Building Your Business What Is a Pass-Through Entity? By Sakshi Udavant Sakshi Udavant Sakshi Udavant covers small business finance, entrepreneurship, and startup topics for The Balance. For over a decade, she has been a journalist and marketing writer specializing in covering business, finance, and technology. Her work has also been featured in scores of publications and media outlets including Business Insider, Chicago Tribune, The Independent, and Digital Privacy News. learn about our editorial policies Updated on May 25, 2022 Reviewed by David Kindness In This Article View All In This Article Definition and Examples of a Pass-Through Entity How a Pass-Through Entity Works Types of Pass-Through Entities Photo: Maskot / Getty Images Definition A pass-through entity is a type of business structure used to avoid double taxation. Key Takeaways Pass-through entities, also called flow-through entities, are business structures used by the vast majority (95%) of U.S. companies to avoid double taxation.In these models, the taxes pass or flow through directly to the owners, rather than the company. Pass-through entities typically include sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, and S-corporations. Each type has different taxation rules, depending on the business model chosen. Definition and Examples of a Pass-Through Entity A pass-through entity is a business structure in which the taxes on the generated business revenue are directly passed on to the owners, to avoid double taxation. Through this arrangement, business owners and shareholders only pay taxes on their personal income generated through this business and don’t have to pay additional corporate taxes for running the company. Note As of Tax Year 2015, in the most recent data made available by the IRS, 95% of businesses were pass-through entities, which have steadily increased since 1980. Common examples of pass-through entities include sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, and S-corporations. We’ll explore each of these in detail below. Alternate name: Flow-through entities How a Pass-Through Entity Works Earned money is usually taxable. Individuals pay personal income tax on their salaries and businesses pay corporate tax based on the revenue the organization generates during a financial year. Unfortunately, this means business owners can face double taxation that forces them to pay a personal income tax on the money they make through their business and also pay a corporate tax under the business’s name. To avoid this, a large majority of businesses register as pass-through or flow-through entities. Under these, the income generated is considered solely the income of the investors, stockholders, or owners. Therefore, the earnings and the taxes directly pass or flow through to the individuals. Because the earnings are now taxed as personal income, the usual personal income tax rates apply and businesses can avoid paying hefty corporate tax rates. However, not every pass-through entity works the same way. Each type has different tax rules, as we’ll see below. Types of Pass-Through Entities The best part about running a pass-through entity is that business owners have a wide variety of options to choose from. Note Each type of pass-through entity has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s best to conduct thorough research before making a decision for your business. Here are the four types of pass-through entities to help you explore the reasons why you should or shouldn't choose each one. Sole Proprietorships Sole proprietorships are among the most common types of pass-through entities, as they are the default option for most independent contractors or freelancers. Sole proprietorships are single-owner businesses and tend to be easier to set up. However, such businesses also have fewer legal and financial protections. Pass-through entities registered as sole proprietorships calculate taxes on Schedule C of Form 1040. This type of pass-through entity is suitable if you’re a new business owner just getting started by yourself. You can switch to another model once you start hiring employees or partner with other individuals and organizations. Partnerships Small businesses bigger than sole proprietorships are typically registered as partnerships. These are companies owned by two or more people and they need formal registration with legal ownership percentages. Partnership businesses file an entity-level tax through Form 1065. Note The owners in the partnership model are subject to the federal Self-Employed Contributions Act (SECA) tax levied on those who work for themselves. Choose a partnership structure if your business has multiple owners but isn’t large enough to be a corporation. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) Limited liability companies (LLCs) are divided into two types: single-member LLCs and multi-member LLCs. Single-member LLCs are taxed similar to sole proprietorships, while multi-member LLCs are taxed as partnerships. Members in single-member LLCs pay a personal income tax; partners in multi-member LLCs fill out Schedule K-1, which shows their share of the business profits on Form 1065. S Corporations Businesses that choose this status file corporate tax through Form 1120S; however, the profits are directly passed on to the owners and shareholders to be reported on Schedule E of Form 1040. Owners aren’t required to pay SECA tax on their profits but need to pay “reasonable compensation,” which is taxed under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). Each type of pass-through entity has something different to offer, depending on your current business model and future goals. If you’re unsure about which business structure is right for you, speak with a legal or accounting expert. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Tax Policy Center. “What Are Pass-Through Businesses?” Accessed Feb. 1, 2022. EconoFact. “The Other 95%: Taxes on Pass-Through Businesses.” Accessed Feb. 1, 2022. Brookings Institution. “9 Facts About Pass-Through Businesses.” Accessed Feb. 1, 2022. Tax Foundation. “Pass-Through Businesses Q&A.” Accessed Feb. 1, 2022. IRS. “Tax Information for Partnerships.” Accessed Feb. 1, 2022. Social Security Administration. “What Are FICA and SECA Taxes?” Accessed Feb. 1, 2022. IRS. “LLC Filing as a Corporation or Partnership.” Accessed Feb. 1, 2022. U.S. Small Business Administration. “Small Business Owners Tax Workshop Part 1,” Pages 10 and 12. Accessed Feb. 1, 2022. U.S. Treasury Department. “Gaps Between the Net Investment Income Tax Base and the Employment Tax Base,” Page 2. Accessed Feb. 1, 2022.