The bankruptcy route costs $200K+. ABC costs $75K-$150K. A managed wind-down — done right — costs a fraction of both. We handle the legal filings, creditor sequencing, employee obligations, and asset monetization. Flat fee. 90 days.
The decision is made. Now you need to close the company without creating personal liability, stiffing employees, or getting a call from a sheriff two years later. Most founders try to DIY the wind-down and either (a) miss the December 31 Delaware franchise tax deadline and get hit with another full year of taxes, (b) mishandle creditor priority and expose themselves to personal liability, or (c) fumble the employee final paychecks and COBRA notices and get a DOL complaint. Law firms charge $400/hour and months of calendar time. ABCs run $75K-$150K. Bankruptcy starts at $200K. You need a third path.
Miss December 31 and you owe another full year
Delaware franchise tax is the single most expensive missed deadline in startup wind-down. File the Certificate of Dissolution on January 2 instead of December 31 and you owe the entire next year's franchise tax plus filing obligations. Most DIY founders don't know this until their CPA tells them in Q1.
Personal liability is real and often misunderstood
Personal guarantees (Brex, Ramp, office lease) survive dissolution. Unpaid payroll taxes can make the founder personally liable. Distributions-while-insolvent can pierce the corporate veil. A clean wind-down isn't just paperwork — it's liability protection.
Employees must be paid first, and there's a right order
Employees before creditors before investors. Back wages, PTO payouts, final paychecks within state-specified windows, COBRA notices within 14 days, 90-day stock option exercise notifications. Screw the sequence and you're looking at DOL complaints and class-action exposure.
Employees are sacred. They are the number one recipient of everything. Pay off employees first, including back wages, vacation pay, before everything else. Then you can get into paying off creditors and debt holders.
— Startup shutdown counsel via Silicon Valley Bank, Startup Shutdown: What happens when a startup failsA flat-fee managed wind-down service that handles the full shutdown: board resolutions, Certificate of Dissolution in Delaware (or your state), creditor notifications in proper priority, employee obligations including COBRA and final paychecks, asset monetization where value exists, final state and federal tax filings, and IRS Form 966. One team, one fee, 90 days. You get out clean and move on.
Get StartedComplete legal dissolution filing
Board resolution template, shareholder consent, Plan of Dissolution, Certificate of Dissolution filed with Delaware (or your state), foreign qualification withdrawals, IRS Form 966. Every required filing, on the right deadline.
Employee wind-down done right
State-compliant final paycheck timing, PTO payouts calculated correctly, COBRA notices within 14 days, 90-day stock option exercise notifications, WARN Act compliance if applicable. Employees come first — legally and ethically.
Creditor priority sequencing
We map every liability — trade creditors, landlords, vendors, personal guarantees — and build the priority order that protects you from personal liability. Settle where we can; properly notify where we can't.
Asset monetization before shutdown
IP, domains, customer lists, equipment, unused SaaS credits. We help liquidate or transfer whatever has value. Often recovers 10-30% of initial funding — money that goes back to investors (or to you, after debts).
Final tax filings, federal and state
Final Form 1120 (C-Corp) or 1065 (LLC), final state returns, franchise tax settlement, 1099s to contractors, W-2s to employees, payroll tax closure. This is where most DIY wind-downs create personal liability — we don't skip any of it.
Clean-exit documentation package
At close, you receive a binder: all filings, all notifications, proof of creditor settlements, tax closure confirmations. If a sheriff (or investor on your next company's due diligence) calls in 2 years, you can produce the full record in 5 minutes.
We review your cap table, financials, creditor list, employee situation, and incorporation state. Within 5 business days we send you a written assessment: which closure path fits (managed wind-down, ABC, or bankruptcy), the full cost estimate, and the critical deadlines you need to hit.
Board resolution drafted, shareholder consents collected, Plan of Dissolution finalized. Employee communication plan built. Creditor list sequenced. Asset inventory started.
Certificate of Dissolution filed with state. Employees notified with full termination packages (severance if applicable, COBRA, stock options, final pay). Creditors notified per legal requirements. Foreign qualifications withdrawn.
IP sold or assigned. Domains auctioned or transferred. Equipment liquidated. Debts settled or properly notified as unpaid. Remaining cash sequenced for distribution per creditor priority.
Final federal and state tax returns filed. IRS Form 966 submitted. Franchise taxes settled. EIN closed. Payroll tax closure. Full documentation package delivered. You're out.
Our methodology is built on proven frameworks
We do not handle bankruptcy filings (that requires a bankruptcy attorney). We do not replace your existing corporate counsel if you have one. We coordinate all filings and handle 90% of the work that a $400/hr attorney would bill you for — typically saving $15K-$40K on a standard wind-down versus a traditional law firm.
Simple Wind-Down
$2,997
Standard Wind-Down
$4,997
Complex Wind-Down
$9,997+
15 minutes. We'll diagnose exactly what's holding you back and tell you whether we can help — no pitch, no pressure.
Free Resource
60-minute confidential call to review your situation. Within 5 business days you get a written assessment: which closure path fits (managed wind-down, ABC, or bankruptcy), realistic total cost, the critical deadlines you need to hit, and the top 3 risks specific to your situation. Zero pressure to engage — we'll refer you to an ABC or bankruptcy specialist if those paths fit better.
Most founders go through this at least once. The ones who do it cleanly go on to build their next company. The ones who don't spend the next 3 years cleaning up. Assessment is free and confidential.
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