If you're a sole proprietor or single-member LLC making more than ~$80,000 in annual profit, electing S-Corp status (IRC §1361) typically saves $5,000–$25,000 a year in self-employment tax. The trade-off: payroll filings, a "reasonable" salary, and one extra tax return. We'll compute your specific number and the W-2/distribution split.
Five questions. We'll compute your estimated annual FICA tax savings and recommend whether to elect.
S-Corp election is move #1 in the playbook. Solo 401(k), Augusta Rule, Accountable Plan, QBI, Cost Segregation, §83(b), Backdoor Roth — 60+ moves total, each with calculator + source link + implementation steps. We'll email you the PDF.
S-Corp is one of 60+ moves. Augusta Rule, Solo 401(k), Accountable Plan, QBI — your owner playbook has 5-15 that fit. A 15-minute Discovery Call walks through which apply. Free. No pitch.
Book a free 15-min call →An "S-Corporation" isn't a separate entity type — it's a federal tax election available to corporations and LLCs. You file IRS Form 2553, and from that point your business profits pass through to your personal return AND part of your owner-comp is split into W-2 salary (subject to FICA) and distributions (not subject to FICA).
That FICA split is the savings. As a sole prop, you pay 15.3% self-employment tax on the first $176,100 of profit (2025 SS wage base + Medicare on everything). As an S-Corp, you only pay 15.3% on the W-2 salary portion — distributions skip FICA entirely.
The IRS doesn't define "reasonable" with a bright-line number. They look at: (a) industry, (b) experience, (c) hours, (d) what a comparable employee would earn, (e) prevailing local salaries. Surveys from RC Reports + Bureau of Labor Statistics support specific industry ranges.
| Industry | Reasonable salary range (typical $250K profit) |
|---|---|
| Professional services (consulting, marketing) | $80K–$140K |
| Medical / legal / accounting practice | $140K–$220K (higher % due to active work) |
| Trades / construction / manufacturing | $60K–$110K |
| E-commerce / SaaS / online business | $70K–$120K |
| Real estate broker | $80K–$140K |
Document everything. Get a Reasonable Compensation report (RC Reports, ~$300-500) annually. Defensible in audit; cheap insurance.
It depends on profit + your reasonable salary split. Typical: $80K profit saves $2-4K/yr; $250K profit saves $10-15K/yr; $500K profit saves $18-25K/yr (capped by Social Security wage base + Medicare). Use the calculator above.
March 15 of the current tax year for the election to apply to that year. If you miss it, late-elect relief is available under Rev Proc 2013-30 — usually granted if filed within 3 years and 75 days of intended start, with reasonable cause. After June, most accountants will elect for NEXT year.
Payroll service: $40-150/mo (Gusto, ADP, OnPay). Corporate tax return (1120-S): $500-1,500/yr. State fees vary (California $800 + 1.5% on net income; most states are minimal). Reasonable Comp report: $300-500/yr. Total annual cost: ~$1,500-3,500 — paid by savings several times over for owners $80K+.
Usually yes — but the math is tighter. California taxes S-Corps at 1.5% on net income (minimum $800). On $250K profit, that's $3,750 extra state tax. Federal FICA savings of $10-15K still wins by ~$8-12K. Run the numbers carefully.
Easy — file Form 2553 to elect S-Corp tax treatment. Your LLC stays an LLC for state-law purposes; the federal tax classification changes. You don't need a new EIN. This is the most common path.
Yes — multi-member LLCs can elect S-Corp. Both partners become W-2 employees + receive K-1 distributions in proportion to ownership. Note: S-Corp must have only ONE class of stock, so no preferred/common distinctions.
The IRS recharacterizes your distributions as W-2, retroactively. You owe back FICA + interest + penalties (typically 20% accuracy penalty). The fix: maintain a Reasonable Compensation report, document the methodology, and use industry-typical salary ranges. Audited correctly-structured S-Corps almost never lose.
The S-Corp election is one of 60+ moves in the Good Deals owner workbook. Walk through what applies, see your annual + lifetime savings, and decide what to act on — all in 90 minutes with a CFA Charterholder + Investment Adviser.
Book the Foundation Review →$500 · 90 minutes · Credited toward an engagement if we work together · Refunded if we don't.
Good Deals is the planning workbook + advisory practice of Andrew Escher, CFA Charterholder + Investment Adviser Representative based in Austin, TX. Independent stack: Altruist for investment custody, BackNine for insurance placement, Good Deals for the planning layer that ties them together.
We work with solo professionals, agency owners, and business owners at $300K–$5M in revenue who want structural tax planning, an Investment Policy Statement, and a long-arc Roadmap — without the typical AUM-fee pitch.