Making the Most of Pennsylvania Corporation and Partnership

Protect your assets with Pennsylvania business corporation law
By Emmet McMahan The key to making the most of Pennsylvania corporation and partnership law is the decision to incorporate your business. A corporation affects your ability to gain capital, controls the amount of debt you assume and determines your tax obligations. However, these advantages must be balanced against the additional taxes your business will incur.

Pennsylvania partnership law makes a partnership subject only to personal income tax, unlike a corporation. On the other hand, business partners may be held responsible for business debts.

There are several options for forming a company under PA corporate law. These include:

1. Pennsylvania incorporation as a profit or non-profit corporation. An S corporation (S-corp) is taxed under Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code which generally does not include income taxes.

2. A Pennsylvania limited partnership. This type of partnership has limited partners in addition to general partners.

3. A Pennsylvania limited partnership. This type of partnership has limited partners in addition to general partners.

Determine the type of corporation that best suits your business under Pennsylvania corporate law

The most important factors to consider are the personal liability obligations and tax implications. You should also familiarize yourself with the operating requirements and reporting regulations.
Try:  Legalzoom.com provides a comparison chart for the various business structures and also offers a range of legal documents. You can learn more about selecting a business structure for the small business owner and order the Incorporation Master’s Guide from IncorporationMaster.com.

Find an attorney that specializes in Pennsylvania corporation and partnership law

Incorporating in Pennsylvania must comply with the disclosure, operating and reporting requirements. Pennsylvania corporation law specifies these requirements in detail.
Try:  Vinsko & Associates in Wilkes-Barre specializes in corporate law and litigation for businesses of all sizes. Lambert & Martineau includes corporate law among its practice areas and represents small to large businesses.

Register your PA corporation or PA partnership

You must file the registration forms and pay the associated fees as required by Pennsylvania corporation law in order to form a PA corporation or PA partnership. You may also need to file Articles of Incorporation, depending on the type of corporation you decide to register.
Try:  IncParadise.com allows you to incorporate your business online and provides filing information specific to Pennsylvania. Citizen Media Law Project provides specific instructions for forming a corporation in Pennsylvania and also offers a range of resources that you may need.

• Pennsylvania corporation law requires annual fees and filings to maintain your corporation. Corporations are automatically C-corps unless they specifically register as S-corps with the primary difference being the way they are taxed. One person may frequently hold more than one position in these corporations and many if not all shareholders are also directors in a small corporation.