How to file taxes for small business llc
The first level of tax occurs when the LLC files a corporate tax return, and the second is imposed on the owners when they receive a dividend. However, a drawback to corporate treatment is that business earnings are taxed twice. If the LLC fails to pay the tax or file a return, you and the other owners are not personally liable. As a result, the business is solely responsible for reporting all income and deductions on Form 1120 each year and paying the appropriate income tax by the deadline. If you decide to make a corporate tax election for the LLC, the IRS will treat your business as a separate taxpayer in the same way you are a separate taxpayer from your friend. Essentially, the business will increase your personal taxable income by $20,000. Both of you must then report these figures on your personal income tax returns. For example, if you and a friend create an LLC to run a business that earns $100,000 and has $60,000 of deductible business expenses, then each of you will receive a Schedule K-1 with $50,000 of earnings and $30,000 of deductions. The LLC reports each owner's share of these amounts on a Schedule K-1 at the end of the year. This return is for informational purposes only all income, deductions and credits are reported by each individual owner on their own tax returns. Limited liability companies that are subject to the partnership tax rules are not responsible for actually paying the tax on business earnings, but are responsible for preparing annual partnership tax returns on IRS Form 1065.
Once you make this election, you cannot change the LLC designation again for five years. If you prefer the tax filing rules of a corporation, then you have the option to elect corporate tax treatment by filing IRS Form 8832. Both designations have different tax filing rules. However, if you are the sole owner of the LLC, then you must pay tax on business profits as if you were a sole proprietor. Immediately after you create the LLC, the IRS automatically treats your business as a partnership, but only for income tax purposes.