Be sure to check with your jurisdiction to determine whether you must file a state tax return. States have various tax reporting obligations that are independent of federal tax filing requirements. or S corp., you will need to file an income tax return regardless of whether you have any income. If your LLC is taxed like a partnership, apply the rules for filing an informational partnership return. If you are a single-member LLC, you will apply the same standards as a sole proprietorship. Whether or not you need to file a tax return for an LLC with no income depends on your LLC's tax election. Typically, a C corporation or S corporation must file an income tax return on taxable income during the tax year unless it is exempt from taxes under section 501. If your partnership has no income or expenses that may qualify for deductions or credits, you do not need to file a Form 1065. If the partnership has any transactions that qualify for deductions or credits, an informational Form 1065 should be filed. If you have no income or qualifying expenses for the entire tax year, there is no need to file a Schedule C for your inactive business. Sole ProprietorshipĮven if your business has no income during the tax year, it may still benefit you to file a Schedule C if you have any expenses that qualify for deductions or credits. It must make this election known to the IRS by filing an Entity Classification Election (Form 8832).ĭo You Need to File a Business Tax Return with No Income?īased on your business type, you may or may not have to file a tax return if your business has no income for the entire tax year. An LLC with two or more members may elect to be taxed as a C corp.Profit or loss passes through to the members, and each member receives a K-1 with his or her share of the LLC's income, deductions, and credits. An informational Form 1065 is filed to report the LLC's income and expenses. An LLC with two or more members is automatically treated as a partnership by the IRS.The LLC's owner reports income and expense on his or her tax return on Schedule C, like a sole proprietorship. A single-person LLC is disregarded as an entity by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).It could be treated for tax purposes as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) have the luxury of being taxed in a variety of ways. Most exempt organizations file an informational Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Some corporations are exempt from income tax under Section 501. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation (Form 1120-S). Corporation Income Tax Return (Form 1120), and an S corporation files on a U.S. C Corporation or S CorporationĪ corporation files taxes on a U.S. Each partner reports this information on their own personal tax return and pays tax on their share of the profit or loss. (Schedule K-1) with their share of the partnership's income, deductions, and credits. The profit or loss then passes through to the partners, who receive a Partner's Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc. Return of Partnership Income (Form 1065). PartnershipĪ partnership files an informational return on a U.S. If your business is a sole proprietorship, you record all income and expenses from your own personal tax return on the Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship) ( Form 1040, Schedule C). The most important aspects to consider when determining if you need to file a business tax return are how you form your business and the tax election you choose. Whatever the reason, there are certain questions you must answer to determine if you need to file a business tax return. You may have stopped all business activities at your corporation, but you haven't officially filed your Articles of Dissolution yet. You may have formed your LLC before opening your business. Various business situations may lead you to report no income for an entire tax year.