ROBS Plan Specialists
ROBS plan accounting, consulting and exits, done right
Thousands of park owners bought their campground with retirement money through a ROBS plan. Almost none of their accountants actually understand the structure. We do. Setup guidance, year-round compliance, and clean exits when it is time to get your money out.
What is a ROBS plan?
ROBS stands for Rollovers as Business Startups. It is an IRS-recognized way to fund a business with your own retirement savings: your 401(k) or IRA rolls into a new retirement plan sponsored by a C corporation you own, and that plan buys stock in the corporation. The corporation then uses the cash to buy or run the business. No loan, no early withdrawal, no penalty, as long as every rule is followed.
In outdoor hospitality, ROBS plans are everywhere. They are one of the most common ways buyers fund a campground or RV park purchase. They are also one of the most commonly mishandled structures we see, because the accounting has to satisfy corporate tax law, retirement-plan law and payroll rules all at once. That is the work we do: ROBS plan accounting, compliance and exit planning for campground owners.
Where are you in the ROBS journey?
Setting up, running, or getting out
You want to buy a park with retirement money
A ROBS lets you roll a 401(k) or IRA into your own C corporation and buy a campground without loans or early-withdrawal penalties. We give you the honest math on whether it fits, and set the books up right from day one.
You already own a park inside a ROBS
Your corporate return, payroll, plan filings and valuation all have to line up every single year. We keep the whole structure compliant so a small slip never becomes a six-figure tax bill.
You want to exit your ROBS cleanly
Selling the park, retiring, or just done with the structure? Unwinding a ROBS in the wrong order can put taxes and a 10% penalty on your entire balance. We sequence the exit so your money comes out clean.
What we handle
Full-stack ROBS plan support
ROBS-aware bookkeeping
Books built around the C corporation your ROBS requires, coded for a campground operation.
Corporate tax returns
Form 1120 prepared by a team that understands what a ROBS C corp can and cannot do.
Form 5500 support
The annual retirement-plan filing your ROBS owes the IRS and DOL, handled on time, every year.
Annual valuation coordination
Your plan needs a defensible yearly valuation of the company. We coordinate it and keep the file audit-ready.
Owner payroll & salary rules
Pay yourself a reasonable salary without disqualifying the plan or tripping prohibited-transaction rules.
ROBS exit & unwind planning
Share buybacks, plan termination, final filings and the rollover back out, in the right order.
The clean exit
Exiting a ROBS plan without a six-figure surprise
Whether you are selling the park, retiring, or simply done with the structure, a ROBS exit has to happen in a specific order. Here is the shape of a clean unwind.
Get a defensible valuation
Every clean exit starts with knowing what the plan’s shares in your corporation are actually worth.
Redeem the plan’s shares in the right order
The corporation buys back the stock your 401(k) holds. Sequence and paperwork matter enormously here.
Terminate the plan and file the final Form 5500
The retirement plan is formally closed out with the IRS and DOL, with every filing squared away.
Roll the money back out, penalty-free
Plan balances roll to an IRA or new employer plan, and your money is back to being ordinary retirement savings.
Get the order wrong and the IRS can treat your entire rollover as a taxable distribution, with a 10% penalty on top if you are under 59½. This is not a place to let a generalist learn on your dime.
The uncomfortable truth
Most accountants don't know what they're doing with ROBS
That is not an insult, it is just math. ROBS plans are rare enough that a generalist may see one or two in a career. We chose to specialize in them, because the park owners we serve use them constantly and the cost of getting one wrong is enormous.
Most accountants have never seen one
A typical CPA touches one or two ROBS plans in an entire career. The structure mixes corporate tax, retirement-plan law and payroll in ways that punish guesswork. We work with ROBS plans every day, for park owners across the country.
The penalties land on the whole balance
ROBS mistakes are not small. A disqualified plan or a botched exit can trigger income tax plus a 10% penalty on your entire rollover, not just the piece that was handled wrong.
The rules touch everything you do
Your salary, your rent, who the corporation does business with, even how you sell the park. A ROBS quietly constrains all of it. We flag the landmines before you step on them.
ROBS questions, answered
Frequently asked questions
What is a ROBS plan?
ROBS stands for Rollovers as Business Startups. It is an IRS-recognized structure that lets you roll retirement money (usually a 401(k) or IRA) into a new 401(k) plan sponsored by your own C corporation, which then uses the funds to buy or capitalize the business. Done right, there is no early-withdrawal tax or penalty. Many campground and RV park owners used a ROBS to buy their park.
Is a ROBS plan legal?
Yes. ROBS arrangements are recognized by the IRS and governed by ERISA. The danger is not the structure itself, it is running or exiting one incorrectly. Compliance failures can disqualify the plan and make your entire rollover taxable, plus a 10% penalty if you are under 59½.
How do I exit a ROBS plan?
A clean ROBS exit generally means valuing the company, having the corporation redeem the shares your retirement plan owns, formally terminating the plan, filing a final Form 5500, and rolling the plan balance back to an IRA. The order of operations is everything. Doing it wrong can turn the whole balance into taxable income.
Can I exit a ROBS when I sell my campground?
Yes, and a sale is the most common trigger. The plan’s ownership stake has to be handled correctly inside the deal, ideally planned well before you list the park. We work alongside your broker and attorney so the ROBS side of the sale does not blow up the economics.
What filings does a ROBS plan require every year?
At minimum: a corporate tax return (Form 1120), an annual Form 5500 for the retirement plan, payroll filings for your W-2 salary, and an annual valuation of the company to support the plan’s stock value. Miss these and the plan drifts out of compliance.
Can my current accountant handle my ROBS?
Maybe, but ask them how many ROBS plans they work with. Most generalist CPAs have seen one or two at best, and ROBS mistakes tend to surface years later in an audit or an exit. We handle ROBS plans every day and are happy to work alongside your existing advisors.
How do we get started?
Book a free discovery call. We will look at how your ROBS is set up, tell you honestly where it stands, and map out what compliance or a clean exit looks like for your park.
Get a straight answer about your ROBS
Book a free discovery call. We will tell you honestly where your plan stands, what it needs, and what a clean exit would look like, whether we work together or not.