Question

Andrea would like to organize SHO as either an LLC (taxed as a sole proprietorship) or a C corporation. In either form, the entity is expected to generate an 11 percent annual before-tax return on a $890,000 investment. Andrea’s marginal income tax rate is 35 percent and her tax rate on dividends and capital gains is 15 percent. Andrea will also pay a 3.8 percent net investment income tax on dividends and capital gains she recognizes. If Andrea organizes SHO as an LLC, Andrea will be required to pay an additional 2.9 percent for self-employment tax and an additional 0.9 percent for the additional Medicare tax. Further, she is eligible to claim the full deduction for qualified business income. Assume that SHO will pay out all of its after-tax earnings every year as a dividend if it is formed as a C corporation. How much cash after taxes would Andrea receive from her investment in the first year if SHO is organized as either an LLC or a C corporation?

Answer 1

Solution:
	LLC	Description	C Corp.	Description
(1) Earnings	$ 97,900.00	$890,000 x 11%	$ 97,900.00	$890,000 x 11%
(2) Qualified business income deduction	$ 19,580.00	(1) x 20%
(3) Pretax Earnings	$ 78,320.00	(1) - (2)	$ 97,900.00	(1) - (2)
(4) Entity level tax			$ 34,265.00	(3) x 35%
(5) After tax entity Earnings	$ 78,320.00	(3) - (4)	$ 63,635.00	(3) - (4)
(6) Owner tax
Ordinary tax	$ 27,412.00	(5) x 35%
Dividend tax			$   9,545.25	(5) x 15%
Net investment income tax			$   2,418.13	(5) x 3.8%
Self employment tax	$   2,271.28	(5) x 2.9%
Medicare tax	$      704.88	(5) x 0.9%
Total owner tax	$ 30,388.16		$ 11,963.38
(7) After tax earnings	$ 47,931.84	(5) - (6)	$ 51,671.62	(5) - (6)
Cash after tax Andrea would receive from her investment in the first year	$ 67,511.84	(2) + (7)	$ 51,671.62	(2) + (7)