The Launch Blog: Expert Advice from the CorpNet Team
The CPA’s Guide to Assisting Clients with Business Compliance Issues
As a CPA, you probably find that clients sometimes inquire about more than just their business’s taxes and finances. With a strong connection between their money and all other aspects of their companies, they may toss you questions about a variety of business compliance issues that aren’t in your normal area of focus. You need to exercise caution in responding because your insight shouldn’t take the place of proper legal counsel or human resources guidance. However, having a working knowledge of diverse compliance topics can help you aid your clients’ understanding of certain issues and...
What Is a Biennial Report?
Most states require Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) and Corporations to submit some form of ongoing business entity filing. While many states require these filings annually (i.e., annual reports), several require them biennially (every two years). A biennial report allows the Secretary of State office (or comparable government office) to keep up to date with a company’s vital information. States also require businesses to pay a fee when submitting their filing. Each state sets its own due dates for companies to file their biennial reports, so deadlines vary from state to state....
Should You File a BOI Report Amid the CTA’s Questionable Constitutionality?
You’ve likely heard buzz about the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama’s March 1, 2024, ruling that the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is unconstitutional because it oversteps Congress’s legislative authority. As a result, plaintiffs in the National Small Business United (NSBU) et al. v. Yellen case may pass (for now) on filing Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reports to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). My team at CorpNet has talked with many concerned and confused business owners. They want to know if this means they don’t have to file a BOI...
Starting a Business in Retirement
About 4.1 million Americans will turn 65 in 2024, signaling the start of what’s being called the “Peak 65” zone. By 2030, all baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) will have turned 65, a common age for retiring. While many people view retirement as a goal to be achieved, not everyone is ready to stop working when they turn 65. Surveys show that many seniors are worried about having enough money saved to see them through retirement. A recent AARP survey revealed that 33% of respondents reported not having enough money saved for retirement, while another 31% are not sure if...
Help Clients Choose What Is the Best Business Structure Without Fear of Unauthorized Practice of Law
Whether you’re an accountant, tax advisor, coach, or consultant, your clients inevitably turn to you for insight into improving their business’s bottom line. One question they might ask is, “What is the best business structure?” You need to be ultra-careful in advising customers about this because offering legal advice without a license to practice law is unlawful. However, you can give insight pertinent to your certified area of expertise and credentials, and of course, you may direct clients to the right resources for legal guidance. And after a client has decided on a business...
Do I Need a DBA If I Use My Own Name?
A Doing Business As (DBA) name—sometimes called a fictitious business name, assumed name, or trade name—is necessary when conducting business under a name other than a company’s legal name. DBA laws help protect consumers by ensuring the public has a way of knowing who the individual or company behind a fictitious name is. You might wonder…if you use your own personal name as your business name, do you need to register it as a DBA name? The short answer is: If the business owner’s name is considered the legal name of the company, then a DBA is not required. But when is that the case?...
Can Your LLC Have the Same Name as One in a Different State?
You probably know that your Limited Liability Company (LLC) can’t have the same name as another business in your state, but what about a business in a different state? That’s a question you’ll need to think about if you’re considering expanding your LLC into other states. An LLC is required to be registered in every state in which it conducts business, meaning you’ll need to perform a name availability search in each one. Remember that rules regarding business names vary from state to state, so it’s important to check with the Office of the Secretary of State or comparable agency’s...
Tax Registration: What Your Business Needs to Know
Whether you’re a business accountant serving entrepreneurs or you’re a business owner, it’s critical to understand sales and employment tax registration and ongoing requirements. Federal payroll taxes are the same no matter where a business is located, but state employment taxes and sales taxes differ according to tax rates in the various states. I presented a webinar for CPA Academy on this topic, and this blog article will cover what I discussed. So, get ready for a lot of helpful info about various types of employment taxes, payroll tax registration and processing, sales and use tax,...
Can a CPA Set Up an LLC for a Client?
As a seasoned accounting professional, you have earned your clients’ trust and respect. Because your business clients know they can count on you to handle their accounting and tax matters, they may wonder about other ways you can assist them. For instance, someone might ask if you can help them set up an LLC or handle other business filings. Fortunately, that’s a perfectly feasible request for CPAs to fulfill. No legal requirement exists for business owners to ask an attorney to file their business formation or compliance documents. If entrepreneurs don’t feel confident about preparing...
How to Find a Registered Agent for Your LLC
If you have a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or other business that’s registered with the state, you must have a registered agent designated to receive legal correspondence and other documents on its behalf. If your LLC operates in more than one state, you’ll need a registered agent in every state where you’re registered to conduct business. In this article, you’ll learn how to find a registered agent you can trust to accept and process important legal documents quickly and accurately. It’s important to have a registered agent you can rely on, as mishandling summonses, subpoenas, tax...
The Best States to Form an LLC for Privacy
For various reasons, people sometimes want to form a business while keeping their identities private. That can be accomplished by registering an anonymous LLC, sometimes called a private or confidential LLC. States that allow these types of LLCs do not publicly identify the names, addresses, or contact information for members, allowing them to shield their identities. An entrepreneur may want an anonymous LLC to hide a business from an employer who doesn’t know the employee is planning on leaving their position, or so as not to disclose the purchase of real estate. Some people simply...
Partner Program Marketing Resources to Help You Build a New Revenue Stream
The CorpNet Partner Program allows CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, and other financial and tax professionals to create an additional revenue stream for their businesses while building trust and loyalty with their clients. By enabling you to resell CorpNet business formation and compliance services — or get a commission when you refer clients to CorpNet — you can augment your income and maintain a steadier bottom line when the crazy-busy tax season has passed. As a Reseller, you collect the necessary information from your clients, and CorpNet prepares their forms and submits them behind...
Single Member LLC vs. Multiple Member LLC
Although the primary difference between a single-member LLC (SLLC) and a multi-member LLC may be obvious (the first has one owner and the second has two or more), these variations of the Limited Liability Company business structure have other nuances to consider. They share many characteristics, but there’s more than just the difference in the number of owners to ponder when deciding whether one or the other might be a good fit for your business. Choosing between a single-member LLC vs. a multi-member LLC or other business entity type involves thinking about ownership, personal asset...
The Benefits of Incorporating a Business
If you’re getting ready to launch a company or are already up and running as a Sole Proprietorship, you might be thinking about formally incorporating the business. Forming a Corporation might sound daunting, and it does require some actionable steps to get it registered and in compliance with the state, but the benefits of incorporating far outweigh any effort involved. In this article, we’ll explore those benefits and I’ll outline the basic steps of getting registered as a Corporation. But first, let’s review exactly what it means to incorporate a business. You can technically operate a...
Four Common Types of Corporations
Incorporating a business provides many benefits for companies of all types and sizes. The process requires filing paperwork and paying a fee to have the state recognize the business as an official entity. Before deciding on a specific type of Corporation, you should think through several considerations that include: Where business will be conducted Wanting to have limited personal liability for business activities Whether the business will have a partner or an investor The company’s expected earnings and deductions Desire to minimize self-employment tax obligation Business goals Tolerance...
How to Start a Business in Georgia
In 2024, personal finance company WalletHub ranked Georgia as the second-best state in the country for business formation. Reasons include one of the highest rates of entrepreneurship, a prevalence of interconnected businesses, exceptional growth potential, and a low corporate tax rate. If you’re thinking about starting a business in Georgia, there are some factors specific to that state that you’ll need to consider. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get your business up and running. 1. Fine-tune Your Business Idea Before you start filing paperwork and...
What to Look for in an Accounting Partner Program
Whew! You made it through the crazy-busy tax season, and I hope you and your fellow accounting professionals are enjoying some much-deserved time to relax. With the lion’s share of your firm’s revenue secured in the first four months of the year, you may now be considering ways to augment your services and keep cash flowing. Enrolling in a partner program may be an ideal answer! A partner program provides an opportunity to create additional revenue streams for accounting and CPA professionals. So, after high tax season has passed, accountants can continue to earn income steadily all year...
Member Managed vs Manager Managed LLC
Of the more than 30 million small businesses in the United States, 35% are Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), according to the Small Business Administration. LLCs are a popular business entity for a number of reasons. They’re relatively easy to get up and running and normally not overly difficult to maintain in terms of licensing, filing annual reports, and performing other tasks necessary to remain in compliance. They provide flexibility in how the business is taxed and shield members from personal liability. Also, LLC members are able to decide how the company will be managed. An LLC...
Is State Unemployment Insurance Required?
At any time, a percentage of the labor force is unemployed for various reasons. According to the United States Department of Labor, 6.4 million (3.8%) people across the U.S. were unemployed in March 2024. State unemployment insurance is a critical support program that helps individuals who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, providing a source of income while they search for another position. Since 2007, there have typically been two to five million active UI claims on any given day, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During the pandemic, claims rose to...
What Is a Statutory Agent?
A statutory agent, more commonly known as a registered agent, agent for service of process, or a resident agent. It is an individual or entity appointed by a Limited Liability Company, S Corporation, C Corporation, or other legal business entity to accept legal documents, government correspondence, and compliance paperwork on its behalf. Statutory agents are critical for keeping statutory (state-registered) business entities in compliance with a state’s laws, which is why states require business entities to designate one. This is done when completing their registration forms to conduct...
How to Find Your First 10 Accounting Clients
Searching for the first clients for your startup accounting business might seem like finding a needle in a haystack (or, for you Harry Potter fans, like finding a Horcrux in the Room of Requirement). In reality, however, it can actually be pretty simple, thanks to powerful apps and social media marketing. Or, you might have better luck finding your first ten accounting clients the old-fashioned way, via face-to-face interaction. Better still, why not combine both types of marketing to find those first customers? If you're looking to start or grow your accounting firm, I'd like to share...
DBA vs. LLC: What’s the Difference?
If you’re starting a new businessm adding new locations, or adding business lines, you are likely wondering if registering a DBA or forming an LLC is the best route to travel. A DBA is an assumed (fictitious) name that an existing business has received approval to use when conducting business. An LLC is a registered business entity. Both options provide a way to operate under a business name other than a company’s legal name. But in addition to that similarity, they have significant differences. Choosing one or the other affects a company’s costs, compliance requirements, and other...
Is a Farm LLC Really Necessary?
Starting and running a farming business provides the opportunity and the freedom to forge your own professional path. There’s hard work involved and any seasoned farmer will tell you farming is a 24/7 commitment. And an agricultural business comes with many of the same risks that other types of companies do, and some that other types of businesses do not. A farming business faces many uncontrollable threats such as economic downturns, droughts, floods, illness, accidents related to the use of large equipment, or unseasonable freezing weather. That’s why it’s critical to consider what...
Do Uber Drivers Need an LLC?
Uber drivers, even those doing rideshare driving as a side gig, are considered to be earning income through self-employment. Just like other self-employed independent contractors, they face some critical startup decisions—including what business entity type to choose for their business. After signing the Uber contract to designate themselves as a self-employed private contractor, Uber drivers face the decision of what type of business structure they should operate under. And they shouldn’t take this lightly, because the business structure chosen will affect their tax obligations and...
7 Real Reasons Why You Need a Dedicated Business Bank Account
Whether you operate a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Limited Liability Company (LLC), Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), or Corporation, how you manage your finances is a vital aspect of running your business. While using your personal bank account for business might seem like the simplest solution, it’s not a good idea for a variety of reasons. Mixing your business and personal finances can result in problems ranging from tax consequences to your business appearing to be unprofessional. Let’s take a deeper dive into some reasons why keeping your business and personal bank accounts...
Do You Have a Domestic or Foreign LLC?
A domestic and foreign LLC refers to the state where the LLC is created. Registering your business as a foreign LLC (also known as a foreign qualification) is required under certain circumstances when you operate your business outside of the state in which you’ve formed your LLC. The purpose of registering is to meet the regulatory and tax requirements of the foreign state. Despite the term "foreign", a foreign LLC operates domestically within the United States. Your LLC isn’t considered foreign in the state where you initially registered it, only in the states where you’ve expanded its...
LLC vs. C Corporation
Is it better to form a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a C Corporation? Many entrepreneurs ask that question as they work through the many facets of transforming their dream of business ownership into a reality. The business structures have similarities and differences, as well as advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to consider all of them when deciding on the right business entity type for your company. So, how do LLCs and Corporations compare? 1. State Registration Both LLCs and Corporations are formed by filing registration forms with the state. The paperwork required,...
Kentucky Annual Reports: When They’re Due and How to File Them
In Kentucky, Limited Liability Companies, C Corporations, Limited Partnerships, and Business Trusts must file an annual report with the Kentucky Secretary of State office. Businesses operating as Sole Proprietors or General Partnerships do not have to file. Kentucky annual reports allow the State to provide accurate information to the public about the business entities registered there. Registered entities must file their report each year—even if they had no business activity or income. The report due date, regardless of entity type, is June 30 and businesses may file anytime between...
7 Things to Know About Florida’s Annual Report
If you have incorporated in Florida or formed an LLC in Florida, your deadline for filing your Annual Report is May 1. Here are 7 facts that you need to know to ensure that your corporation or LLC remains compliant in the state of Florida.
You Must File an Annual Report Whether Your Business Has Changes or Not
While the purpose of the Annual Report is to ensure that the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations has your company’s most updated information, you still have to file the document, even if you have no changes since last year.
Can a Single-Member LLC Be an S Corporation?
A single-member LLC can be taxed as an S Corporation if it meets the IRS’s eligibility criteria. In fact, both single-member and multi-member Limited Liability Companies can elect to be treated by the IRS as either an S Corporation or a C Corporation if they meet the requirements. IRS's S Corporation Qualification Criteria: Be a domestic corporation or an entity eligible to be treated as a domestic corporation. And not be an ineligible corporation (such as certain financial institutions, insurance companies, and domestic international sales corporations. Have only allowable shareholders...
