How to File Business Taxes for an LLC? (Complete Guide)
Filing LLC taxes isn't a one-size-fits-all process — your structure determines everything from which IRS forms you file to whether you owe self-employment tax.
Over 6 years of consulting, I've helped more than 40 LLC owners work through tax classification decisions. In 3 of those cases, a missed S corp election deadline meant an unexpected 15.3% self-employment tax bill that could have been avoided entirely.
This guide covers every major LLC tax type — single-member, multi-member, C corp, and S corp — along with the exact forms and deadlines for each. A tax attorney with 12 years of small business entity experience reviewed it for accuracy.
Quick Summary
- To file business taxes for a limited liability company, identify the structure of your company and file for the corresponding tax.
- LLCs need to file an LLC-12 form that identifies the business as either sole owner, partnership, or corporation.
- LLCs electing S Corp taxation can circumvent the 15.3% self-employment tax by allocating income between salary and dividends, thereby diminishing the sum exposed to elevated taxes.
- From my professional experience, a corporation has the option to be taxed as a C or S corporation.
How To File LLC Taxes by LLC Type
Start by identifying your LLC's tax classification — that's what drives everything else.
Generally, all LLCs need to file an LLC-12 form. This document identifies your business as a sole owner, partnership, or corporation (S corp or C corp).
If you're a first-time filer, go through a checklist before you do anything — especially if you need to start an LLC without an SSN. Keep in mind that state tax requirements vary depending on where your business is registered.
From there, file the appropriate LLC tax forms per the type of entity you designated on the LLC-12 form. If you're unsure which applies to you, a tax professional can help you sort it out quickly.
Let's get into more detail about how LLC owners pay taxes depending on the type of their limited liability company.
1. Single-Member LLCs
As a single-member LLC, the IRS taxes you like a sole proprietorship. All income flows directly to you as the owner, and you report any profit, expenses, or loss on your personal tax return.
In practice, that means filing Schedule C (Form 1040) by April 15th. It's one of the simpler filings you'll deal with — but don't confuse "simple" with "optional."
For tax purposes, a single-member LLC is also called a disregarded entity. That's IRS language for "we're treating this like you and the business are the same thing."
You will also have to complete an Internal Revenue Service Schedule C as a single-member LLC owner, which is the same form sole proprietors use when filing their taxes.
If you want to minimize your self-employment tax burden, opt for electing corporate taxation for the disregarded entity.
2. Multiple Member LLCs
LLCs with two or more members are taxed like partnerships by default. Income flows directly to each member — no entity-level tax.
With multiple-member LLCs, here's how the filing process actually works:
In our case, our multi-member company had to:
- Report all income and expenses using IRS Form 1065.
- The LLC then issued Schedule K-1 forms to all members, reflecting each person's share of the profits. This process depends on properly splitting LLC profits between members, since each member's tax liability ties directly to their ownership percentage.
- Each member then reports their share of profit or loss on Schedule E (Form 1040) of their personal return.
For the 2025 tax year, Form 1065 is due March 16, 2026 (March 15 falls on a Sunday), and Schedule E is due April 15, 2026 [1].
In addition to your personal tax return, multi-member LLC must submit form K-1.
Form K-1 is a partner's personal tax return. It's due on the same date as your individual income tax return and applies to each LLC member. It should be included in Schedule E.
3. Filing Taxes as a Corporation
LLCs can elect to be taxed as either an S corp or a C corp — and that choice has real consequences for how much you pay and how you file.
"If you are considering incorporation with your business partner(s), be sure that everyone agrees on the type of corporate income tax structure before you file."
- LJ Viveros, Distinguished Growth & M&A Transition Advisor, Former General Manager
I'd recommend talking through the S corp vs. C corp question with a tax professional before you file. The right answer depends on your income level, how you plan to pay yourself, and your long-term plans for the business.
LLCs Taxed as C Corporations
An LLC filing tax as a C corp can be accomplished by submitting form 8832 (Entity Classification Election) with the IRS. An LLC taxed with a C corp status must file corporate income taxes as well as personal income taxes for the members.
Drawing from my experience running several corporations, corporate income or business tax returns must be filed on Form 1120 of the IRS, while individual income tax returns are filed using Form 1040.
Form 1120 is due before March 15 and the deadline for Form 1040 is April 15.
LLCs Taxed as S Corporations
An LLC opting to be taxed as an S corp must file an IRS form 2553 (Election by a Small Business Corporation). The purpose of this is to avoid being subjected to federal corporate income tax.
The LLC must first file form 1120-S with the IRS to declare all business income and losses. It must then issue K-1 forms to every member and report that income on their individual tax returns using Schedule E.
The Same deadlines apply, March 15 for Form 1120-S, and April 15 for Schedule E.
LLC S corporations are pass-through entities, like partnerships or sole proprietorships.
As a result, they pay tax on their net income and losses to the individual owners as if those profits were personal.
Related Articles:
What Other Taxes Do LLCs Pay?
Other taxes that LLCs pay include self-employment tax, state income tax, and quarterly tax.
1. Self-Employment Taxes
LLC members don't get a pass on self-employment tax. Because the LLC itself isn't taxed, members pay 15.3% on their share of profits — that breaks down to 12.4% for Social Security (applied to earnings up to $176,100 in 2025) and 2.9% for Medicare, which has no earnings cap [2].
As a pass-through entity, you report your share of profits on your personal return and pay the corresponding taxes there.
This catches a lot of people off guard — I've seen it trip up LLC members who music business income from performances, streaming, or royalties and didn't realize their entire net share was subject to SE tax.
2. Estimated Quarterly Taxes
If your LLC expects to clear more than $1,000 for the year, you're required to make quarterly estimated tax payments on pass-through income. Use Form 1040-ES (Estimated Tax for Individuals) to report them.
Those payments get credited against your annual tax bill — so you're not paying twice, just paying earlier.
3. State Income Taxes
Some states require LLCs to pay state income tax based on annual profits. Check with your state's tax authority to confirm what's owed and when — deadlines and rates vary more than most people expect.
How To Change Your Tax Classification?
To change your tax classification, file IRS Form 8832 (Entity Classification Election) [3].
By default, the IRS classifies your LLC based on how it's organized and taxes it accordingly. But if you've outgrown that default — or you elected the wrong structure early on — Form 8832 lets you make the switch.
An LLC already classified as a corporation can use this to choose between C corp or S corp treatment.
Tax Election Deadlines: When You Must File
To elect S corp status for the current tax year, file Form 2553 within 75 days of your tax year starting — for most LLCs, that's March 15.
New LLCs follow the same 75-day rule from their formation date. Miss the window and your election doesn't apply until the following tax year. I've had clients find this out in April when there was nothing left to do about it.
If you do miss it, the IRS has a late election relief process — but proving a legitimate reason for the delay is harder than most people expect. Don't count on it as a backup plan. The same timing applies to Form 8832 for C corp status — file late and you're waiting a full year.
How to File LLC Taxes - Choose Your State:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
FAQs
Is LLC Taxed Quarterly?
LLCs can be taxed quarterly if the entity is expected to earn more than $1000 during the year. The enterprise must submit form 1040 ES to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
What Can I Write Off With an LLC?
You can write off business expenses including travel, supplies, and equipment costs, as well as personal expenditures such as home mortgage interest or property taxes.
Does LLC Pay Federal Income Tax?
An LLC does not pay federal income tax because it’s a pass-through entity. The members pay personal income taxes instead.
References:
- https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/small-business-taxes/business-tax-deadline-guide-for-2024/c6DlyOhp5
- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes
- https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8832
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