Types Of Business Structures & Their Effects
When first thinking about how to start a business, not many people worry about structure. But your business structure can affect how you're treated by the government and by the law. Here are some of the ins and outs.
BUSINESS STRUCTURES AND THEIR EFFECTS
The main types of business structure around the world are sole trader, partnership, and company. Your choice will affect your admin burden, tax, legal status, and, funding and even your ability to raise capital by selling shares. This table runs through some of the main differences between a company, a partnership, and a sole trader.
If you don’t choose a structure when starting a business, you will be assumed to be a sole trader. That is how a lot of people start out. However, it is worth understanding what it means to be a sole trader, and getting your head around the other structures. Speak to a lawyer or accountant before making any changes.
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WHAT IS A SOLE TRADER?
A sole trader is a single-owner business. It doesn’t have to be a single-worker business, so you can hire staff.
Advantages of a sole trader It’s easy to set up as a sole trader and tax is simple. You just declare income on your personal tax return.
Disadvantages of a sole trader A sole trader doesn’t have any special legal status, which means the owner is personally responsible for what the business does. If the business gets into debt or legal trouble, so does the owner. Your choice of insurance becomes very important.
WHAT IS A PARTNERSHIP?
A partnership is owned by two or more people. There are no rules about how it’s divided. One partner can own 99% of the business.
Advantages of a partnership It’s easy to set up as a partnership, though you may need an official letter that sets out the agreement between partners. Tax is simple too. You just declare your share of business income on your personal tax return.
Disadvantages of a partnership If the business gets into financial or legal strife, the partners do too. You could also get into difficulty if one of the other partners does something wrong. Your choice of insurance becomes very important.
WHAT IS IN A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
A simple business partnership agreement should:
state the legal name of the partnership and say what you do
name the owners and show how many shares each has
appoint a primary business officer
say when and how income is distributed among the partners
include a process for resolving disputes
identify how bookkeeping and finances will be managed
outline how the partnership can be wrapped up (and how debts or profits would be distributed)
As you can imagine, even a simple business partnership agreement can get big and complicated. Ask an accountant or lawyer to help.
WHAT IS A COMPANY?
A company is legally separate from its owner (or owners), which means you’re less exposed to legal or financial issues. A company can be owned by one person or many.
Advantages of a company You get some legal and financial protection if things go wrong – your accountant or a lawyer can give you the lowdown. Your business income may also get taxed at a lower rate. You can also sell shares in your company to raise money.
Disadvantages of a company It will cost you more to operate as a company than as a sole trader or partnership. There’s also more admin. You’ll need to know how the company will operate before you get started, and you’ll have to regularly submit paperwork to the government.
YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS STRUCTURE
You’re not locked into one structure forever. A lot of businesses start out as sole traders companies. You might change your business structure if you start getting bigger and doing more complex projects which carry a greater financial or legal risk for you.
WHERE DO FRANCHISES FIT IN?
If you buy into a franchise, you don’t automatically become part of their business. You form your own business and enter into a deal with the franchisor. You may be able to choose your own business structure, or the franchise agreement may require it to be set up in a specific way, such as a company.
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Source : XERO Blog
