During this uncertain time, I know many small business owners and entrepreneurs are feeling overwhelmed and stressed by the unknown. Not only do entrepreneurs worry about how the COVID-19 situation will hurt their businesses, but they also feel concerned about their employees. Indeed, the coronavirus has turned our world upside down. Fortunately, federal, state, and local governments are stepping up to the plate to create ways to provide Coronavirus relief and aid to businesses and the people who work for them. In this article, I will share some of the currently available information about [...]

What is the Paycheck Protection Program? The Paycheck Protection Program (also referred to as PPP) is a loan that provides an incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. It's designed to help small businesses as they react to COVID-19 and manage the fallout from the Coronavirus crisis. How Much Can I Borrow? The SBA’s PPP loan amount can be for a maximum of two months of your average monthly payroll costs from the previous year plus an additional 25% of that amount. The loan amount is capped at $10 million. [...]

As the coronavirus continues to disrupt every part of our daily business operations, keeping your business running and employees safe means dealing with scenarios you’ve most likely never come up against before. At this writing, not all states have instituted “stay-at-home” policies. But things are changing rapidly, so be sure to follow the news from your state government and follow their instructions. If your business is still open, however, what can you do when an employee won’t work without a mask or refuses to come to work for fear of infection? Do you still [...]

Employers across the nation are feeling the pressure to keep their businesses up and running and profitable during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you’re concerned about hunting down alternate suppliers or keeping employees and customers safe from contamination, there’s a lot on business owners’ plates at the moment. We know staying on top of the information about the pandemic is important to your business, so here’s the latest on sick leave policies during the coronavirus crisis. Before COVID-19 State by state the country is grappling with trying to stop the spread of the coronavirus [...]

Filing a North Carolina annual report is a yearly activity that is required to maintain your company's registration as a legal entity in the state. It contains information about the company and is due whether or not the entity is actively conducting business. Only when an entity has been officially dissolved (closed) does it no longer have to submit an annual report. Which Businesses Must File an Annual Report? Every business Corporation, Limited Liability Company (LLC), Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), and Limited Liability Limited Partnership (LLLP) registered in North Carolina must file an annual [...]

Did you structure your business as a corporation or LLC for limited liability protections? For most scenarios the extra filing requirements, paperwork and fees are worth it—your personal liability protection helps make sure your assets are protected from the business’s debts and legal issues. And that goes for the corporation’s shareholders and LLC members, too. Creditors can’t come after members’ cars, houses or personal possessions to pay for attorney fees and unpaid invoices. But it’s called limited liability, which means there are some notable exceptions. Here’s what to know and how to protect your [...]

So, you want to be a landlord? Here’s what to know about setting up a rental property business and protecting it with an LLC or S Corp. Whether you want to purchase property to rent out on Airbnb or you want to lease office space, it’s important to understand that how you structure the property purchase affects your liability and your taxes. To be clear, we are not talking about merely renting out your home or a room in your house for a short timeframe. According to the IRS, rental income from a short-term [...]

Business entities that are registered with Georgia's Office of the Secretary of State must file a Georgia annual report each year. The due date for filing Georgia's annual report is April 1st. What is an Annual Report? The correct terminology for an annual report is actually "annual registration." However, many people refer to it as an "annual report" because that's what the annual filing is called in many states. Throughout this article, you'll see that I use both terms to mix things up a little for your reading pleasure! Businesses required to file a [...]

Wondering if you need to submit a Secretary of State Annual Report and when it’s due? This state-by-state list will help you prepare and stay in compliance.

Many small business owners choose to operate their companies under the LLC business structure. They do so with good reason! The LLC offers liability protection to its owners (members), tax flexibility, and compliance simplicity. However, that tax flexibility may cause some confusion for entrepreneurs. One of the tax-related topics that people often ask about is: "Do LLC members have to pay self-employment tax?" In this article, I'm going to cover that question, along with many others related to the subject. Everything that I share here is for informational purposes only; readers should reach out [...]

Businesses that are registered as a corporation in Delaware must file a Delaware Annual Report every year, and most must also pay a Franchise Tax fee yearly. These requirements apply whether a Delaware corporation operates in the state of Delaware or somewhere else. With the March 1 deadline for Delaware annual reports and tax payments approaching, time is running out! Corporations must get moving now to stay compliant with the Delaware Secretary of State Department’s requirements. Although Delaware Limited Liability Companies don’t have to file an annual report, they do have an annual Franchise [...]

Before the advent of the S Corporation in 1958, entrepreneurs had two options for forming a business entity. They could form a partnership or form a C Corporation. But neither of those business structures fulfilled the needs of many people seeking to start their own businesses. To help encourage small businesses in America, Congress and President Eisenhower created the Subchapter S Corporation. You may be thinking, “That’s really interesting, Nellie, but unless I’m attending a business trivia night anytime soon, why should I care?” Hang in there—we're getting to that! Whether you're a business [...]