| Sole Proprietorship | Partnership | Limited Liability Co. (LLC, PLLC) | S Corporation | C Corporation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formed by registering with ID Secretary of State’s office | Registering the business name creates a sole proprietorship | ||||
| Limited ownership | Only one owner | Two or more owners | 100 or fewer owners | ||
| May have unlimited owners | |||||
| Limited liability protection for owners | |||||
| Requires an attorney to create the business formation legal documents | |||||
| Profits pass through to the owner/owners | |||||
| Owner is personally liable for business debts | |||||
| Taxation | Owner reports taxes on personal tax return | Partners report taxes on their personal tax returns | Tax reporting passes through to the owner | Tax reporting passes through to shareholders | Files a company tax return; shareholders pay tax on dividends |
| Termination | Ends on the owner’s retirement, death or bankruptcy. Assets are distributed according to the owner’s will or a court order. | Terminates with the death, retirement or bankruptcy of one partner unless the Partnership Agreement states otherwise. | Termination depends on the terms of the Operating Agreement. | On-going | On-going |
| May be owned by another business | |||||
| May issue stock | |||||
| Files an annual report with the ID Secretary of State’s office |