To incorporate in Delaware this package price includes (most popular for USA residents): Search name availability for your LLC in Delaware Includes one-time filing fee in Delaware and our one-time service fee Preparation and Filing of the Certificate of Formation State of Delaware formation within 24 hours of receipt of order with payment A recorded copy of the Certificate of Formation within 5-7 business days of filing The following documents will be posted to you (Note: these documents are sent to you through TNT Express Mail Service): Original Certificate of LLC Formation The following documents will be e-mailed, which you need to print and sign: 20 page Delaware LLC Operating Agreement ready-for-signature by email (MS Word) Minutes or Consents Documentation of Organizational Meeting (MS Word) Federal Tax ID Number Form (PDF)
Classic Package
£ 175.00
Renewal fees from £233
To register in Delaware this package price includes (most popular for USA and EU residents): Search name availability for your LLC in Delaware Includes one-time filing fee in Delaware and our one-time service fee Preparation and Filing of the Certificate of Formation State of Delaware formation within 24 hours of receipt of order with payment A recorded copy of the Certificate of Formation within 5-7 business days of filing Delaware Resident Agent for 12 months Registered Address in the State of Delaware for 12 months The following documents will be posted to you (Note: these documents are sent to you through TNT Express Mail Service): Original Certificate of LLC Formation The following documents will be e-mailed, which you need to print and sign: 20 page Delaware LLC Operating Agreement ready-for-signature by email (MS Word) Minutes or Consents Documentation of Organizational Meeting (MS Word) Federal Tax ID Number Form (PDF)
Deluxe Package
£ 315.00
Renewal fees from £373
To register in Delaware this package price includes (most popular for overseas residents): Search name availability for your LLC in Delaware Includes one-time filing fee in Delaware and our one-time service fee Preparation and Filing of the Certificate of Formation State of Delaware formation within 24 hours of receipt of order with payment A recorded copy of the Certificate of Formation within 5-7 business days of filing Delaware Resident Agent for 12 months Registered Address in the State of Delaware for 12 months Nominee LLC Member (Manager) for 12 months The following documents will be posted to you (Note: these documents are sent to you through TNT Express Mail Service, and are to be completed upon arrival): Original Certificate of LLC Formation 20 page Delaware LLC Operating Agreement signed by nominee Minutes or Consents Documentation of Organizational Meeting signed by nominee Pre-signed, undated resignation letter from Nominee Member General Power of Attorney signed by Nominee An indemnity Letter for General Power of Attorney A nominee service agreement which provides for the indemnification of the nominees Federal Tax ID Number Form (PDF)
Forming an LLC: Legal Requirements
LLC subscribers may be residents outside the U.S.A. A LLC may be organized by one person. The organizer need not be a natural person, nor a member. You must appoint a minimum of 1 member. Members can be corporate bodies or private individuals. An LLC member can be of any nationality. The LLC owners are called members. An LLC can have an unlimited number of members (owners). While the Delaware Act permits a Delaware LLC to be managed by its members, it does not require members to be managers. A limited liability company may be either member-managed or manager- managed. The members direct the management of the LLC unless a manager is named. Most states require that an LLC have a Registered Agent who maintains a registered office within the state of formation. All LLCs incorporated in the State of Delaware are required to file an Annual Franchise Tax Report and to pay a franchise tax. The income of a limited liability company passes through to its members, who report the income on their personal tax returns. LLCs are allowed to have subsidiaries without restriction.
DELAWARE LLC ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. DELAWARE INCORPORATION AND LLC FORMATION SERVICES
The primary advantage of a limited liability company is limiting the liability of its members. Unless they personally guarantee them, the members are not liable for the debts and obligations of the limited liability company. In a partnership or sole proprietorship, creditors may seize personal assets of the participants to pay debts of the business. The Limited Liability Company is a powerful entity to protect assets from the threat of lawsuits and claims. It would also make sense to separate your risky assets from your safe assets. For example, hold investments in one LLC, and heavy equipment and property in another LLC. Are there benefits to forming a LLC? The limited liability company (LLC) is a relatively new business structure that is increasingly popular with small companies. An LLC offers the liability protection of a corporation and the flexibility and tax advantages of a partnership. In an LLC, income passes through to the owners, instead of being taxed separately. Rules for running an LLC are less rigid than those for a corporation. For example, LLCs don't have to hold annual meetings. Limited Liability Company (LLC) Advantages: Same pass-through features of an S corporation which avoids double taxation of profits. Flexibility of a partnership without the restrictions of an S corporation. In comparison to a limited partnership, the Limited Liability Company (LLC) offers limited liability protection for all members, whereas the general partner in a limited partnership has unlimited liability. Also, if any limited partner in a limited partnership participates in management, the limited partner is exposed to personal liability, whereas a Limited Liability Company (LLC) member who participates in management is not exposed. Contribution of appreciated property to an S corporation is a tax-free event if the contributing shareholders control 80% or more of the stock after the contribution. A contribution of appreciated property to a Limited Liability Company (LLC) as a partnership is tax free regardless as to how much control the contributing partner has. Liquidation of an S corporation interest is a taxable event and is treated as if the corporation sold the liquidated assets at their fair market value to the shareholder. Liquidation of a Limited Liability Company (LLC) as a partnership is generally a tax-free event.
LLCs allow a business to have the limited personal liability of a corporation as provided by state law, while being treated as a partnership for purposes of Federal tax laws. The downside to an LLC is that you don't get the free transferability of ownership, perpetual existence, and the ability to be totally owned by a single individual that you'd get with a Corporation. That is the trade off you make to get the Partnership tax status and greater management flexibility. If the company's business plan includes raising capital by someday admitting new owners or going public, then a Corporation is probably the more desirable form for the business. Limited Liability Companies generally restrict the transfer of ownership interests in the business to make sure the business is classified as a Partnership under federal tax law. An LLC usually has a limited existence in that it will end after a specified number of years or upon the occurrence of some specified event. This requirement is intended to help the business qualify as a Partnership for purposes of tax law. Incorporate in Delaware Online: Free Name Check For Your Delaware LLC or Corporation |
Our Service
Coddan provides low cost Incorporation and LLC formation services to businesses and individuals. We form companies in all 50 states including Delaware, Florida, California, New York, Washington and Nevada. Delaware state law requires that certain information be included in the articles of organization during the process of Delaware LLC registration. This information must include: the company name, the address of the registered office and the name and address of the registered agent. The address of the principal place of business of the limited liability company. The period of the LLC's duration (this may be perpetual or for a set amount of time). A statement as to whether the LLC is to be managed by managers. The name and address of each person executing the certificate of formation. Don't know which type of Entity to form? Call one of our specialists for a FREE CONSULTATION today! Call 0-207-637-3802 or you can chat with one of our reps live online.
Our Service Include
You probably found this page because you're looking into the process of LLC formation in the United States of America. While this is a complicated process, once you have a basic understanding of it, you can file for company status in under few hours. Looking for information & guidance regarding limited liability company registration, Delaware LLC formation and small business start-up advice? Need company incorporation specialists with the prompt service and expert advice? Do you want to incorporate your business in Delaware, Florida, Washington, California or Nevada? Are you looking to set-up a business in the United States? Why should you bother with registering an LLC? Do you want to register a new limited liability company using YOUR OWN Members? You've come to the right place. Compare Prices of Various Forms of CompaniesDelaware Corporations and LLCs Registration Packages & Costs |
Should you seriously consider forming an LLC? Anyone who sets up an LLC needs to be able to quickly locate key organizational documents. These are your LLC articles of organization (sometimes called a "certificate of formation" or a "certificate of organization") and operating agreement. Because these are really the constitution of your LLC, you'll refer to them again and again. If you have not already done so, set up an LLC records binder that contains all key LLC documents. You can do this on your own with a three-ring binder. Your LLC records binder should contain: articles of organization, operating agreement, membership certificates and stubs (if your LLC decides to issue certificates to members), membership register that lists the names and addresses of your members, membership transfer ledger, showing the dates of any transfers of membership interests by a member, and minutes of LLC meetings and written consent forms. If you have any questions please E-Mail or call us: 0800 081 1510 or +44 (0) 207 637 3881, fax: +44 20 7681 3318.
It's true that an LLC can be set up with a management structure that has the same centralized features as a board-managed corporation - for example, the LLC can select a management team consisting of owners who are active in the business and possibly an outside investor. But precisely because LLCs are more flexible and informal business entities, they can be less disciplined and less responsive to the interests of outside investors. Specifically, they don't provide as many management protections and controls as do corporations, such as shareholder inspection rights and annual disclosure requirements, which makes it more difficult for investors to hold management accountable. In addition, it's more difficult to set up different classes of ownership in an LLC to cater to the special concerns of investors. In contrast, in a corporation, the founders can adopt an off-the-shelf capitalization structure of non-preferred and preferred shares - which are usually immediately attractive to venture capital investors. And forget about taking an LLC public with an IPO (initial public offering of stock) - if this is your short-term dream, you'll definitely want to incorporate to take advantage of the long-established statutory procedures that address the interests of attracting and maintaining a large group of investors (shareholders).
The first key organizing document any LLC must have is its articles of organization (in some states, this document is called a certificate of organization or certificate of formation). An LLC comes into existence when its articles of organization are filed with the state LLC filing office. The articles normally contain fundamental structural information about the company, such as: the name of the LLC, whether the LLC is managed by all of its members or by specially selected managers (most smaller LLCs are member-managed), the names and addresses of its members and/or managers and its registered agent, and the agent's office address (this is the registered office of the LLC to which legal papers can be sent by the state and by persons serving legal process on the LLC). For the majority of small LLCs, no additional information is required in this document. However, larger LLCs sometimes add optional articles containing special provisions if they wish to set up a more complex structure for their LLC.
The LLC operating agreement is an LLC's second-most important document. The operating agreement does not need to be filed with the state - it is an internal document, much like corporate bylaws or a partnership agreement. It lists the capital, profits, and voting interests of current members of the LLC. The operating agreement may specify: the frequency of regular meetings of managers and members, and the call, notice, quorum, and voting rules for each type of meeting. Or it may be silent on these issues, leaving these details to the LLC managers and members to decide later. Typically, state requirements for approving special matters are also included in the operating agreement. This includes any state-mandated manager and member voting requirements for admitting new members or for approving the sale of a membership interest by a current member to a new member. Delaware LLC Formation Package - £99.00! Delaware LLC Formation Packages & Costs | (Price Includes Standard State Filing Fee)
Membership Certificates and Stubs. It is not legally necessary to issue membership certificates to members. However, some LLC owners like this additional formality. Typically, there is no state-required format for such membership certificates. Most certificates show the name of the LLC, the name of the member, and the date of issuance of the certificate. Certificates are signed by one or more LLC officers (the LLC president and secretary, typically). A certificate normally does not show the exact capital, profits, or voting interests of an member; instead, it simply recites that the member is entitled to the rights and subject to the responsibilities of membership, as set out in the articles of organization and operating agreement of the LLC. After the certificate is issued to a member, a certificate stub is filled out by the LLC secretary, showing the date of issuance and certificate number. The certificate stubs are kept in the LLC records binder. The stubs usually contain a transfer section that is completed if and when a member transfers the membership back to the LLC or to another person.
Delaware LLC with Resident Agent and Registered Address from only £175.00! All our Delaware LLCs are general trading companies which include search name availability for your Delaware LLC. Preparation and filing of Certificate of Formation with state office. Our incorporation service and State filing fees. Certified Copy of the Certificate of Formation. Delaware Resident Agent for 12 months. Registered Address in the State of Delaware for 12 months. Delivery Certified Copy of the Certificate of Formation is delivered as hard copy by post. The following documents will be delivered via E-Mail: a professionally-prepared 20 page Delaware LLC Operating Agreement ready-for-signature (Word. format). Minutes or Consents Documentation of Organizational Meeting. It will take just 5 minutes to complete the online LLC formation form and you might get the company set up within 24-48 hours.
THE FOLLOWING UPGRADES CAN BE ADDED TO THE ABOVE PACKAGE:
1. Nominee LLC Member service for 12 months - £140.00 2. Nominee Operating Manger service for 12 months - £94.00 3. Non-Standard Certificate of Formation (4-5 pages) - £60.00 4. Employer Identification Number (EIN) - £40.00 5. Domain Name Registration (.com or .us) for two years - £30.00 6. 888, 877, or 866 toll-free telephone numbers - £50.00 7. Apostilled Certificate of Good Standing - £125.00 8. Apostilled Certificate of Formation - £110.00 9.Corporate Kit (seal is included) - £38.00
Membership Register. State law generally requires an LLC to keep an alphabetical list of the names and addresses of all current members. This list can be inspected by any member during regular business hours of the LLC. It should also be made available for inspection to all members at any membership meeting. This list is used by the LLC secretary to prepare and mail notice of meetings to members. If the LLC is managed by specially selected managers, the LLC should have a list of the managers' names and addresses.
Minutes of LLC Meetings and Written. If your LLC has been in existence for some time, you may have previously prepared minutes of LLC manager or member meetings or written consent forms. This is especially likely if a lawyer helped you form your LLC. Contact your attorney to get copies of previously prepared minutes and written consents, and place them in your LLC records binder.
Most States allow LLCs to be formed with one or more members. The IRS has "check the box" regulations that default to taxation as a partnership. The tax form used is form 1065. Members may not get paid a "salary" or "wages." In lieu of salary, earned income may be paid as "consulting fees" or "guaranteed payments to members/partners." These are taxed to the member (not to the LLC) for SECA purposes (similar to FICA and Medicare). Once "earned income" is generated as per the above, you may receive (if desired and if structured properly) a tax deduction for payments made for health insurance and retirement plan contributions for yourself and family members. An LLC is owned by its members. They are analogous to partners in a partnership or shareholders in a corporation, depending on the how the LLC is managed.
A member will more closely resemble a shareholder if the LLC utilizes the operating concept of a manager or managers because then the members will not participate in management. If the LLC does not utilize managers, then the members will closely resemble partners because they will have a direct say in the decision making of the company. A member's ownership of an LLC is represented by their "interests," just as partners have "interest" in a partnership and shareholders have stock in a corporation.
Whether you're starting a new business or looking to protect your assets, forming a business entity: corporation, limited liability company, S-corporation or limited partnership is serious business. One size does not fit all when it comes to deciding how you are going to structure your business. Not only is it important to pick the right business structure but it's even more important that you properly set-up your new company from the beginning. Failure to structure your business correctly from the start can leave you personally exposed to litigation and possible tax penalties. Limited Liability Company has the advantage of being a hybrid between a partnership and a Corporation. The advantage of a Limited Liability Company is that most states require fewer formalities be observed in an LLC in comparison to a corporation. Real Estate Investments. LLC's flexibility allow unlimited number of members. LLCs may register their shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission as publicly traded securities i.e. (REITS) Real Estate Investment Trusts under the LLC umbrella at far less costs and with less administrative complications. The United States is the "OFFSHORE" for foreign entrepreneurs. Foreign investors consider the United States as their "offshore" tax-free tax haven jurisdiction due to favorite treatment of their investments and tax-free status afforded to them.
Example: there's NO Capital Gains Taxes on securities purchased in the United States and sold by foreign investors. The LLC is an ideal way to transfer wealth amongst family members. The older generation (parents) retain control of the assets or business by eliminating third party interests and restricting membership, while eliminating estate and gift tax consequences. The LLC is a much more practical device for this purpose with no mandatory distributions to the younger generation (children). Once you have decided the type of business entity which is best for your business, articles of organization must be filed with the proper state agency together with certain fees. Coddan will provide all necessary services to ensure that the administrative processes are completed in the shortest period of time, with the highest degree of skill and efficiency, and at the lowest cost.
LLC Advantages: One LLC Member Required. Historically, most states require that a Limited Liability Company be comprised of at least two LLC members. Today most states and the IRS recognize the single-member LLC as a legitimate business structure. Separate Legal Entity Like limited partnerships and corporations, the Limited Liability Company shares a similar advantage - it is recognized as a separate legal entity from its "members." If you want to become familiar with the description and the contents of Delaware limited liability company formation packages, offered by Coddan and to find above, what kind of service is included in this or that Delaware LLC incorporation package, to get an idea about the price of annual renewal of the service, and about the general legal requirements to the LLC organization within State of Delaware, please, select the package you need from the list, situated below the banner. The information in the banner will be renewed according to the package you've chosen. We Have Available Delaware Corporations and Limited Liability CompaniesList of Delaware Ready-Made LLCs for Sale |
Live Help » Live Help is a real time "chat" feature which enables you to interact with a customer service representative without a phone call. Get answers to your questions while using our website. Clicking the "Live Help" button will start an on-line session with one of our representatives. Live Help is currently available during normal business hours. Outside of the above opening hours our business center will be closed. When you click on the button you will see an e-mail form that will allow you to send us a mail with your questions. Live Help is absolutely free! There are no hidden fees. We offer the service as a courtesy to our website visitors. Dear visitors, while having a chat session with a customer, we are frequently requested to give a piece of advice on tax planning or business structuring. We would like to inform you that it is against our principles to provide online advice pertaining to these issues. The points that may be covered during a session include service description, package or service price, navigation at our website, ways of making an order, methods of payment etc. Yet, if you wish us to provide you with advice on tax or business structuring, you should be aware that this service is chargeable.
WHAT ARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES? HOW TO FORM AN LLC
If you're a business owner considering your incorporation options, The Coddan is a valuable online resource for information to help you decided whether to form a Delaware LLC or another type of business entity. There are pros and cons to each, but no matter what type of corporation you opt for, the corporate designation confers an image of stability, longevity, and competence.
Entrepreneurs trust us to incorporate in Delaware and register an LLC the same day. Two business days after registering your company, on average, we deliver it to you by priority mail. Incorporating protects your personal assets from business liabilities. Referrals and repeat customers generate most of our business. We are more than just a filing service; we develop relationships with clients to help make them successful and keep them returning. The Coddan makes registering your Delaware LLC fast and easy. Most states answer incorporation submissions within 2-3 business days, so your Delaware LLC can be up and running quickly.
A Limited Liability Company, also referred to as an "LLC", is a new class of business operating entity with legal status in certain states (see below) - a hybrid between an S corporation and a partnership. It combines the tax advantage of a partnership (avoidance of corporate income tax) with the legal safeguard of a corporation - namely the fact that owner' personal assets are not normally at risk in business-related lawsuits. As of December 1997, all states, plus the District of Columbia, have passed laws governing the administration and operation of LLCs within their jurisdictions.
Simplicity and Flexibility of Operation. An LLC is formed by filing a form called Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State, which are similar to Articles of Incorporation for a corporation. Some states, including California, require an annual report to be filed to keep the records maintained by the state current. Other than that, there are generally no other reports or forms to be filed, except tax returns. An LLC may be "manager managed" or "member managed." A Limited Liability Company that is manager managed is similar to a limited partnership where the general partner has the authority to run the operations of the partnership and the other members have little or no input. In short, the "manager-managed" LLC is well suited to accomplish this estate-planning objective. A manager of a manager-managed LLC may, but need not, be a member (this is a corporate concept). The Articles of Organization or Certificate of Formation of an LLC may have to specify whether the Limited Liability Company is member-managed or manager-managed to make this a matter of public record.
An LLC that is member managed is similar to a general partnership where all the members have equal say in the operation or the voting may be based on their ownership interest. An LLC also allows for great management flexibility. The management can be decentralized and informal, such as the management of a general partnership. Alternatively, the Limited Liability Company may adopt a corporate style of management structure with a board of "managing directors." The Board may then appoint a president, CFO and secretary.
Single-Owner LLCs. The IRS treats one-member LLCs as sole proprietorships for tax purposes. This means that the LLC itself does not pay taxes and does not have to file a return with the IRS. As the sole owner of your LLC, you must report all profits (or losses) of the LLC on Schedule C and submit it with your 1040 tax return. Even if you leave profits in the company's bank account at the end of the year - for instance, to cover future expenses or expand the business - you must pay taxes on that money.
Multi-Owner LLCs. The IRS treats co-owned LLCs as partnerships for tax purposes. Co-owned Limited Liability Companies themselves do not pay taxes on business income; instead, the LLC owners each pay taxes on their lawful share of the profits on their personal income tax returns (with Schedule E attached). Each LLC member's share of profits and losses, called a distributive share, is set out in the LLC operating agreement.
Most operating agreements provide that a member's distributive share is in proportion to his percentage interest in the business. For instance, if Jimmy owns 60% of the LLC, and Luana owns the other 40%, Jimmy will be entitled to 60% of the LLC's profits and losses, and Luana will be entitled to 40%. If you'd like to split up profits and losses in a way that is not proportionate to the members' percentage interests in the business, it's called a "special allocation," and you must carefully follow IRS rules.
However members' distributive shares are divvied up, the IRS treats each LLC member as though s/he receives her/his entire distributive share each year. This means that each LLC member must pay taxes on their distributive share whether or not the LLC actually distributes the money to him/her. The practical significance of this IRS rule is that even if LLC members need to leave profits in the LLC - for instance, to buy inventory or expand the business - each LLC member is liable for income tax on her/his rightful share of that money.
Even though a co-owned LLC itself does not pay income taxes, it must file Form 1065 with the IRS. This form, the same one that a partnership files, is an informational return that the IRS reviews to make sure the LLC members are reporting their income correctly. The LLC must also provide each LLC member with a "Schedule K-1," which breaks down each member's share of the LLC's profits and losses. In turn, each LLC member reports this profit and loss information on his or her individual Form 1040, with Schedule E attached.
After your Articles are filed, your LLC should have an organizational meeting where an operating agreement is adopted, interest certificates are distributed and other preliminary matters are completed.
After your LLC has been formed, if the entity will have employees, or elect partnership or corporate taxation, the entity will need an Employer Identification Number (EIN). If the entity is a single member LLC with no employees, this will not be necessary as the entity will use the social security number of the single member. If an EIN is necessary, an IRS Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number, will need to be completed.
The final form to be filed is IRS Form 8832, Entity Classification Election. You have 75 days from the effective formation date of the LLC in which to select your choice of entity. Each classification does have a default election, if not filed within the 75 days. One signed copy will be mailed to the IRS and one will be filed with the entities’ tax return for the year of formation.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF OPERATING AS AN LLC? (FORM 1065)
The LLC is treated as a partnership for federal tax reporting. Taxable income and losses pass through to its members (owners) in the same manner, as is the case with partnerships and similar to S corporations. The law allows the inclusion of liabilities of the LLC in order to increase basis for tax purposes (as in the case of a partnership). The liability of all members is limited to their investments in the LLC (unless they personally guarantee other debt incurred by the Limited Liability Company).
Payment to a retiring member may be structured so as to allow part of the payment to be deducted as an expense to the LLC. The Delaware Limited Company Liability Act does not require that a limited liability company agreement be in English. If an LLC has no members in the U.S., and derives no income from sources within the U.S., then, according to current law, as of December 1997, no U.S. federal income taxes will be due by the members who are non-resident aliens of the U.S. An LLC can be formed by one member/manager. Delaware does not require the member/manager be listed in the document. The new IRS ruling allows the LLC to be perpetual.
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF OPERATING AS AN LLC?
The benefits for owner-employees, such as health care or life insurance, are only partially deductible from these members' individual federal income tax returns. If you want your LLC to have a fiscal year other than a calendar year, a special election is required. There is a legal requirement for a Limited Liability Company Agreement among its members. It should be drafted by an attorney competent in corporate, contract and tax law. Tax treatment of the LLC as a corporation or partnership is going to be governed by the Agreement. And, regardless of the nature of the Agreement drafted, tax treatment is completely predictable only if you obtain a Private Letter Ruling from the Internal Revenue Service on a case-by-case basis.
THE CREATION OF LLC CAPITAL INTERESTS
The initial members of a new LLC ordinarily make financial contributions (called "capital contributions" in business lingo) to the business to get it started. These contributions can consist of: cash, property, services, or a promise to contribute cash, property or services in the future.
In return, each LLC member normally gets a percentage of ownership in the assets of the LLC (this is called a member's "capital interest"). This interest reflects the portion of the assets of the LLC that each member is entitled to when an LLC member sells his membership interest or when the LLC itself is sold. For example, if a member has a 50% capital interest in an LLC whose assets, including goodwill, are valued at $500,000, he can expect to be paid approximately $250,000 if he asks the other LLC members to buy out his interest. Of course, a good LLC operating agreement (or buy-sell agreement) will clearly say how members' interests will be valued so that a member can anticipate how much he'll get when he sells his interest and when he'll get it (in a lump sum, in instalment payments or in a combination of the two).
If your LLC members simply contribute cash to start up your LLC, the tax considerations are straightforward. The members are not taxed on the transaction. Instead, their membership interest is given an "income tax basis" equal to the amount of cash each member invests. This tax basis will go up and down during the life of the LLC as profits and losses are allocated and paid to members and as the LLC's liabilities fluctuate. When a member finally sells his membership interest or when the LLC itself is sold, the tax basis at that time will be used to compute the amount of gain that the member owes taxes on.
Another popular way to fund an LLC is through the contribution of property. For example, a member may transfer her title (ownership document) to a piece of real estate to her LLC in return for a membership interest. Vehicles, business equipment and machinery, as well as patents and trademarks, are also commonly exchanged for membership interests. As long as other LLC members (if there are any) accept the property at an agreed upon value, there is no legal impediment to doing this. But in some circumstances, contributions of property (especially property that has appreciated in value) can lead to special tax consequences. Tax issues arise when a member contributes property that has increased in value (appreciated) since the time it was purchased, inherited or received by gift. Appreciation is most likely to have occurred on real estate (a building or land) prior to its transfer to the LLC. First - the good news. Contributions of appreciated property to an LLC are generally tax-free at the time they are made (there are some technical exceptions, of course - see just below). The not-so-good news is that a member who transfers appreciated property to the LLC must eventually pay taxes on the past appreciation (the increase in value that occurred prior to transferring the property to the LLC). Typically, the member who originally transferred the property to the LLC pays taxes on the past appreciation when his interest in the LLC, or the entire LLC itself, is sold.
THE CREATION OF LLC DISTRIBUTIVE SHARES (PROFIT AND LOSS INTERESTS)
When LLC members receive a capital interest in an LLC in exchange for cash, property or services, they are also given a share of its profits and losses, called their "distributive share." (This only applies to LLCs with pass-through taxation. Owners of LLCs that elect corporate tax treatment instead receive their share of profits as salaries or dividends.) You'll see the term "distributive share" a lot in IRS publications and tax forms.
It refers to how much of the LLC's profits and losses will be allocated to each LLC owner at the end of the year. It is a bit of a misnomer, because under the pass-through tax rules an LLC's owners are taxed on all of the profits allocated to them at the end of each LLC tax year, even if these profits are not distributed. An owner's distributive share is sometimes also referred to as his "profits interest" in the LLC. Each member's distributive share of profits and losses must be specified in the LLC operating agreement. Most often, an operating agreement will provide that each member's distributive share corresponds to his capital interest in the LLC.
One flexibility of doing business as an LLC is that the operating agreement can provide that profits and/or losses can be distributed in a manner that is not proportionate to capital interests. For example, an LLC member with a 30% capital interest could receive 40% of the yearly profits. The ability to mete out allocations of profits and losses in different ways is one of the special advantages of setting up an LLC (or a partnership). By contrast, the founders of a corporation are unable to do this sort of disproportionate profit splitting without a lot of tinkering with the standard corporate model. Splitting of profits and losses that are disproportionate to members' relative capital interests are called "special allocations" under the tax law and are subject to IRS tax rules.
Maintaining Corporate Identity. You don't need to be left out on your own to prepare the minutes of organization meeting, minutes of the first meeting, special minutes of meetings and annual minutes of meeting. You do not need to be kept in the dark about which should be dealt with immediately after you form your company and what you must tend to keep your company viable for the future. In addition to the issues discussed in the previous paragraph, there are a number of steps which you should take to preserve your corp