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LLC or Corporation?

How to Choose the Right Form for Your Business

LLC vs. C-Corp vs. S-Corp: The most important business decision you'll make

It's time to upgrade your legal structure—but how?  LLC or Corporation? is the best book for understanding each of these business structures, how they differ, and how each will affect your bottom line. Make the right decision with thorough information on:

  • the basics of business entities
  • how limited liability works
  • profits, losses and tax treatment
  • converting from one type of business entity to another

 

Form your LLC with Nolo's Online LLC.

  • Product Details
  • Whether you are starting a new business or thinking about an existing one, the big question is “Which legal structure is best for my business?” The answer has important legal and tax consequences.

    LLC or Corporation? explains:

    • the basics of all business entities
    • how to avoid being personally liable for business debts (by forming an LLC or corporation)
    • how to minimize taxes by choosing the right entity
    • how to convert from one business entity to another, and
    • requirements for doing business out of state.

    LLC or Corporation? is packed with real-world examples to help you make the best choice for your company.

    “Outstanding. Crystal clear, rock-solid, no-nonsense, accessible information.”—Small Business Opportunities Magazine

    “The nation’s largest publisher of self-help legal books and software.” —Wall Street Journal

     

    ISBN
    9781413330205
    Number of Pages
    240
  • About the Author
    • Anthony Mancuso

      Anthony Mancuso is a California corporations and limited liability company expert. A graduate of Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, Tony is an active member of the California State Bar, writes books in the fields of corporate and LLC law, and has studied advanced business taxation at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He has also been a consultant for Silicon Valley EDA (Electronic Design Automation) and other technology companies. He is currently employed at Google.

      Tony is the author of many Nolo books on forming and operating corporations (both profit and nonprofit) and limited liability companies. Among his current books are The Corporate Records Handbook, How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation, Form Your Own Limited Liability Company, and LLC or Corporation? His books have shown businesses and organizations how to form a corporation or LLC for decades. Tony is also a licensed helicopter pilot and guitarist.

  • Table of Contents
  • Your Legal Companion

    PART 1

    1. Business Entity Basics

    • Why Your Choice of Entity Matters
    • Sole Proprietorships
    • General Partnerships
    • Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
    • Corporations
    • S Corporations
    • Special Business Entities: Limited Partnerships, Entities for Professional Businesses, Benefit Corporations, and Series LLCs

    2. Personal Liability Concerns

    • How Your Choice of Business Entity Affects Personal Liability
    • Using Insurance to Limit Liability

    3. Forming and Running Your Business

    • Forming and Running a Sole Proprietorship
    • Forming and Running a Partnership
    • Forming and Running an LLC
    • Forming and Running a Corporation
    • Form Your Own LLC or Corporation

    4. Money Issues: Taxes, Profits, Losses, and Investments

    • Taxes
    • Paying Out Profits
    • Start-Up Losses
    • Private Investors: Angels and Venture Capitalists (VCs)
    • LLC or Corporation Comparison Table

    5. Choosing the Right Business Entity: Four Business Stories

    • Gabby’s Gears: Sole Proprietorship, Single-Member LLC, or Single-Owner Corporation?
    • Fast Food Fusion: A Two-Owner Start-Up Business Chooses a Business Form
    • Soaring Duck Machines Seeks a Different Tax and Ownership Structure
    • SerMin Technologies: Forming a Tech Startup

    PART 2

    6. Converting a Sole Proprietorship to Another Entity

    • Converting a Sole Proprietorship to a Partnership
    • Converting a Sole Proprietorship to an LLC
    • Converting a Sole Proprietorship to a Corporation

    7. Converting a Partnership to Another Entity

    • Converting a Partnership to a Sole Proprietorship
    • Converting a Partnership to an LLC
    • Converting a Partnership to a Corporation

    8. Converting an LLC to Another Entity

    • Converting an LLC to a Corporation
    • Converting a Multi-Member LLC to a Single-Member LLC
    • Converting a Single-Member LLC to a Multi-Member LLC

    9. Converting, Dissolving, and Selling a Corporation

    • Converting a C Corporation to an S Corporation
    • Liquidating and Dissolving a Corporation
    • Selling a Corporation

    PART 3

    10. Doing Business Out of State

    • Doing Business Out of State
    • Qualifying to Do Business
    • Paying and Collecting Taxes in Other States
    • Internet Issues

    Appendix: State Website Information

    • State Business Entity Filing Websites
    • State Tax Office Websites
    • State Securities Office Websites

    Index

  • Sample Chapter
  • Your Legal Companion

    One of the most important choices you make when starting a business (whether by yourself or with others) is whether a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation will best meet your needs. Or perhaps you’ve already organized your business but want to explore the possibility of converting to a business entity with more favorable legal and tax characteristics.

    In both cases, this book will help you with your decision.

    Although the focus of this book is on choosing whether to form an LLC or corporation, it’s helpful to know about the other two leading business forms (sole proprietorships and partnerships) and how they compare to LLCs and corporations. This book explains the legal and tax characteristics of each of these business entities and the basic rules for converting one type of business to another.

    This book also provides information about S corporations as a tax choice for corporations (and LLCs to a much lesser extent), along with special entity choices for professional businesses.

    I’ve divided this book into three parts.

    Part One discusses basic information about each type of business entity. It includes the following chapters:

    • Chapter 1 discusses each type of business entity, including the relative advantages and disadvantages of each.
    • Chapter 2 explains how your choice of entities affects your personal liability for debts against your business.
    • Chapter 3 examines the relative ease with which each of the entities can be formed and managed.
    • Chapter 4 covers how each entity deals with profits, losses, investments, and taxes.
    • Chapter 5 provides case studies of LLC or corporation choices for four different businesses.

    Part Two includes the following chapters:

    • Chapter 6 discusses converting a sole proprietorship to another entity.
    • Chapter 7 discusses converting a partnership to another entity.
    • Chapter 9 discusses converting a corporation to another entity, and reorganizing or dissolving a corporation.

    Part Three discusses doing business out of state:

    • Chapter 10 is a bonus chapter on qualifying to do business and paying taxes in other states.

    This book includes links you can use to find information regarding your state’s corporate and LLC rules, as well as tax and securities laws information (see the appendix).

    Business law and tax rules can get a bit complicated. Don’t worry. They’re presented here in plain language, with as little legal and tax jargon as possible, and with red flags for when you should consider getting help from legal and tax professionals.

    By the time you finish this book, you’ll understand what each type of entity has to offer, and you’ll be ready to choose the right structure for your company. By the way, Nolo (www.nolo.com), the publisher of this book, provides many ways to assist you when it comes to corporations and LLCs, including assistance with state filings, helpful books, and lots of free information. Go to www.nolo.com and visit the “Business Formation” area.


    We hope you enjoyed this sample. The complete book is available for sale here at Nolo.com.

4.8

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Exactly what I needed

By George D.

As usual NOLO provided me the information I was looking for

Posted on 8/11/2023

Review

By James W.

VERY good book. It talks in plain, understandable language that a newbee owner like me can understand. This is balanced with a lot of detail which can be used to make informed decisions. Bottom line is that reading this book gives one a lot of knowledge and confidence regarding the formation and structure of ones company.

Posted on 8/11/2023

Review

By RoCoco D.

Great information has really help me move a lot fasting in getting stuff done

Posted on 8/11/2023

Excellent way to get you up to speed for your business decisions

By Anonymous

Excellent way to get you up to speed for your business decisions about business structures. NoLo has alway been an excellent resource for all my businesses! Thanks you!

Posted on 8/11/2023

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