LLC vs S-Corp Taxes: Which Saves Self-Employed Owners More?
By default an LLC pays no federal income tax — its profits flow through to your personal return. An S-Corp does the same, but with one big difference that can save thousands.
How a default LLC is taxed
Single-member LLC: disregarded entity, files Schedule C. Multi-member: files Form 1065 partnership return. In both cases all net profit is subject to 15.3% self-employment tax, plus regular income tax.
How an S-Corp changes the math
The S-Corp election (Form 2553) lets you split profit into two buckets:
- Reasonable salary — W-2 wages to you, subject to FICA (15.3% split between employer/employee)
- Distributions — leftover profit, not subject to FICA or SE tax
The distributions piece is the tax savings.
A real example
$120,000 of net business profit:
- As an LLC: ~$16,950 in SE tax (15.3% × 92.35% × $120K)
- As an S-Corp paying $70K salary + $50K distribution: ~$10,710 FICA on salary, $0 on distribution → ~$6,240 saved
The reasonable salary rule (don't break it)
The IRS requires S-Corp owner-employees to pay themselves a salary comparable to what you'd pay someone else to do the same work. Pay too little and the IRS will reclassify distributions as wages — with back taxes, penalties, and interest.
When the S-Corp election makes sense
Rough rule: net profit consistently over $60,000–$80,000. Below that, the added cost (payroll service, separate return, state franchise tax, retirement plan complexity) eats the savings.
What the S-Corp does NOT change
- Legal liability protection (same as LLC)
- State LLC filing requirements
- Income tax rate (still pass-through)
- The need for a separate business bank account
How to elect
File Form 2553 within 75 days of formation, or by March 15 to take effect for the current calendar year. Many states require a parallel state election.
Run your own numbers
Use our free, in-browser calculators — no signup, no data collection.
Open the calculators