What are the differences between a sole proprietorship, a partnership, an LLC, and a corporation?
Corporations are formed pursuant to state law and have shareholders, are managed by a board of directors, and the daily affairs are administered by officers. A limited liability company (LLC) has members and may be managed by one or more managers. Most often, both entities must pay franchise taxes, but may have different federal tax liabilities.Generally, most people form corporations or limited liability companies in order to shield the shareholders or members and officers or managers from personal liability for the debts and obligations of the entity. There may also be various tax advantages to forming these entities which may not be available for sole proprietorships and general partnerships.
