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Business Forms of Organization: Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

  • Which kinds of business organization or business entity will limit my liability to business creditors?
  • What is the “corporate double tax” and how can it be avoided?
  • Which types of business entity are best for tax purposes?
  • Which are the “pass-through” entities?
  • What entities will let me both limit my liabilities and avoid the double tax?
  • What’s so great about limited liability companies (LLCs)?
  • What special considerations are there if my business is a professional practice?
  • What are the federal tax consequences of changing your form of business organization?
  • Do state business entity rules follow federal tax rules?

Which kinds of business organization or business entity will limit my liability to business creditors?

Corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are the three most common business entities that limit liability. General partnerships and sole proprietorships don’t limit owners’ liability. Limited partnerships limit the liability of some partners (limited partners) and not others (general partners).

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What is the “corporate double tax” and how can it be avoided?

Double taxation of corporations results in a significant tax burden on corporate income. Often referred to as the “corporate double tax,” it occurs when a business corporation (or an entity treated for tax purposes as a business corporation) pays a federal tax on its income, and tax is also paid by its owners in the form of individual income tax on capital gains and dividends when they collect corporate profits.

Double taxation occurs even if the corporation retains its after-tax earnings (as opposed to distributing them as dividends) because the value of the stock increases to reflect an increase in assets held by the corporation. Shareholders that decide to sell their stock will realize a capital gain and pay tax on that gain.

The tax on the corporation is called an “entity level tax” and an entity so taxed is called a “C-corporation” (C-corp). The double tax can be avoided one of two ways:

  • By electing to be an S-corp. While this doesn’t change its nature under state business law, but in most cases eliminates federal tax at the corporate level.
  • By postponing profits distributions to corporate owners, the second tax (on the owners) can be postponed.

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Which types of business entity are best for tax purposes?

It depends. Generally speaking, the “pass-through” type of entity saves tax overall by eliminating tax at the entity level. pass-through entity owners are taxed directly on their share of entity profits. Another pass-through advantage is that owners can take tax deductions for startup or operating losses, against their income from investments or other businesses.

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Which are the “pass-through” entities?

You have much control over whether the entity you choose is treated as a pass-through entity for federal tax purposes (see below), but the leading pass-through forms are general partnerships, limited partnerships, LLPs, LLCs, S-corps, and sole proprietorships.

If your business is in the form of a partnership (any type) or limited liability company, you may choose whether your business is treated for tax purposes as a corporation or a partnership (or, if you’re the only one in the LLC, as a corporation or disregarded for tax purposes). Tax and business advisors call this choice the “check-the-box” system. If it’s actually incorporated, or you choose to have it treated as a corporation, you may qualify to have it treated as a pass-through by electing S-corp status.

Your choice under check-the-box is binding. That is, if you choose one entity (say, corporation) in one year and another (say, partnership) the next year, you must pay tax as if you sold last year’s entity and put the proceeds into this year’s.

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What entities will let me both limit my liability and avoid the double tax?

S-corps (usually) and all of the following, assuming that you don’t choose to have them treated as corporations: LLCs; LLPs; and limited partnerships, for the limited partners. For sole owners, the choice is limited to S-corps or, in states that allow single-owners, LLCs.

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What’s so great about limited liability companies (LLCs)?

LLCs combine limited liability with pass-through tax treatment. They can offer benefits unavailable from S-corps, their nearest rival (for businesses other than professional practices). The key benefits:

  • A way to allocate certain tax benefits disproportionately among owners.
  • Opportunity for greater loss deductions.
  • Avoiding or reducing tax when a new owner joins the business or when distributions are made to owners in business liquidation.

State law varies when it comes to allowing single-owner LLCs; some states allow it and some states don’t. Where it is allowed, the owner can choose under check-the-box rules to have the LLC disregarded for tax purposes (without losing LLC limited liability), and pay tax directly on LLC income.

In states where single member LLCs aren’t allowed S-corps are a good alternative, and they can also postpone tax, as compared to LLCs, where the business is to be bought out by a corporate giant.

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What special considerations are there if my business is a professional practice?

Limitation of liability, especially malpractice liability, is a major concern. No entity will protect you against liability for your own malpractice. But LLCs, Professional Limited Liability Companies (PLLCs), and LLPs, where available for professional practices, will protect you against liability for malpractice of co-owner professionals in the firm, and maybe (depending on state law) for other debts. Professional Corporations (PCs) may not protect against liability for a co-owner’s malpractice, depending on state law.

The tax rules governing those in LLCs, PLLCs, and LLPs are about the same, and somewhat more liberal than those for PCs.

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What are the federal tax consequences of changing your form of business organization?

This is a critical decision that should be studied carefully with professional guidance, but briefly stated:

  • There’s no tax on a change from C-corp to S-corp or vice versa.
  • There is no tax on a change from LLC, partnership or sole proprietorship to a C or S-corp.
  • There is no tax on a change from a proprietorship or partnership to LLC or vice versa.
  • There is a tax on a change from C or S-corp to an LLC, partnership or sole proprietorship.

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Do state business entity rules follow federal tax rules?

Keep in mind the difference between state business law and state tax law. The tax status you choose for your entity under the federal check-the-box system doesn’t make it that entity for state business law purposes. So, for example, choosing corporate tax treatment for a partnership won’t bring corporate limited liability.

There is a trend for states to treat the entity chosen under federal check-the-box as the entity recognized for state tax purposes, but this is optional with the state.

State law may accept pass-through status for an entity (such as an S-corp or an LLC) and still impose a tax of some kind on the entity.

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frequently asked questions

  • What Is A Virtual CFO & How Can It Transform My Business?
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    • a. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) do a lot more than just crunch numbers and prepare taxes. They provide valuable expertise and strategies to help businesses and individuals achieve their business and financial goals. A CPA firm can help small businesses with management financial reporting, tax compliance, strategic business advice, and much more. Firms like Perpetual CPA, that specialize in helping small and medium-sized businesses achieve growth, can also provide Virtual CFO services, that help the business owners have the foresight into the short-term future cashflows and be able to more successfully navigate their business performance.
  • What are the best strategies for small business growth?
    • a. A business growth strategy is, simply, a plan of how a business gets from where it is today to where it wants to be in the future.

      b. Some of the questions to consider when coming up with a growth strategy are:
      i. Where will the business get new customers from?
      ii. How will the business expand into new markets?
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      c. In reality, what happens with many small businesses, is that they generally achieve a specific level of business activity or sales and then the business growth trend flattens. In those cases, working with a firm like Perpetual CPA, which provides Virtual CFO services, can help small businesses avoid stagnation. Virtual CFO services, aside from providing timely accounting and tax reporting, can also provide valuable insight into the current performance of the business, as well as, foresight into the future cash flows for the business. Perpetual CPA Virtual CFO team helps small businesses interpret their financial information and come up with business strategies to help improve business performance and achieve growth.
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      b. For many small and medium-sized businesses, the easiest way to develop and implement a business risk management plan is to work with a reputable CPA firm, such as Perpetual CPA. Large corporations invest a lot of resources and time into managing risk, which is a material factor that allows those large corporations to continue to generate billions of dollars in revenue every year. Small businesses, however, almost never manage any business risks, which is the major reason that over half of all the small businesses do not survive for more than 5 years. Generally, small business owners are not experienced corporate business professionals and lack the needed business knowledge, yet they often have to wear many hats while trying to get their businesses off the ground. In those situations, a CPA firm such as Perpetual CPA, can help small businesses better manage tax compliance risks, cash flow, internal controls, business administration, financial reporting, and much more.
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    • a. When small businesses start spinning wheels, it is a good time to consider hiring a reputable CPA firm, such as Perpetual CPA, which can provide both Strategic Advice and Virtual CFO services.

      b. As a strategic advisor, the CPA firm will work with business management to improve the effectiveness and profitability of the business. They will look holistically at the business and find ways to operate the business more efficiently, increase customers through additional or improved marketing or improve customer touchpoints and service.

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