founder, an investor, or an employee of one? If so, you need to understand how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) expands the tax benefits of qualified small business stock (QSBS).

What QSBS Is

“QSBS” refers to stock issued by regular C corporations. When the corporation and the shareholder meet specific requirements, QSBS owners can avoid federal tax on most or all of their gains when they sell the stock. This can mean tax-free profits worth tens of millions of dollars.

Which Companies Qualify

Not all businesses may issue QSBS. The law excludes certain industries, including finance, insurance, farming, professional services (such as law, accounting, and consulting), and hospitality. Additionally, only smaller companies are eligible. Previously, a company could not exceed $50 million in total assets when issuing QSBS. The OBBBA raises that cap to $75 million, giving larger businesses access to this powerful tax benefit.

New Holding Period Rules

You must hold QSBS for a minimum period before you can exclude gains from tax. The five-year requirement remains in place for the full 100 percent tax exclusion. However, the OBBBA introduces new flexibility for OBBBA-qualified QSBS: you can now receive partial exclusions if you hold stock for only three or four years.

Higher Exclusion Limits

Before the OBBBA, the law allowed you to exclude from tax the greater of $10 million or 10 times your basis in the stock. The OBBBA increases the dollar limit to $15 million while keeping the 10-times-basis rule. This change delivers another significant win for QSBS owners.

Effective Date

All these enhancements apply to QSBS issued on or after July 5. Together, they represent the most significant upgrade to QSBS benefits in more than a decade. For many investors, these rules could transform successful small business investments into tax-free windfalls.

Example. Suppose you invest $100,000 in QSBS shares in 2026 and sell them in 2031 for $1.1 million. Because you held the stock for five years, you can exclude your $1 million gain from federal tax. This saves you from paying both the 20 percent federal long-term capital gains tax and the 3.8 percent net investment income tax—$238,000 in tax savings. Your next step? Check out our Proactive Tax Strategy & Planning for Business Owners. While you're there, take the 2-minute Tax Strategy Assessment and get some free tax strategy ideas. We provide these articles as general information and not individualized tax advice.  They do not constitute a client relationship with you, and any information provided here should be applied at your own risk.