There are certain C-Corp requirements to meet whether you want to start a corporation with one shareholder or dozens. It is certainly possible to apply for a C-Corporation EIN with multiple owners, and when forming a C-Corp in this manner, there are a few points to keep in mind.
Depending on its legal structure, a corporation can have one or multiple owners. Let's explore the most common types of corporations and their ownership rules.
In most states, you only need one person to form a corporation, while the maximum number of shareholders varies by corporation type. For example, C corporations don't have ownership restrictions, while S corporations are limited to 100 shareholders who must all be U.S. citizens.
Shareholder restrictions: S corps are restricted to no more than 100 shareholders, and shareholders must be US citizens/residents.
The correct answer is Option (a) Publicly held and privately held.
Unlike sole proprietorships, a corporation can be owned by multiple people. A shareholder is a part owner of a corporation. A majority shareholder holds more than 50% of the company's shares. A director manages the corporation and may also hold shares.
Advantages: There is no limit on the number of owners a corporation may have, thus allowing the corporation to raise substantial amounts of capital, the life of the business can continue beyond the death of any of the owners, the liability of the owners is limited to the amount of their investment in the firm.
Most management actions are protected from judicial scrutiny by the business judgement rule: absent bad faith, fraud, or breach of a fiduciary duty, the judgement of the managers of a corporation is conclusive.
Corporate bylaws are a company's foundational governing document. They lay out how things should run day-to-day and the processes for making important decisions. They serve as a legal contract between the corporation and its shareholders, directors, and officers and set the protocol for how the organization operates.