When you’re deciding upon which legal business entity to choose for your new venture, there are many factors to consider before registering with your state. Each business entity type has different advantages, disadvantages, legal implications, and structures and it’s therefore very important to fully understand which type of entity is right for you.
When starting a partnership, it is important to draw up a legal agreement detailing how costs and profits will be shared, what to do in the event of a partner wanting to leave the business, how to settle disputes about business strategy, etc.
Corporations
Unlike sole proprietorships and partnerships, where the owners are legally the same as their business, corporations offer business owners a unique legal and tax benefit in the sense that corporations are granted their own legal status. Therefore, this business entity type is considered as a separate legal business entity from you, your partners, and your shareholders. If your business were to be sued, it would not put you or your personal assets at any risk. So wait…who are shareholders? Whereas you’re an owner / operator / member of your sole proprietorship or partnership, you become a shareholder in a corporation, because this type of business operates with stock, or partial ownership distributed amongst several people. As a shareholder, you “own” a part of the business, but you also have to routinely answer to a board of directors who steer the direction of the company.
The downside to the legal business entity of a corporation is that you have less individual freedom to make executive business decisions, and you are not in total ownership of your business. This business entity type is more difficult to begin and dissolve, and often must comply with a series of complex federal and state regulations and taxes. However, the obvious benefit to this type of legal business entity is that you have more individual legal protection with the separation of yourself from your business in the event of a lawsuit.
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
Finally, a Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a sort of combination of all of the above business structures. Like the “corporation” business entity type, an LLC offers a legal distinction between a person and their company, but like a sole proprietorship or partnership, it offers the owner or member (we’re back to being called members now) control over business decisions, tax breaks, and offers no stock option. There is no limit to how many members an LLC may have, and it is also possible to just have one member. The obvious upside to this type of legal business entity is that it provides the best parts of both worlds, corporation and non-corporation, but the downside is that it is more difficult to file than a partnership (but is still less difficult than forming a corporation). To date, the federal government does not recognize an LLC as a classification when you file your federal taxes, so you must file either as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. buy a small business
As with any kind of legal decision, deciding which business entity type is right for your business is a big decision that requires a lot of thought. This is just an overview of the primary differences between each major legal business entity, so before making a decision, check with your lawyer or accountant to decide which is best for your financial and business interests. It seems complicated at first, but once you get registered with the state, you’ll be on your way toward owning and operating your own business!