Creating a C Corporation

A C Corporation is a type of company that is owned by shareholders.

What is a C corporation?

A C Corporation is a type of company that is owned by shareholders. The shareholders elect a board of directors who decide how the company runs. In a legal sense, corporations are separate entities that can sue and be sued. That means legal and financial liability lands on the shoulders of the corporation, not the owners.

Corporations are also considered to be separate taxpayers. C Corps pay tax at a special corporate tax rate different from, and often lower than, individual tax rates.

C Corporations are divided into publicly held and privately held companies. Publicly held companies sell shares to the general public—they’re required to disclose financial information. Privately held companies are not.

Shareholders are responsible for electing a board of directors, which then appoints management to run the company day-to-day. In smaller corporations, members of the board are also members of management.

Benefits of forming a C Corporation


Ability to raise capital

C Corps can get money—or “capital”—by selling shares. The key is to convince investors that your company will be profitable in the future, and the value of shares will rise. This is especially helpful if you have a great idea for a business, but don’t have the cash to get it off the ground.

Liability protection

A lot of entrepreneurs choose to form a C Corporation because it protects them. When you own a sole prop, your money and the company’s money are one and the same. If your business runs out of money, so do you. If the business gets sued, you get sued as well. But a C Corp has separate legal and financial status. If bad things happen to your business, the corporation’s money is on the line. Your personal assets are safe.

Long life expectancy

Since C Corporations exist as separate legal entities, they don’t automatically dissolve when an owner leaves. For instance, say you and a business partner share ownership in a C Corp. One day, your partner decides to leave the business. They can sell off their shares, and the company keeps running. In the same situation, a different business entity—like an LLC—would dissolve. But a C Corp can roll with the punches.

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