StatewideHasbro bought its rivals
Hasbro, founded in 1923 by the Hassenfeld brothers, bought Milton Bradley in 1984 and Parker Brothers in 1991.
What's Going On In Rhode Island, 1991
Sell a business in Rhode Island
When you sell a business in Rhode Island, the gain is taxed as ordinary income at up to 5.99 percent for 2025. The tax administrator must hear of a major asset sale at least five business days before it, and the estate tax starts at $1,838,056 for 2026 deaths.
ComplexityHighTax on the gain5.99% 2025Deal volumeVery lowEstate tax
Rhode Island is among the eight states with the fewest employer businesses. The state takes a meaningful share of the gain, 5.99% at the top. Expect a tax-clearance or bulk-sale notice before closing, a licensed broker, and an estate tax to plan the proceeds around.
Today
Where you stand
The starting point in Rhode Island
The elements this touches
- TmTime The years before you want out. It feeds the exit-readiness score and never moves the price; every other decision is planned against it.
ListenThe Rhode Island briefing, read aloud
The deal team on what changes when you sell a business in Rhode Island.
Before the letter of intent
What Rhode Island takes
How is the gain taxed when you sell a business in Rhode Island?
Gains are ordinary income at up to 5.99 percent, and an indexed estate tax threshold below 2 million dollars catches many successful sellers.
State tax on the gain
5.99%
Tax Foundation, 2025
A founder on film
On what he learned about tax on the way to the sale.
Lewis Titus Wastewater purification and manufacturing · Wyoming
Ordinary rates up to 5.99
Rhode Island taxes capital gains as ordinary income at rates from 3.75 to 5.99 percent, with no long-term preference.
An indexed estate tax threshold
The estate tax threshold, indexed annually, is 1,838,056 dollars for deaths in 2026, with a credit that shelters the amount below.
The rate is the state's top rate on the gain for the year shown, the same figure as the indicator in the hero, so the two can never disagree.
The elements this touches
- TxTax Strategy The deal and entity structure, set before the letter of intent. FNDRS tracks whether it is in place. It never moves the price; it changes what you keep.
- ApAfter-Tax Proceeds What you keep at close. FNDRS records the pre-tax walk-away and the gap to your number. It never moves the price, and the tax on it is a question for your CPA.
Under contract and at closing
The rules of the sale
What are the rules for selling a business in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's tax administrator must be told of a major asset sale before it happens.
01Five business days of notice
At least five business days before a major asset sale, the tax administrator must be told the price, terms and the character and location of the assets.
Rhode Island General Assembly, 2025
The elements this touches
- LcLegal & Compliance Contracts, licenses, and filings in order and enforceable. The FNDRS valuation reads it, and the score moves the multiple.
- DrData Room The documents a buyer will ask for, ready before they ask. FNDRS tracks it in the deal-readiness report card; it decides how fast and how cleanly a deal closes.
When the process opens
Who buys
Who shows up for a business in Rhode Island
Hasbro, a home-grown Rhode Island company, grew by buying its rivals, Milton Bradley in 1984 and Parker Brothers in 1991, rather than by being sold.
The elements this touches
- SyStrategic Synergy What one buyer gains that another cannot. The buyer at the table prices it, which is why the sell-side process goes looking for them.
Day 0, and the years after
After the close
What Rhode Island lets the proceeds do
Rhode Island allows perpetual trusts, so proceeds can stay under home-state law.
CloseDay 0
Proceeds land. What the state keeps of them is settled above; what it lets them do from here is below.
Perpetuities repealedNo limit
Rhode Island has repealed the rule against perpetuities for trust interests, so a dynasty trust can run without end.
Where FNDRS comes in
Post-exit planning is the third act of the same engagement, done with outside experts, and it starts before the letter of intent, when a move or a trust can still change the answer.
FNDRSThe elements this touches
- EsEstate Architecture Trusts and ownership set up before the letter of intent. It changes what the family keeps, not what a buyer pays.
- ApAfter-Tax Proceeds What you keep at close. FNDRS records the pre-tax walk-away and the gap to your number. It never moves the price, and the tax on it is a question for your CPA.
People who walked it
Founders
Founders who worked with FNDRS, in their own words
From founders elsewhere
What founders say about working with FNDRS
No founder in Rhode Island is quoted yet. These are founders in other states, quoted word for word, each described by role and state.
1 of 3
“I definitely don't think we'd be in the same spot without you guys.”
No founder in Rhode Island is on film yet. These are founders in other states who worked with FNDRS.46 founders on film
Nearby
Other states in the Northeast
| Northeast | Tax on the gain | Complexity | Deal volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 6.99% 2025 | Medium | Medium |
| Maine | 7.15% 2025 | Medium | Low |
| Massachusetts | 9% 2025 | Medium | High |
| New Hampshire | None 2025 | Low | Low |
| New Jersey | 10.75% 2025 | Medium | High |
| New York | 10.9% 2025 | Medium | Very high |
| Pennsylvania | 3.07% 2025 | Medium | High |
| Vermont | 8.75% 2025 | Medium | Very low |
Your next step
The road starts with one step
Know where you stand in fifteen minutes, or talk the Rhode Island sale through with a dealmaker. Either way, no pitch and no obligation.
Selling in Rhode Island? Start with a conversation
No pitch and no obligation. If the honest answer is not yet, we will say so, and say what to work on.