Strictly Business

A Business Law Blog for Entrepreneurs, Startups, Venture Capital, and the Private Fund Industry.

Entity Selection Archives

Limited Liability Examined: Part 2 – When starting a new business, should you set up a corporation or LLC, or is purchasing insurance enough?

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This post is the second in a series examining limited liability in the context of a new business. Previously, in the first post of this series, I provided a general overview of the different sources of liability, namely contract and tort liability. In this post, I’ll discuss the effectiveness of using entities providing limited liability protection (like corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships), and discuss whether insurance may be sufficient liability protection in the context of a new business or whether an entity is needed.

Many lawyers seem to recommend a limited liability entity for any business venture. On the other hand, insurance professionals and CPAs often suggest that obtaining insurance may be enough. So who’s right? As I so often find myself saying with these types of questions, the answer depends on the specifics of the business involved. And in this case, there really is no definitive answer. [Read more…]

How the Federal Government Taxes LLCs

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One of the benefits to using a limited liability company is the flexibility of being able to choose how the entity is taxed. After a new LLC is formed, its owners must decide the method by which they would like their business taxed. By default, an LLC is treated as a pass-through entity, which means that it does not pay federal taxes directly, but its income or loss is allocated to the owners, who then pay taxes on that income. If the LLC has only one member, it files no tax return and all transactions of the LLC are treated as transactions of the owner for tax purposes. If the LLC has more than one member, the LLC files a partnership tax return, which reports the LLC’s income and how that income is to be allocated to each owner. Partnership style taxation is governed by Subchapter K of the Internal Revenue Code. However, the owner(s) of an LLC, whether the LLC has a single member or multiple members, may choose to have their LLC taxed as a corporation. In this case, the LLC can be taxed as a so-called “C Corporation,” which is governed under Subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code, or an “S Corporation,” which is governed by Subchapter S. This ability of LLC owners to elect the company’s means of taxation is called the “check the box” regulations. [Read more…]

5 Legal Mistakes Often Made By Startups

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Entrepreneur magazine recently posted an article on their blog describing five overlooked legal mistakes that entrepreneurs often make. It’s a good worthwhile read. The mistakes mentioned are:

  1. Making handshake deals (i.e. not in writing) with clients and vendors.
  2. Choosing the wrong business structure (i.e. sole proprietorship, LLC, Corporation).
  3. Entering into a partnership without a detailed written agreement.
  4. Entering into a 50-50 partnership.
  5. Filing a trademark without doing a detailed and extensive search before hand.

I wholeheartedly agree with four out of the five common mistakes. Perhaps the one I may partially disagree with is mistake number 4: entering into a 50-50 partnership. 50-50 partnerships can certainly present challenges when it comes to governing a company and general decision-making when there is a deadlock between the partners. However, I think categorically ruling out such an arrangement is a mistake. Rather, if the partners desire to establish a 50-50 partnership and that relationship is important to them, they should plan ahead and consider adding detailed provisions in their partnership agreement which deals with deadlocks. In addition, the company buy-sell provisions will have to be carefully considered as well.

Article Referenced: Five Overlooked Legal Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make

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© 2011 Alexander J. Davie — This article is for general information only. The information presented should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

Should new business owners set up their business as a Wyoming LLC?

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Previously, I have written about the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating in Delaware or Nevada as a small business owner. With regards to Delaware, my conclusion was that, for most small companies, the disadvantages outweigh any advantages. With regards to Nevada, my view was that it is highly uncertain that many of the advertised benefits of incorporation in Nevada, such as greater asset protection and greater liability protection, would actually materialize. In this piece, I’ll cover my thoughts on another state that is frequently pitched as a good place for forming your business: Wyoming. [Read more…]

Should new business owners incorporate in Nevada?

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Previously, I wrote about the pros and cons of incorporating in Delaware as a small business owner. My conclusion was that, for most small companies, the disadvantages outweigh any advantages. In this piece, I’ll cover my thoughts on another state that is frequently pitched as a good place for incorporation: Nevada. [Read more…]

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