In the balance of economics, the incorporation can not only be a beneficial decision, it can also be the demise. Certain aspects should be taken into consideration before even starting the process, including which direction to go. As the owner of a company you need to be willing to take sensible risks to continue your movement forward.

Let’s explore the five main types of corporations. On each, we will discuss their pros and cons. What liability risks each type offer, and where you fall in regards to taxes on each.

S Corporation

In the very basic of terms, an S Corporation is a company that has decided to use Sub-chapter S of the IRS Code as proposed in Chapter 1. This means the corporation does not pay income taxes. They in turn divide all profit and losses among their shareholders who in turn must report it on their income taxes.

From the stand point of taxes, you immediately limit the amount of taxation your company will receive. Unless you also classify yourself as a C Corporation, mixing both of these puts you into a double taxation bracket that will become costly for all parties involved. This is largely due to your profits being taxed and then your shareholders profits being taxed as well.

If an S Corporation has employees, as opposed to independent contractors, they are required to still pay FICA taxes on the employee’s payroll. The employee must still pay all required State, County and Federal taxes as required by law.

Since the S Corporation does not have to pay taxes on its profits, the burden remains on the shareholders of the company. The largest portion of which is the owner or co-owners of the company. So if you own 50% of the available shares, you will be required to pay 50% of the profit or loss tax on your company for the year.

Here are some key factors you must keep in mind if you are choosing to become an S Corporation:

You must be eligible to claim S Corporation Status. Which means you must be a domestic corporation or be a registered LLC. Only one stock class is allowed. The maximum number of shareholders your company can have is 100. (Spouses can be claimed as a single shareholder, as can direct family members that are descended from a common ancestor. They in turn have to agree to this classification however.) All shareholders must be U.S. Residents and must be natural people. You cannot have shares to corporations or other companies, with a few minor exceptions. Such as a 501(c) (3) corporation. Every profit or loss should be applied proportionately to each shareholder. For example, if you make a $500 profit, a person with 25% interest in the company would receive $125.00.

Outside of the tax benefits you should also remain aware of the liability that an S Corporation carries. Although it is classified as a company where Shareholders have limited legal liability, it doesn’t mean it is completely free from legal liability.

They are still responsible for the company based on their share percentage in the following circumstances, and have the potential to have their loss exceed if the following are found:

A Court determines the company is fraudulent. Corporate formalities have been neglected. Starting capital must have been enough for initial success. Personal assets have been added to cover expenses.

All officers, employees, agents and directors of the company are help personally responsible in the events that any liability arises as a result of their services. However, certain individuals in those categorizes can get indemnified for a cost. It will however only cover costs and expenses that arise from certain tasks. It does not remove legal responsibility.