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Comparisons

Business Form Comparisons
Western Governors University

The different forms of business are sole proprietorship, which is already in use by the client; general partnership; limited partnership; c-corporation; s-corporation; and Limited Liability Company. The client is currently unsatisfied with the sole proprietorship, which is the easiest type of business to begin and to run, but which doesn’t fit the client’s needs any longer, since the business has expanded exponentially over the past few years.

Sole Proprietorship:
The sole proprietorship does have several advantages. It is easy to start and inexpensive to operate.
• Taxes: The owner does not have to file a separate tax return, and all profits and losses are reported on the owner’s personal tax return.
• Control: The owner retains all control and makes all decisions regarding the business, and of course, reaps all the profits.
• Location: Even if the owner expands the operation into another state, it is unlikely to cause trouble, though the owner might need to get a business license or register the business’s name.
• Liability: Under the sole proprietorship, the owner is directly responsible for all the debts incurred by the business. The owner is also liable for any injuries that might happen as a result of business activities. Capital is also problematic; personal debt is usually the sole source of financing, because there are no stocks or memberships to sell.
• Longevity: This is also problematic, because the business only functions as long as the owner stays with it. If the owner dies, the business becomes defunct, and this could cause inheritance problems.
• Burden: The sole-proprietorship is easy to start and operate, and requires very little filing or paperwork. In some states, if the name of the company is different from the

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