Out of all the choices you make when starting a business, one of the most important is the type of legal structure you select for your company. Careful consideration of which structure is right for you is crucial because it will have implications for how the IRS taxes your business profits. It’ll also determine whether your personal property is protected when others demand money from your business. Other considerations, including the management of the new business and your long-term plans for it, come into play as well.
It’s not a decision to be entered into lightly, either, or one that should be made without sound counsel from business experts. Mark Kalish, co-owner and vice president of EnviroTech Coating Systems Inc. in Eau Claire, Wisconsin says it’s important for business owners to seek expert advice from business professionals when considering the pros and cons of various business entities. Usually, a business owner chooses either a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a limited liability company (LLC), or a corporation. While some businesses choose to operate as cooperatives. There’s no right or wrong choice that fits everyone. Your job is to understand how each legal structure works and then pick the one that best meets your needs. The best choice isn’t always obvious. You may, after reading this section, decide to seek some guidance from a lawyer or an accountant.
For many small businesses, the best initial choice is either a sole proprietorship or, if more than one owner is involved, a partnership. Either of these structures makes good sense in a business where personal liability isn’t a big worry – for example, a small service business in which you are unlikely to be sued and for which you won’t be borrowing much money.
A corporate structure is more complex than other business structures. It requires complying with more regulations and tax requirements. It may require more tax preparation services than the sole proprietorship or the partnership. Corporations are formed under the laws of each state and are subject to corporate income tax at the federal and generally at the state level. In addition, any earnings distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends are taxed at individual tax rates on their personal tax returns.
A corporation is a separate legal entity set up under state law that protects the owner (shareholder) assets from creditor claims. Incorporating your business automatically makes you a regular, or “C” corporation. A C-corporation (or C corp) is a separate taxpayer, with income and expenses taxed to the corporation and not owners. If corporate profits are then distributed to owners as dividends, owners must pay personal income tax on the distribution, creating “double taxation” (profits are taxed first at the corporate level and again at the personal level as dividends). Many small businesses do not opt for C corporations because of this tax feature.
A C-Corporation has the widest range of deductions and expenses allowed by the IRS, especially in the area of employee fringe benefits. A C-Corporation can set up medical reimbursement and other employee benefits, and deduct the costs of running these programs, including all premiums paid. The employees, including you as the owner/shareholder, will also not pay taxes on the value of those benefits.
Once you’ve incorporated, you can elect S corporation status by filing a form with the IRS and with your state, if applicable, so that profits, losses and other tax items pass through the corporation to you and are reported on your personal tax return (the S corporation does not pay tax).
The “S” also refers to an IRS code section. This type of taxation, the S election, allows the shareholders to be taxed only at the individual level instead of at both the corporate and individual level, thus avoiding the double taxation like the C Corporation. There is no federal income tax levied at the corporate level, unlike C Corporations which are taxed at both the corporate level and the individual level, thus earning the description “double taxation.” S Corps are favored by many business owners for their single taxation (as opposed to the double taxation of a C Corp) is limited liability protection – especially with a Nevada corporation with charging order protection extended to corporate shares – make the S Corp an attractive entity choice.
A Nonprofit Corporation is a special type of corporation that has been organized to meet specific tax-exempt purposes. A business organization that serves some public purpose and therefore enjoys special treatment under the law – nonprofit corporations, contrary to their name, can make a profit but can’t be designed primarily for profit-making. To qualify for Nonprofit status, your corporation must be formed to benefit: (1) the public, (2) a specific group of individuals, or (3) the membership of the Nonprofit.
Unlike a for-profit business, a nonprofit may be eligible for certain benefits, such as sales, property, and income tax exemptions at the state level. The IRS points out that while most federal tax-exempt organizations are nonprofit organizations, organizing as a nonprofit at the state level doesn’t automatically grant you an exemption from federal income tax.
Another major difference between profit and nonprofit business deals with the treatment of the profits. With a for-profit business, the owners and shareholders generally receive the profits. With a nonprofit, any money that’s left after the organization has paid its bills is put back into the organization. Some types of nonprofits can receive contributions that are tax-deductible to the individual who contributes to the organization. Keep in mind that nonprofits are organized to provide some benefit to the public.
Examples of Nonprofits include religious organizations, charitable organizations, political organizations, credit unions and membership clubs such as the Elk’s Club or a country clubs.
Sole Proprietorship
This is by far the most common and popular form of business in the United States – mostly because it’s easy to start and manage. Simply put, a sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business where there is no legal distinction between the company and the individual who owns it and runs it. This is the business model most eCommerce merchants are using.
This business type is especially good for new eCommerce companies that have a low risk of liability. The sole proprietorship can evolve into another business type later but is the fastest and easiest way to start.
One of the primary disadvantages of a sole proprietorship is the self-employment (SE) tax of 15.3 percent on the ordinary net income generated by your business. Ordinary income includes items such as sales of products or services, commissions, or short-term income in real estate if you are a real estate professional. SE tax doesn’t apply to passive income, such as rent, dividends, interest, or capital gain. When evaluating the possible tax ramifications and planning options of your sole prop, it’s critical to distinguish between ordinary income and passive income.
As every business structure, taxes do need to be filed under the individual owning the sole proprietorship. The risk here is that because there is no difference between the individual and the company, the individual is personally liable for everything the company does. The sole proprietorship is the owner’s personal responsibility for the liabilities of the business. If you have exposure to risks, you may want to consider setting up an entity even if it’s unnecessary for tax purposes or any other reason. Thus, the individual’s personal assets are on the line. Also, once the business grows to more than one person, it can no longer be a sole proprietorship.
Partnerships are single businesses that have two or more owners. Each of these owners or partners contributes to the business either with funding, property, labor, skill, or similar. A general partnership assumes that the business is evenly divided or that a specific percentage of ownership is documented if there is a partnership agreement. A limited partnership can limit both control and liability for specified partners. Because partnerships entail more than one person in the decision-making process, it’s important to discuss a wide variety of issues upfront and develop a legal partnership agreement. This agreement should document how future business decisions will be made, including how the partners will divide profits, resolve disputes, change ownership (bring in new partners or buy out current partners) and how to dissolve the partnership. Although partnership agreements are not legally required, they are strongly recommended and it is considered extremely risky to operate without one.
Partnerships will require registration but are still relatively easy to set up. Partners share responsibility and profits. Each state will have slightly different requirements for forming a partnership, but in many, if not most cases, it is a matter of filling out a form and paying a small fee.
It would be somewhat unusual to find an eCommerce store merchant organized as a cooperative, but it’s not impossible. Cooperatives are businesses created to service and benefit the owners. Typically, an elected board of directors and officers run the cooperative while regular members have voting power to control the direction of the cooperative. Members can become part of the cooperative by purchasing shares, though the amount of shares they hold does not affect the weight of their vote. Put another way, its customers are its owners.
It is important to note that in some states, cooperatives are treated as a type of nonprofit corporation since a cooperative’s primary orientation is to benefit members by providing goods or services at cost. However, this type of nonprofit business is different from organizations incorporated under general nonprofit statutes, which legally have no owners, and must retain any net earnings within the organization. Nonprofit cooperative business statutes provide for member patron ownership, member voting rights for boards of directors, profit distributions to members, and member rights to assets sold if the cooperative should dissolve. Cooperatives are common in the healthcare, retail, agriculture, art galleries, and restaurant industries.
A lot of people don’t know what an LLC is, or how to get an LLC. Now it’s important to note that LLCs can differ from one state to another, but generally speaking, they are a hybrid business structure, combining the ease of a partnership with the liability protection found in corporations. Owners, frequently called members, pay taxes on the LLCs profits directly and the LLC itself does not file taxes as a separate legal entity.
LLCs require a lot less record keeping than corporations do, provide some protection for the member’s personal property, and are burdened with fewer profit sharing requirements than corporations. Conversely, LLC members will have to file additional forms for both federal and state taxes depending on the number of members, local laws, or even the LLC’s articles of organization. Often the members of an LLC pay payroll tax too.
The “owners” of an LLC are referred to as “members.” Depending on the state, the members can consist of a single individual (one owner), two or more individuals, corporations or other LLCs. Unlike shareholders in a corporation, LLCs are not taxed as a separate business entity. Instead, all profits and losses are “passed through” the business to each member of the LLC. LLC members report profits and losses on their personal federal tax returns, just like the owners of a partnership would.
Depending on the state, LLCs may also have a limited lifetime. In some jurisdictions when a member leaves the LLC, that LLC is dissolved. Starting an LLC requires significantly more effort than forming a partnership and a business will probably want to employ a lawyer or at least consult a certified public accountant.
Your initial choice of a business structure isn’t set in stone. You can start out as sole proprietorship or partnership and later if your business grows or the risk of personal liability increases, you can convert your business to an LLC or a corporation.
After learning the basics of each business structure and considering your options, you may still find that you need help deciding which structure is best for your business. A good small business or tax lawyer can help you choose the right one, given your tax picture and the possible risks of your particular situation.
