LLC vs. Corporation: Which to Choose for Your Business?

There comes a time when many entrepreneurs consider turning their small business into a legal entity. 

It can be to establish credibility and professionalism, avail of limited liability protection, or a more favorable tax structure.

When that time comes, you can choose between setting up an LLC, incorporate (S, or C corporation, all of which offer significant advantages and disadvantages.

Together, we’ll look at how they differ regarding liability protection, formation, ownership, management duties, and taxes so you can choose the proper structure for your business. 

LLC vs. Corporation – Short Summary

Entity type	Formation	Management	Taxation
LLC	LLCs are easy to form; simply select a state, LLC name, and a registered agent, then prepare an operating agreement and file articles of organization with your state.	LLCs are easier to manage with fewer formal annual requirements than a corporation. You can run an LLC yourself or employ someone to manage it for you.	LLCs are pass-through entities meaning owners pay tax on their returns.Single-member LLCs pay tax as sole-proprietorships and multi-member as partnerships. And LLCs can choose to be taxed as an S or C corporation.
S-corp	You must file Articles of Incorporation for a C-corporation to form an S-corporation. Then file Form 2553 with the IRS to elect an S-corporation tax status.	Shareholders own S corporations and elect a board of directors to manage the business on behalf of the corporation.	S corporations are pass-through entities and do not pay income tax at the corporate level. Instead, profits/losses of the business pass through to the owners, who report them on their tax returns.
C-corp	To form a C-corps, you must file articles of incorporation, draft corporate bylaws, and a shareholders’ agreement.	A C-corps management structure includes shareholders (owners),directors, and officers.	C corporations must adhere to numerous federal and state regulations. And pay double taxation, once at a corporate level and again on any profits taken by shareholders.

S Corporation vs. C Corporation

The 3 main differentiators you need to know about S and C Corporations are formation, ownership, and tax.

Let’s begin with formation:

• Formation — When you file articles of incorporation, you become C Corporations by default. If you’d prefer an S Corp, you must file Form 2553. Articles of incorporation are government documents used to create a corporation.
• Ownership — C corps have few ownership restrictions. Anyone can be an owner, and there’s no limit on the number of shareholders. S corps have restrictions; shareholders must be U.S. citizens and can have no more than 100 shareholders.
• Taxation — C corporations pay double tax, once as a business at a corporate level and again at the federal, where shareholders pay tax on any income or dividends they receive as a wage. S corps do not pay corporate tax; instead, owners report any profits or losses on their tax returns.

LLC vs. Corporation: Limited Liability

Limited liability is the fundamental similarity between an LLC and a corporation.

• Liability protection is a law that applies to specific business structures, such as corporations, limited liability partnerships, and LLCs.
• Like corporations, LLCs are separate entities from their owners who have protection against being personally liable for business debts or litigation cases.

LLC vs. Corporation: Formation and Ownership

Limited liability aside, LLCs and corporations differ in other ways.

For example, shareholders own percentages of shares of a corporation. In contrast, one or more individuals own an LLC, and corporations have to hold annual shareholder meetings while LLCs do not. 

LLCs are also adaptable and can become a corporation later, making an LLC an excellent choice for a start-up business. 

Some other ways they differ are:

Ease of formation

The limited liability company structure makes life easier for small to medium business owners.

For instance, LLCs are easier to form and have fewer regulatory requirements than corporations. To create an LLC, you choose a business name, select a registered agent, and file articles of organization with your Secretary of State.  

Corporations, however, are more complex to form and require more administrative paperwork and an attorney. You create one by filing “articles of incorporation” with your Secretary of State. 

Ownership

LLC owners are members who invest in the business when forming it, owning an equity share. Owners can have equal management rights and control the business’s daily operations.

Corporate owners are stockholders or shareholders who buy stocks or shares in the business, often after its creation. 

Corporation shareholders can have varying levels of involvement and control in the daily business operations but often leave it to a designated management team.

Structure

LLCs are pass-through entities, which means new business owners get the best parts of a corporation and a sole proprietorship. 

The corporation part gives you limited liability protection. At the same time, the sole-proprietorship bit makes paying tax easy as you add any profits on your tax return. 

An LLC can have one member similar to a sole-proprietorship or multiple members equal to a partnership.

Corporations comprise shareholders/owners, a board of directors, and a management team. The board of directors often includes inside directors, who control daily operations, and outside directors, who make impartial judgments.

Shareholders must organize the managers and give them responsibilities in compliance with state corporation law.

LLC vs. Corporation: Management

Your new business management structure is essential to its success, so now you must decide who will manage it and what level of control they’ll have.

And management is where LLCs and corporations become two very different business entities.

For example:

• Your new business management structure is essential to its success, so now you must decide who will manage it and what level of control they’ll have. And management is where LLCs and corporations become two very different business entities. For example:
• You can run an LLC as a member-managed with one or multiple owners overseeing everything or a manager-managed business where owners hire a manager to run it for them.
• Corporation shareholders, however, usually have no operational input; instead, they appoint management teams who oversee all management duties.

LLC vs. Corporation: Taxes

Tax is unavoidable; however, different business structures offer various tax benefits that could make paying them much less painful.

The key is choosing an entity that suits your business model.

An LLCs simple tax structure could fit a small to medium size business more than a corporation.

However, a corporation’s tax structure could prove more beneficial for start-ups that require investment with an eye on national growth.

With tax, there’s a lot to learn, and it’s advisable to seek the help of a certified tax accountant to ensure you choose the correct entity for your business model.

That said, here’s a breakdown of how it works:  

Pass-through taxation

Business entities that do not pay corporate tax and avoid double taxation are pass-through entities. Structures that avail of pass-through taxation include LLCs, limited partnerships, general partnerships, sole proprietorship, and S corporations. 

Instead, business profits pass to the owners/members who pay personal income taxes on their share of income. 

Double-taxation

Double taxation is when a business pays corporation tax on income and shareholders pay income tax on any dividends (wage) taken on their tax returns. 

C-corporations are separate from the owners and the only business entity that pays double taxation.

So, what’s the point in paying dividends, and are they tax-free?

No, dividends are not tax-free; the tax rate for ordinary dividends ranges from 10% to 37%, depending on an individual’s earnings.

Qualified dividends pay the same tax rate as capital gains tax which is lower than average income tax rates.

Paying steady dividends enables a corporation to show present and future shareholders that the business’s performance and prospects are in good standing, increasing the likelihood of higher investments. 

Tax loss carryover

A tax loss carryover is an accounting strategy that enables a business or individual to move a tax loss in one year to offset profits in another, reducing future tax liability.

What about Net Operating Loss (NOL)?

An NOL is when a business’s allowable tax deductions exceed its earned taxable income within a single tax period. Using the IRS tax carryover provision, you can offset your business tax payments in other periods.

So Which Business Structure is Best for Me?

The answer to that question depends on your start-up needs and plans for your business.

To help you choose, here’s the critical difference between an LLC and a corporation.

Limited liability companies:

• Raising funds—To raise funds, an LLC’s owners must either apply for a business loan, invest the money themselves, or sell part of their business.
• Expansion—LLCs can expand into other states by applying for a ‘doing business as’ (DBA), enabling you to keep your original LLC registration and to create subsidiary LLCs.
• Keeping ownership—As an LLC member, you own all your business (single-member LLCs) or a percentage (multi-member LLCs). However, you’ll reduce your ownership if you raise capital by selling a percentage share.
• Simple tax structure – Single-member LLCs pay tax as sole-proprietors and multi-member as partnerships, the only difference being the IRS form you use when filing your tax returns.
• Personal liability protection – LLCs protect their members’ assets, which makes them a brilliant choice for medium to higher-risk business ventures.

Corporations:

• Formation—Starting a corporation is a lengthy process that requires following rigid protocols and formalities, plus it’s more expensive than creating an LLC.
• Double taxation—Depending on the corporation you create, you might be liable for double taxation.
• Raising funds-A corporation’s structure enables you to raise funds by selling shares privately to family or friends or publicly to investors, known as equity funding.
• Expansion—Corporations can expand by purchasing the assets of another corporation. Corporations often do this to buy out any direct competition within their marketplace.

Conclusion

And that’s a wrap on LLC vs. Corporation, which to choose for your business. 

The key takeaway is both structures provide owners/shareholders with liability protection. 

However, many small business owners decide to form an LLC because it’s easier to start and run.

Only start-ups that require outside investors or expect to carry over profits year on year (reducing tax liabilities) should consider creating a corporation.

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