Do you know the best legal structure for your small business? Legal structure refers to the way a business is organized. Choosing the best legal structure for your business is critical, as it affects aspects of your business ranging from tax payments to your personal financial liability. The most common types of business legal structure are sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations.
The most common and simplest legal structure is a sole proprietorship, or a business owned by one person. The owner and the business are the same entity in terms of taxation: the business profits are personal profits and taxed as personal income. The owner is financially responsible for business and their personal assets will be used to cover losses or debts incurred by the business.
Two or more owners of the same business may file for partnership status. This type of business structure is very similar to the sole proprietorship- all partners are held financially responsible for the debts of the business and the tax burden is borne proportionally by the partners.
The most complex business structure, and the most difficult to obtain, is the corporation. In a...