For detailed formation steps, see our California LLC formation guide. Step 1 – Register a business name. Step 2 – Get an agent for service of process in CA. Step 3 – File California Articles of Organization. Step 4 – File California Statement of Information. Step 5 – Create an operating agreement for S corporation election.
If you cancel your LLC within one year of organizing, you can file Short form cancellation (SOS Form LLC-4/8) with the SOS. Your LLC will not be subject to the annual $800 tax for its first tax year.
A company is considered a single shareholder if it has only one founder. This is usually the case for freelancers, consultants, digital nomads and other forms of digital solopreneurs. If, however, a company has several co-founders, it is a multi-shareholder company.
If you have a 'one person company' it means that you (a human being) are the company's sole (100%) shareholder (aka sole owner or sole 'member') and the company's sole director (the sole person whose responsibility it is to run the company).
Stock represents a share of ownership in a corporation. A bond is a security that represents a debt owed by the corporation to the bondholder, but does not include the ownership privileges of a stockholder.
With certain exceptions, a corporation is treated as having only one class of stock if all outstanding shares of stock of the corporation confer identical rights to distribution and liquidation proceeds. The regulations then elaborate on how to analyze if there are identical distribution and liquidation rights.
Because of the one-class-of-stock restriction, an S corporation cannot allocate losses or income to specific shareholders. Allocation of income and loss is governed by stock ownership, unlike partnerships or LLCs taxed as partnerships where the allocation can be set in the partnership agreement or operating agreement.
How to Start an S Corp in California Step 1: Check Name Availability. Step 2: Choose a Business Name. Step 3: Obtain an EIN. Step 4: File Articles of Incorporation. Step 5: Registered Agent. Step 6: Corporate Bylaws. Step 7: S Corp Director Election. Step 8: Meeting Requirements.
Overall, a corporation has more structure and requires you to follow more formalities than with an LLC. See our article on how to form a California Corporation. A California LLC is formed by filing articles of organization with the state of California.
An S corporation's annual tax is the greater of 1.5 percent of the corporation's net income or $800.