Are you the owner of a LLC that has multiple members? In that case, you probably distribute a K-1 form every year to your owners or shareholders. The purpose of a K-1 form is to outline each co-owner’s portion of the year’s income, loss, and deductions, and all of those people will need this form in order to complete portions of their personal tax returns.
And you thought credit card processing and merchant accounts were complex? Wait until tax time. As an owner of a LLC, it’s important to report net profit or loss. Additionally, however, if you have other owners/shareholders, some of this financial data must be tracked individually. If you have a LLC with multiple members, you can file your taxes as a partnership, an S corporation, or a C corporation for tax purposes. If you choose an S corporation, you must distribute K-1 forms to each member.
A Schedule K-1 is similar to a W-2, which is the end-of-the year income statement that employers send to their employees for tax purposes. A LLC or S corporation does not pay taxes, with the understanding that they will follow the tax code under Subchapter S. What this means is that an S corporation distributes its profits or losses to owners or shareholders (through Form K-1) who then report them on their personal tax returns. A LLC that just has one member requires that one member to report the LLC’s profits and losses on his or her own personal tax return.
If you are receiving a K-1 form, it is important to know where to input all the information. The information on a K-1 form must be placed in the correct spots on Schedule E (Supplemental Income and Loss). Then all of the Schedule E data is input into your personal Form 1040 on Line 17.
As your business grows, it will likely get more complex; as you master those tasks like credit card processing or partnerships or merchant accounts, it might be time to start hiring a tax preparer to help you before April comes and it’s time to file your taxes.
As the owner of a LLC, educate yourself. If you’re the only owner, you just have yourself to worry about when tax time rolls around. But if you have co-owners or shareholders, know that they will probably require a K-1 form in order to complete their personal taxes.