Haik Chiningaryan- Taxation Of Corpora

(Continuation of Taxation Of Corporations, Click Here For Part 1)

WHAT STANDARDS APPLY TO S CORPORATIONS?

An S corporation is a pass-through entity. Even though both partnerships and S corporations are pass-through entities – unlike partnerships – shareholders of S corporations do not have the ability to form advance agreements in order to allocate the entity’s profits and losses. Instead, all of the earnings and expenses pass through to the shareholders based on their percentage of ownership in the corporation.

Requirements For Qualification And Compliance

In order to qualify as an S corporation, the entity must meet the following requirements: (1) it must be a domestic corporation; (2) it generally cannot have more than 100 shareholders; (3) it must have only one class of stock; (4) the business must satisfy the definition of a small business corporation under Section 1361 of the Internal Revenue Code; and (5) shareholders that are individuals must generally be U.S. citizens or residents (shareholders that are corporations or partnerships are generally excluded).

Read More

Haik Chiningaryan - Taxation Of Corporations Part 1

There are generally two ways corporations may be taxed under the federal rules. By default, a corporation is taxed under Subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code. However, a corporation may instead elect to be taxed under Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code.

The selection of a certain type of entity structure or election of a particular tax status is an individualized decision that will depend on the characteristics of the business itself and the business owner’s surrounding circumstances. In one aspect, there may be certain advantages in choosing one type of entity or tax structure over another, while there may be disadvantages in another aspect. For example, in the context of investment real estate, it is sometimes preferable for the property to be held by an LLC rather than a corporation. Whether a corporation should refrain from making the ‘S’ election and continue to be treated as a C corporation or in fact make the ‘S’ election and become subject to the rules that govern S corporations is a decision that should be guided by a qualified advisor.

WHAT STANDARDS APPLY TO C CORPORATIONS?

Read More