For most business owners, the corporation that operates the business is the owner’s most valuable asset. Fixing or “freezing” the value of the shares in that corporation is a way of transferring the value of the corporation to the next generation in a tax-efficient way, while the original owner retains the current (“frozen”) value of the assets. Essentially, on the death of the owner, the estate is valued for tax purposes at the frozen value rather than at its current (presumably greater) value, thereby reducing the amount of capital gains and other taxes payable.