The corporate form can be cumbersome, though, with many annual reporting and filing requirements. In 1977, the state of Wyoming passed a law creating a new legal entity, known as a limited liability company. It took more than a decade, however, for the Internal Revenue Service to approve the new legal structure.
To successfully start and build a business enterprise, a company must typically incur debts and other financial responsibilities. As an incentive for individuals to create new businesses, state legislatures routinely allow them to create separate legal entities to take on the debt and other obligations of those businesses. The concept of limited liability restricts the liability of the founders of the company, so that their personal net worth is not jeopardized in the event their company fails.
A limited liability company, or LLC, is a separate legal entity, with the legal right to own property, buy and sell goods and/or services, secure financing, and conduct all the other functions of a business. Because an LLC is a separate legal entity, the only risk to those who invest in the company is the potential loss of their investment. The other personal assets of an investor are not at risk.
A limited liability company is created by filing Articles of Organization with the appropriate state authority. Typically, an LLC will also create and implement bylaws, and it must register with appropriate revenue agencies.
The LLC form offers a wide array of advantages:
There are some factors to consider before establishing a limited liability company:
Though laws vary from state to state, most jurisdictions have similar requirements. Unlike corporations, there are few, if any, limitations on who may be a member—other LLCs, corporations, individuals, and even foreign entities are typically permitted to be members of an LLC. There’s also no limit on the number of members a limited liability company may have.
The common requirements for LLCs include:
There are two primary differences between LLCs and partnerships. An LLC will protect the member’s personal assets from access by creditors, but a partnership will not. A creditor may seek to attach the personal assets of a partner to satisfy a debt of the partnership. In fact, every partner in a general partnership is jointly and severally liable for the debts of the partnership. In addition, when a general partner dies, the partnership might terminate by operation of law (although in some situations, there are ways around that). The death of a member of an LLC might result in termination of the entity, or it might not, depending on the terms of the operating agreement.
LLCs do not issue stock as documentary evidence of ownership. Accordingly, LLCs are not traded on stock exchanges. LLCs also typically require fewer annual filings with state business authorities. Most LLCs are treated as pass-through entities for purposes of income tax, meaning the income of the LLC is not taxed at the company level; instead, the income passes through to the LLC members and is taxed only as part of the members’ personal income. Some corporations (but not all) are subject to double taxation–company income is taxed at the company level and then distributions made to shareholders are taxed again as part of their personal income.
If you’re looking to limit your liability for a new business venture, setting up your enterprise as an LLC can have distinct advantages. You can enjoy the benefits of a Subchapter S corporation—limited liability and pass-through taxation—with fewer annual reporting, meeting, and filing requirements.
How Does Subrogation Facilitate the Payment of Insurance Claims? When you are involved in a motor vehicle accident and ... Read More
Is Common Law Marriage Still Enforced? How Is a Common Law Marriage Terminated? The vast majority of people who get mar... Read More
What Is the Supremacy Clause? What Are the Limits? Examples of Its Use We live in the "united" states of America, a con... Read More
How It Works