Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Partnerships 101


In this blog we are talking about unincorporated partnerships.  Check our other blogs for other forms of corporate partnerships, limited partnerships and more.  A partnership is established when two or more people agree to pool their financial, managerial, technical and other resources in order to operate a business for profit.  Like a sole proprietorship, a partnership is not taxed as a business that is separate from its owners.  The income from the partnership is included as part of the partners’ personal incomes and taxed accordingly.

The main advantages of partnerships are:
Ø  Because two or more people will be in business together, they can combine their finances in order to invest more than either could have done individually.
Ø  A partnership will most likely be able to borrow more than a sole proprietorship because creditors will have the credit & collateral of two or more people instead of only one to secure their lending.
Ø  Partners can pool talents and resources to accomplish more.

The main disadvantages of partnerships are:
Ø  Like a sole proprietorship, partners in a partnership are also exposed to unlimited liability incurred by the business, in relation to their % of ownership.
Ø  The partnership ends every time a partner leaves, unless provided for in a partnership agreement.
Ø  Start-up costs can be as high as, or even higher than, the cost of incorporating, due to the cost of Partnership Agreements.

If you are considering a partnership you may not want to use this typical form of partnership, but instead consider using a corporation or limited partnership.  Please contact us if you require more information on business structuring or partnerships.

My next blog will be about Professional Corporations so please visit my blog again!

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