DST Advisors
DST Advisors is a privately held California-based corporate trustee that administers Deferred Sales Trust (DST™) transactions, enabling high-net-worth owners of appreciated assets to defer capital gains taxes, and distributing the service through a free professional advisor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersCalabasas, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DST Advisors does
DST Advisors, Inc. is a privately held financial services firm headquartered in Calabasas, California that operates as an authorized and specially trained corporate trustee for Deferred Sales Trust (DST™) transactions. The company's core function is administering DST structures, a tax deferral mechanism that allows owners of highly appreciated assets to sell those assets to a third-party trust and defer capital gains taxes while receiving installment payments. The DST framework is positioned as a more flexible alternative to 1031 exchanges, applicable to businesses, professional practices, commercial and investment real estate, high-end residences, large stock positions, artwork, and collectibles.
The firm serves two primary customer segments: high-net-worth individuals holding highly appreciated assets who are reluctant to sell due to immediate capital gains tax exposure, and a professional advisor network (CPAs, attorneys, real estate brokers, business brokers, financial advisors, insurance brokers, and qualified intermediaries) who refer clients or offer DST as part of their own service mix. There is no proprietary software or technology platform disclosed; the offering is fundamentally a services business where the company's value is procedural expertise, fiduciary trust administration (safeguarding assets, record-keeping, noteholder payments, annual tax filing, and asset manager engagement), and access to its professional network. Revenue is generated as trustee fees per DST transaction.
The firm's go-to-market relies on a free three-step consultation funnel (online form, scheduled call, deal information), a toll-free phone line, organic social media presence on LinkedIn and Facebook, and a no-cost professional network membership. Operationally, DST Advisors functions as part of the Estate Planning Team (EPT) ecosystem alongside affiliated firms Szabo Accountancy Corporation (led by CEO Craig A. Szabo) and First Financial Resources, LLC (where President/COO Ben N. Levine is a Partner). Leadership carries over 75 years of combined experience in tax deferral and trust administration, and the firm holds a registered trademark on the Deferred Sales Trust™ brand name, marketed primarily through the deferringthetax.com website.
DST Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DST Advisors
- Legal name
- DST Advisors, Inc.
- Website
- https://deferringthetax.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- DST Advisors is a privately held California-based corporate trustee that administers Deferred Sales Trust (DST™) transactions, enabling high-net-worth owners of appreciated assets to defer capital gains taxes, and distributing the service through a free professional advisor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DST Advisors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trust Administration & Tax Deferral Services
- NAICS
- Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Client Custody & Brokerage (Execution, Reporting, Safekeeping) (FSAAABAN)
Keywords
Where DST Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calabasas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DST Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Trustee Services for Deferred Sales Trust Transactions: DST Advisors generates revenue as an authorized corporate trustee administering Deferred Sales Trust transactions. Services include managing trust finances and operations, safeguarding assets, record-keeping, making payments to noteholders, filing annual tax returns, engaging professional asset managers, and providing reporting to noteholders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free initial consultation and analysis |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
DST Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DST Advisors operates as an authorized and specially trained corporate trustee for Deferred Sales Trust (DST) transactions. The company administers DSTs by safeguarding trust assets, maintaining records of trust income and expenses, making installment payments to noteholders, filing the annual trust tax return, tracking transactions, engaging a professional asset manager to manage trust assets, and providing reporting to noteholders. The DST structure defers capital gains taxes on the sale of highly appreciated assets such as businesses, professional practices, commercial real estate, investment properties, primary residences, stock positions, artwork, and collectibles.
Product overview
DST Advisors operates as a financial services firm offering the Deferred Sales Trust™ (DST) as its core product—a tax deferral alternative to a 1031 exchange. The company functions as an authorized and specially trained corporate trustee for Deferred Sales Trust transactions, responsible for managing and administering trust finances, safeguarding assets, record keeping, filing annual tax returns, making payments to noteholders, and engaging professional asset managers. As part of the Estate Planning Team (EPT), the company has access to legal, tax, and investment services to help clients achieve wealth and income goals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Deferred Sales Trust™: A tax deferral alternative to 1031 exchange that allows deferral of capital gains taxes on highly appreciated assets including businesses, real estate, stock positions, artwork, and collectibles.
Products and services
- Deferred Sales Trust™ (Trustee Administration) A tax deferral alternative to the 1031 exchange that allows owners of highly appreciated assets—including businesses, professional practices, commercial real estate, investment properties, high-end primary residences, large stock positions, valuable artwork, and collectibles—to sell to a third-party trust, defer capital gains taxes, and receive installment payments. DST Advisors serves as the corporate trustee, safeguarding assets, keeping records, making payments to noteholders, filing the annual tax return, and engaging a professional asset manager.
- Professional Advisor Network Membership A free channel program that equips CPAs, attorneys, real estate brokers, business brokers, financial advisors, insurance brokers, and qualified intermediaries with the ability to offer DST solutions to their high-net-worth clients, including a personalized website, lead portal, and marketing materials provided at no charge.
Companies that use DST Advisors
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DST Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
DST Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Estate Planning Team (EPT)coreDST Advisors operates as part of the Estate Planning Team (EPT), which provides access to best-in-class legal, tax, and investment services. Clients receive a team of professionals working to help achieve wealth and income goals.
- Szabo Accountancy CorporationcoreProfessional accounting firm led by Craig A. Szabo, CPA, providing tax services, business management, accounting, and consulting services. Located in Calabasas, California.
- First Financial Resources, LLCcoreFinancial advisory firm where Ben N. Levine serves as Partner, providing financial protection and tax deferral strategies to clients.
- Professional Advisor NetworkmajorNetwork of professional advisors including Commercial Real Estate Brokers, Residential Real Estate Professionals, Business Brokers, Financial Advisors, Insurance Brokers, Accountants, Attorneys, and Qualified Intermediaries who offer DST services to their clients at no charge for membership.
- Professional Asset ManagermajorDST Advisors engages a professional asset manager to manage trust assets as part of the DST transaction process.
Scale indicators1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
DST Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IPX1031: IPX1031 is one of the largest qualified intermediaries in the U.S., facilitating tax-deferred like-kind exchanges for real estate. It addresses the same HNW owner problem of capital gains tax on sale as DST Advisors, but via the 1031 exchange structure rather than an installment sale trust.
- Equity Advantage: Equity Advantage is a long-standing qualified intermediary specializing in 1031 exchanges for real estate investors. It competes with DST Advisors for the same HNW owner seeking to defer capital gains, representing the primary structural alternative to the Deferred Sales Trust.
- Accruit: Accruit provides qualified intermediary and tax-deferred exchange services, including 1031 exchanges and structured tax solutions. It overlaps with DST Advisors on serving owners of appreciated assets who want to defer capital gains, with a broader services menu.
- Investment Property Exchange Services (IPES): IPES is a qualified intermediary handling 1031 exchanges, real estate sales, and related trust and escrow services. It addresses the same deferred-tax transaction use case as DST Advisors for HNW real estate and business owners.
- Asset Preservation Inc. Asset Preservation is a national qualified intermediary specializing in 1031 exchanges and tax-deferred real estate transactions. It is directly comparable to DST Advisors as a neutral administrator facilitating capital gains deferral for HNW sellers.
Broad incumbents
- First American Exchange Company: First American Exchange Company is a qualified intermediary subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation, one of the largest title insurance providers in the U.S. It offers 1031 exchange services at scale, representing a broader-incumbent alternative to DST Advisors for HNW sellers.
- WFG National Title Insurance Company: WFG is a national title insurance and escrow provider that supports tax-deferred real estate transactions through its title and closing infrastructure. It overlaps with DST Advisors' real estate transaction use case, but operates at much greater scale across the full title/closing workflow.
Emerging players
- Peak Trust Company: Peak Trust Company is an independent trust company offering self-directed IRA, corporate trustee, and specialized trust administration services. It is comparable to DST Advisors as a specialized corporate trustee serving HNW clients in non-standard asset structures.
- Mid-Continent Trust Company: Mid-Continent Trust is an independent corporate trustee that administers specialized trusts, including self-directed IRAs and asset-holding arrangements for HNW clients. It serves as a comparable trust-administration peer for DST Advisors' niche corporate trustee role.
- Corridor Capital / tax-deferred exchange ecosystem players: Platforms such as 1031 Crowdfunding and related online marketplaces extend the 1031 exchange model to fractionalized and non-real-estate scenarios. They are emerging alternatives addressing the same capital gains deferral problem DST Advisors targets, with technology-enabled distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DST Advisors social profiles
Digital presenceDST Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DST Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
DST Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DST Advisors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DST Advisors
What does DST Advisors do?
DST Advisors operates as an authorized and specially trained corporate trustee for Deferred Sales Trust (DST) transactions. The company administers DSTs by safeguarding trust assets, maintaining records of trust income and expenses, making installment payments to noteholders, filing the annual trust tax return, tracking transactions, engaging a professional asset manager to manage trust assets, and providing reporting to noteholders. The DST structure defers capital gains taxes on the sale of highly appreciated assets such as businesses, professional practices, commercial real estate, investment properties, primary residences, stock positions, artwork, and collectibles.
Is DST Advisors a public or private company?
DST Advisors is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DST Advisors founded?
DST Advisors was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is DST Advisors based?
DST Advisors is headquartered in Calabasas, United States, in the North America region.
How does DST Advisors make money?
One revenue line is on record: trustee Services for Deferred Sales Trust Transactions.
Who are DST Advisors's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IPX1031, Equity Advantage, Accruit, Investment Property Exchange Services (IPES) and Asset Preservation Inc.. Broad incumbents are First American Exchange Company and WFG National Title Insurance Company. Emerging players are Peak Trust Company, Mid-Continent Trust Company and Corridor Capital / tax-deferred exchange ecosystem players.
Does DST Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for DST Advisors.
What industry is DST Advisors in?
DST Advisors's product category is Trust Administration & Tax Deferral Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAABAN, Private Client Custody & Brokerage (Execution, Reporting, Safekeeping). Its NAICS code is 523991.