What is the difference between partnership and corporation

Stock, or ownership, of a corporation can be sold or transferred easily. With a partnership, a change in ownership means that a new partnership must be created. Generating capital. A corporation can raise capital by selling stocks, bonds, or securities.

A partnership can only generate capital in the form of a loan or increased member contributions. In the corporation, a board of directors makes the policies. In a partnership, the members usually have to agree unanimously about new policies. If you have any questions about a sole proprietorship or a company, email me at [email protected]. In a partnership, all general partners decide how the company is run. General partners often assume management responsibilities or share in the decision of hiring and monitoring managers.

Corporations are governed by shareholders, who conduct regular meetings to determine company management and policies. Shareholders are generally not involved in the day-to-day management of the company but instead oversee managers who run the company.

Marnie Kunz has been an award-winning writer covering fitness, pets, lifestyle, entertainment and health since Kunz holds a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from Knox College and is a Road Runners Club of America-certified running coach and a certified pole dance instructor. By Marnie Kunz Updated February 04, References Entrepreneur.

Related Articles. An agreement among the members. Types subchapter-s corporation, professional corporation general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnerships Management Run by a board of directors Run by the partners Structure Members of a corporation have to act in accordance with the corporation's charter.

Raising money By sale of financial instruments like stocks and bonds. From current members, getting new members, a loan Liability The stockholders are not held responsible in case of a fault, the corporation is. The partners share the liability, and are directly responsible in case of fault. Dissolution Stockholder approval, government approval Decision of the partners.

Image Courtesy: bluetoothheros. Add new comment Your name. Plain text. Similarly, the shareholders of a corporation will file their own personal income tax returns and pay their own taxes. Unlike partnerships, a corporation and shareholders are taxed twice on the same business income. In other words, when the corporation earns a profit, it pays taxes directly as corporate income taxes.

Then, when it pays its shareholders dividends from its net income, the shareholders will personally be taxed for the dividend income. As partners, they must make sure that the partnership is run in a diligent and profitable manner. As it relates to corporations, the shareholders of the company, even though they are the owners of the business, do not run and manage the company necessarily.

The partners run the business and are accountable for the success and failure of the partnership. They are generally involved in day-to-day decision-making and are intimately aware of the affairs of the partnership. Since the partnership is not a separate legal entity, it does not have the same obligations to elect a board of directors, hold annual shareholder meetings and so on.

In addition to the internal governance requirements, a corporation must also file annual reports with the state where it is registered.

A partnership is formed primarily because the partners have complementary skills and wish to actively run and own the business together. The rigidity in the ownership of a partnership makes it less flexible and attractive for external investors who may see investment opportunities. A partnership does not have the ability to issue shares or transfer a percentage of the partnership ownership to investors as easily as a corporation.

On the other hand, a corporation is a legal entity able to issue shares to investors and third parties with much greater ease. As the corporation expands operations and requires additional liquidity, it can more easily attract investors, angel investors, venture capitalists and still have the option to get traditional financing just like a partnership.

If you go with a partnership, the business revenues will be taxed directly on you as a partner. However, if you want to take profits out of the company by paying yourself a dividend, you will personally need to pay taxes on the dividends you get.

If you need to raise capital at one point in time in the life of your business, selecting a corporation will give you a much better chance of attracting investors. That is the case as a corporation can issue different categories of stock like preferred shares. Investors prefer corporations over partnerships as they have the ability to own a portion of the business without becoming liable to the business and they can eventually sell their shares and make a good profit.

Are you comfortable with the fact that in a partnership, your personal assets are exposed to the creditors of the business? However, most organizations important in size, multinationals and international organizations are structured as a corporation.

For example, an advantage of a partnership is that it is easy to set up and start doing business while a corporation offers its shareholders limited liability protection. On the other hand, while a partnership is easy to form, it is not the most appropriate vehicle to scale your business whereas a corporation is harder to form and maintain but can give much greater flexibility in getting capital and raising money to scale operations.

Here is a quick chart to help you identify the advantages and disadvantages of a partnership versus a corporation:. Generally, a corporation will be a better corporate vehicle to start and grow a business, have better future financing options while at the same time protect your personal assets.

A partnership may be a better option if you want to get something up and running quickly and are not looking to grow internationally or operate in a risky industry. At the end of the day, any entrepreneur will need to decide what is better for them to achieve their objective. Typically, the partners in a partnership share the day-to-day management of the business and provide one another with complementary skills.

In a corporation, the shareholders appoint the board members who then have the responsibility to put together the right team to handle the day-to-day operations of the corporation.

Depending on your risk tolerance, your business ambitions and tax circumstances, you may prefer a partnership over a corporation or a corporation over a partnership. If you aspire to grow the business, operate your business in many states, nationally or internationally, you may want to consider a corporation.