How Is an LLC Taxed?

OPTIONS IN SELECTING THE TAX STATUS OF DELAWARE LLCS

Delaware LLC tax status can take four different forms. Learn more about Delaware LLC taxes to choose the right taxation model for your business.

Unless elected otherwise, a Limited Liability Company (or LLC) is taxed as a partnership, and is not itself federally taxed on its profits and losses. Instead, its items of gain or loss are “passed through” to the LLC’s members (owners) to be claimed on their individual income tax returns. In other words, your Delaware LLC won't need to pay taxes or file a tax return with the state. The character of the LLC’s profits and losses for tax purposes is also passed through to members (e.g., capital gains treatment). 

For Delaware tax purposes, a Delaware LLC that is not physically operating in the State is only required to pay the State a simple, flat-rate franchise tax of $300 per year, due annually on June 1. The franchise tax covers the previous calendar year’s business activity, and is due for so long as the LLC exists, regardless of its level of activity or whether it made any money.  An LLC that is canceled remains responsible for the full $300 franchise tax for the year in which it is canceled, regardless of how far into the year cancellation occurs. For more on how to cancel an LLC, please see our Delaware LLC Cancellation page.

When it comes to Delaware LLC taxes, you’ll have four options under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code: (1) pass-through taxation as a partnership, the default treatment for LLCs, (2) C-Corp entity-level taxation, (3) S-Corp partnership-like taxation, and (4) disregarded status for tax purposes, applied to single-member LLCs. Learn more about the different types of Delaware LLC tax statuses to see which one is best for your business.

Partnership Taxation

When a new LLC is formed, it will be taxed as a partnership by default if it does not elect to be taxed in a different manner by filing a Form with the Internal Revenue Services. As the default, Partnership taxation is the most common form of Delaware LLC taxation. Partnership taxation does not subject the LLC to federal taxation on its income or loss. Instead, each member is allocated their distributive share of the LLC’s income or loss. Each member declares their share on their personal taxes, and pays self-employment tax at their own personal income rate, taking into account the character of the income or loss passed through to the member (owner) (e.g., capital gains taxation rate, etc.).

C-Corp Entity Level Taxation

Management of an LLC can elect to be taxed under Subchapter C (C-Corp taxation) at the entity level, which is the same manner as a corporation is taxed (unless the corporation elects otherwise), by filing IRS form 8832. A C-Corp is considered a separate entity from its members/owners. Your LLC taxes may be automatically subject to C-Corp taxation if your business is treated as a “publicly-traded partnership” or “PTP” for tax purposes.

An LLC electing C-Corp taxation is subject to what is commonly referred to as “double taxation,” meaning the LLC is taxed on its income and loss at the LLC level, and that the members (owners) are also taxed on distributions made by the LLC. These Delaware LLC taxes are based on your income at the then-current corporate tax rate (currently 21%). Unlike in partnership taxation, the character of the LLC’s income is not passed through in distributions from an LLC to its members. Instead, distributions from an LLC electing C-Corp taxation are taxed as ordinary income to the members (owners) or are treated as qualifying dividends (0%, 15%, or 20% depending on the tax bracket of the receiving member) if the distribution qualifies for such treatment.

However, the members (owners) of an LLC electing C-Corp taxation will have many options for reducing the effect of “double taxation.” If taxed as a C-Corp, an LLC in Delaware is able to deduct all business expenses, interest payments, reasonable salaries paid to owners, employee fringe benefits (such as health and disability insurance), and more, thereby lowering the amount of tax owed. When a Delaware LLC elects C-Corp taxation, they’ll pay lower tax rates on earnings retained for use in improving the company, a benefit that is unique to C-Corp taxation.

In addition, an entity that elects C-Corp for their LLC tax status can fully deduct state and local income tax and property taxes from its taxable income. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that an individual's deductions for state and local income taxes as well as property taxes are capped at $10,000 (or $5,000 for married couples filing separately). Therefore, a member loses the full benefit of this deduction if it invests in a pass-through entity, such as an LLC subject to partnership taxation (or S-Corp taxation, discussed below).

S-Corp Pass-Through Taxation

An LLC can elect to be treated as a pass-through entity by filing Form 2553, electing LLC tax status under Subchapter S (S-Corp taxation). S-Corp taxation is very similar to the LLC default partnership taxation in that, under each, the LLC itself is not taxed as an entity; instead, members are considered employees and can receive a salary subject to payroll taxes. The members take all items of income and loss onto their own tax filings and the character of the income is passed through from the LLC to the members, preventing double taxation.

Despite the similarities, it's also important to highlight the differences between S-Corp taxation and partnership taxation. In some cases, Delaware LLCs subject to S-Corp taxation can engage in tax planning techniques that an LLC taxed as a partnership cannot. Some of those areas include self-employment taxes and claiming the 20% “qualified business income” deduction available in some cases.

Note that electing S-Corp taxation imposes significant restrictions on the ownership and operations of an LLC. For example, in order to qualify for S-Corp LLC tax status, an LLC must (1) (a) have no more than 100 beneficial owners, (b) all of whom must be natural persons (no entities, save for certain trusts and estates), (c) that are U.S. persons (no non-US members), and (2) issue only one class of membership interests. These requirements are very restrictive and limit the size and investor base of the LLC significantly.

Single-Member LLC Taxation

Unlike Partnership taxation, an LLC with only a single member is automatically classified as a “disregarded entity” by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, unless it elects C-Corp or S-Corp taxation by filing IRS Form 8832. As a disregarded entity, for purposes of taxation, the LLC is ignored (and does not prepare or file a tax return) and LLC items of gain and loss are treated as those of the sole member directly. Since there is technically no single-member LLC taxation and the LLC does not need to file a tax return with the IRS, any income must be claimed on the single member’s personal tax return as self-employment earnings. This means that the sole owner of the business will need to report all profits and losses alongside their personal income tax return, similar to a sole proprietorship.

A single-member LLC which adds on another member automatically has their LLC tax status adjusted to that of a partnership. This conversion to partnership taxation may have tax consequences to the original member. Also, a single member LLC can elect C-Corp taxation or, if it meets the eligibility requirements, S-Corp taxation and status.

Other Delaware LLC Tax BenefitsIn addition to multiple tax structures, there are several other Delaware LLC tax benefits. Delaware itself doesn't have to state income tax or sales tax for out-of-state businesses. Similarly, Delaware doesn't have a sales tax for LLCs that don't have a physical presence in the state. However, you might still need to file tax returns and potentially pay taxes in the state(s) where your LLC operates or has employees. Furthermore, there could be industry-specific tax filings or payments required depending on your buisness. 

Choosing Your Delaware LLC Tax Status