Entity Type

A C Corporation is one of several ways to legally recognize a business for tax, regulatory and official reasons. A C Corp is simply a way to structure ownership of a business, and contrasts with other popular business structures including Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), S Corporations, Sole Proprietorships and others.

Generally, a C Corporation structure is better for larger businesses. This is particularly true if they intend to publicly trade shares, through having an Initial Public Offering, or IPO. A C Corporation is much more attractive to potential investors, including venture capitalists and shareholders because it allows wider ownership of the corporation.

The majority of larger businesses in the United States are structured as C Corporations, although a C Corp could, theoretically, consist of just one person. The information below will help you decide if a C Corporation structure is right for your business.

An S Corp, also known as the subchapter or small business corporation, is a tax code that was enacted into law by Congress in 1958. The S Corp was created to encourage and support the creation of small and family businesses, while eliminating the double taxation that conventional corporations were subjected to.

The abbreviation “LLC” stands for limited liability company. The name refers to one of the primary benefits of this business entity type—LLCs allow business owners to keep their personal assets separate from those of the company. This effectively limits their own liability when it comes to company debts and responsibilities.

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In the United States, a limited liability company is a business entity type that combines the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of a corporation, creating the best of both worlds for business owners. LLCs have rapidly become one of the most popular business structures for new and small businesses, largely because they are considered to be simpler and more flexible than a corporation.

When you form an LLC, your business becomes its own legal entity, with separate debts and legal matters. However, LLCs are still tied to your personal taxes.

Incorporating your company is not always an easy process. We’re here to help you decide not only how to incorporate but to understand exactly which type of status to file.

Many companies who incorporate are actually charities that do not intend to make a profit, but rather donate all profits to another organization. In this case, a charity would want to incorporate as a nonprofit and, ultimately, apply for tax exempt status. By having tax exempt status, your donations can be recorded by donors as not taxable by both the federal and state government. This is a great incentive to be able to offer your constituents.

People who start nonprofits are driven by passion about a certain cause. Whatever your cause, creating a nonprofit can make a difference. We’ve provided as much information as you need to know in choosing to incorporate as a nonprofit corporation.