Form an Oklahoma S Corp

Starting an S corporation in Oklahoma offers a pathway to potential tax savings for entrepreneurs keen on optimizing their business finances. An S corp, recognized through a tax classification under Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code, allows a business’s income to be passed directly to its shareholders, effectively circumventing the double taxation that burdens C corporations. This election can be particularly advantageous for owners of a limited liability company (LLC) in Oklahoma, as it provides an opportunity to decrease self-employment taxes. Electing S corp status enables LLCs to distribute portions of income as dividends, which are not subjected to self-employment taxes, apart from the salary paid to the owners.

This guide is crafted to shed light on the process of establishing an S corp in Oklahoma, focusing on the advantages, necessary steps, and key considerations to ensure entrepreneurs can use the tax benefits associated with this designation.

Oklahoma S Corp Filing Requirements

For the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to accept your application for S corp status, you must meet the filing requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. These requirements state that your business must:

• Be a domestic LLC or corporation
• Have no more than 100 shareholders or members (“shareholders” is the term for owners of a corporation, while “members” is the term for owners of an LLC)
• Not be an ineligible corporation, such as certain financial institutions, insurance companies, and domestic international sales corporations
• Only have one class of stock
• Have only allowable shareholders or members, which includes individuals, certain trusts, and estates. The shareholders/members may not be partnerships, corporations, or non-resident aliens. A nonresident alien is an alien who hasn’t passed the substantial presence test or the green card test.

If your business entity meets those conditions, you can apply for an S corp election. 

Considerations for Oklahoma S Corp Taxes

In an S corp, the business itself doesn’t usually pay income taxes at the federal level, just the individual owners. But what about Oklahoma state income taxes?

If your company has a federal S corp election, Oklahoma will treat it the same way for state income tax purposes; that is, the S corporation itself won’t pay state income tax, just the business owners. However, Oklahoma S corporations must file Oklahoma Small Business Corporation Income and Franchise Tax Return Form 512-S.

How to Start an S Corp in Oklahoma

To create an Oklahoma S corporation, you’ll need to form either an LLC or a C corporation (the default form of corporation) if you haven’t already. From there, you’ll file an election form with the IRS.

Starting an Oklahoma LLC

1. Name your Oklahoma LLC
2. Appoint a registered agent in Oklahoma
3. File Oklahoma Articles of Organization
4. Create an operating agreement
5. Apply for an EIN
6. Apply for S Corp status with IRS Form 2553

For more details on these steps, visit our “Start an Oklahoma LLC” page.

Forming a Corporation in Oklahoma

1. Name your Maryland corporation
2. Appoint Directors
3. Choose a Maryland Statutory Agent
4. File the Maryland Articles of Incorporation
5. Create Corporate Bylaws
6. Draft a Shareholder Agreement
7. Issue shares of stock
8. Apply for Necessary Business Permits or Licenses
9. File for an EIN and review tax requirements
10. Submit Your Corporation’s First Annual Report
11. Apply for S Corp status with IRS Form 2553

If you’d rather start an Oklahoma corporation for your S corp, follow the instructions on our Oklahoma corporation page.

File the form 2553 to apply for S corp election

When your LLC or C corporation formation is approved by the state, you need to file Form 2553, Election by a Small Business Corporation, with the IRS to get S corp designation. 

The IRS requires you to complete and file your Form 2553: 

• Within 75 days of the formation of your LLC or C corporation, or no more than 75 days after the beginning of the tax year in which the election is to take effect

OR

• At any time during the tax year preceding the tax year the election is to take effect.

One caveat for LLCs wishing to file as an S corp: If your LLC is past the 75-day election deadline, you’ll also need to file Form 8832, Entity Classification Election, to elect to be taxed as a corporation. Then you would file both Form 8832 and Form 2553 together via USPS-certified mail. 

It’s important that all of the shareholders/members sign the consent statement portion of the form. For more information on filing Form 2553, visit the IRS website.

Keeping Your S Corp Compliant

Whether your S corp is an LLC or a corporation, you’ll need to perform certain ongoing tasks to keep them in compliance. If your S corp was organized as an LLC, you’ll need to file an annual certificate (referred to as an annual report in most states) every year and pay an accompanying filing fee. The purpose of the certificate is to keep the state updated on basic information about your business.

If your S corp was organized as a corporation, you’ll be required to file an Oklahoma Corporation Income Tax Return, whether or not you owe taxes. Oklahoma corporations must also file an Oklahoma Annual Franchise Tax Return. You have the option of filing a combined corporate income and franchise tax return. 

Oklahoma corporations are also required to hold annual shareholder meetings at a time and place established in the bylaws, unless the directors are elected by written consent in lieu of an annual meeting. Keeping corporate records, including a stock transfer ledger, is another requirement for Oklahoma corporations. 

These likely won’t be the only ongoing requirements for your Oklahoma S corp. For example, you may have business licenses that need to be renewed regularly. Seek legal guidance if you have questions.

Pros and Cons of S Corp for Oklahoma Corporations

While S corp status does come with tax benefits for some businesses, making this election might not be the best option for every company. Carefully consider the pros and cons before deciding how you want to proceed. Consult a tax professional about whether the S corp election would be best for your business.

Advantages of S Corp Status for LLCs

The advantages of filing as an S corp for an LLC differ from the advantages for C corporations. A traditional LLC already has pass-through taxation, so the benefits of S corporation election for an LLC come from federal self-employment tax. We’ll explain more below.

Social Security and Medicare Taxes

The members of a standard LLC are considered self-employed. They’re compensated by receiving their share of profits from the LLC, but they can’t be employed by the company. Being self-employed means paying self-employment taxes (Social Security and Medicare, which add up to about 15.3%) on all profits they receive from the LLC. This is double the taxes they’d pay when working for someone else because their employer would pay half of them.

Salary and Profits Divided

But when the members elect S corp status, they can receive money from the company in two ways, by receiving their share of the profits and by being employed by the LLC. Once they do that, they only pay taxes for Social Security and Medicare on their salary and not the profits they receive. Depending on factors such as how profitable your company is, the savings could add up to a lot. (Of course, the members will still pay income and all other applicable taxes on their share of the profits and any other taxable income.) Note that money paid out as salary is a tax-deductible expense for the business. 

Reasonable Compensation

However, the IRS expects you to pay yourself a “reasonable salary” as an employee of the LLC. Otherwise, you could pay yourself an annual salary of $0.10 and avoid contributing anything to Social Security and Medicare. 

So, what is “reasonable” compensation? While the terms aren’t 100% defined, the IRS seems to consider “reasonable” to be something similar to what others in your field are earning for similar work.

Advantages of S Corp Status for C Corporations

If you have a C corporation, filing as an S corp has a few advantages:

No More Double Taxation

One big downside to corporations is “double taxation.” When the corporation makes money, the IRS taxes those profits on the business level. And when those profits are ‌distributed to the shareholders, they’re taxed a second time on the shareholders’ personal tax returns.

When a C corporation qualifies to be an S corp, though, those profits are only taxed at the individual business owner level. The business itself isn’t taxed on them. This is called “pass-through taxation.” Read the pass-through taxation definition for more.

Qualified Business Income Deduction

Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, some S corporation owners may be able to deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income. C corporation shareholders can’t take this deduction.

Qualified business income (QBI) is basically your share of the company’s profits, or, as the IRS puts it, “QBI is the net amount of qualified items of income, gain, deduction and loss from any qualified trade or business, including income from partnerships, S corporations, sole proprietorships, and certain trusts.” The IRS website has a detailed explanation as to what is and is not included in QBI. There’s an income threshold that, if exceeded, may reduce your QBI (see the IRS website for details).  

Writing Off Losses

Just as business profits pass through to the owners of an S corp, so do the company’s losses. Unlike the shareholders of a C corporation, S corp owners can write off the company’s losses on their personal income statements. 

Disadvantages of S Corp Status for LLCs

LLCs with S corp status can also have drawbacks, though:

Extra IRS Scrutiny

Because of the “reasonable salary” restrictions, the IRS monitors LLCs filing as S corps more closely. In other words, there’s a greater chance of being audited.

Stricter Requirements 

S corps have more qualifying conditions than a standard LLC, such as having no more than 100 members, and none of them can be partnerships, corporations, or non-resident aliens. A traditional LLC doesn’t have these limitations.

More Accounting and Bookkeeping

Having an LLC that files as an S corporation usually means more paperwork. If you don’t already have to do payroll for your business, being an owner-employee means that you’ll have to start. Your taxes will also be more complex.

Disadvantages of S Corp Status for C Corporations

S corp status has its minuses for C corps, too:

More IRS Scrutiny

Because of the extra limitations S corps have, the IRS watches them more closely to see if they’re in compliance. That could mean a greater chance of being audited.

Limited Number of Shareholders

As we said, an S corp can’t have more than 100 shareholders, while a C corporation has no such restriction.

Limited Types of Shareholders

All S corp shareholders must be U.S. citizens, or certain trusts or estates. You also can’t have corporations or partnerships as shareholders. 

One Class of Stock

One way corporations attract investors is to offer preferred stock, but this isn’t allowed for S corps.

S Corp Tax Calculator

The S Corporation tax calculator below lets you choose how much to withdraw from your business each year, and how much of it you will take as salary (with the rest being taken as a distribution.) It will then show you how much money you can save in taxes.

Disclaimer: The savings estimate provided by this tool is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, tax, or legal advice. Actual savings may vary depending on individual circumstances and other factors. We recommend consulting with a qualified tax or legal professional before making any decisions regarding your business entity. ZenBusiness, Inc. is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided by this tool. Use of this tool does not establish any client relationship with ZenBusiness, Inc.

State and Federal Resources

For additional information about how S corps are treated in Oklahoma and other important tax info, see the Oklahoma Tax Commission website. The IRS website can also provide more information on the federal guidelines for S corporations. We recommend having a trusted tax professional by your side. They can guide you through legal and financial challenges so that you can stay in compliance while maximizing your tax savings.

Recommended article: File a Kansas S Corp

Get help establishing an Oklahoma LLC with S corp tax election

Are you ready to launch an LLC as an S corporation? Our S corp service can help you do that. We also offer other services to help you run and grow your business. Contact us today about making your dream business a reality.