THE BUSINESS OWNER’S FIELD GUIDE · BY AE TAX ADVISORS
Build a business
that works for you.
Clear decisions. Stronger foundations. A practical guide to business entities, owner pay, and the tax questions that come with growth.
START WHERE YOU ARE
Your next decision,
made easier to understand.
Follow a focused reading path, then bring your questions to the professionals who know your business.
Start with the right foundation
Entity choice, ownership, banking, and the questions to settle before you file.
Explore the path ↗02Make sense of S-corp status
Understand the election, owner salary, payroll, and the costs that belong in the decision.
Explore the path ↗03Bring clarity to multiple entities
Map who owns what, how money moves, and where your records need attention.
Explore the path ↗THE FOUNDATION
An LLC and an S-corp election answer different questions.
An LLC is a state-law business structure. S-corporation status is a federal tax election for an eligible entity. Understanding that distinction is a useful starting point for your planning conversation.
Read the entity comparison →THE READING ROOM
Good questions lead
to better conversations.
Browse all 103 guides →OWNER PAY
What should an S-corp owner pay themselves?
Understand reasonable compensation and the records behind your salary.
Read the guide ↗BUSINESS STRUCTURE
One LLC or separate LLCs?
Think through ownership, operations, and the work of maintaining separate businesses.
Read the guide ↗EXPENSES & RECORDS
Build a better reimbursement process
Learn the documentation and process behind an accountable plan.
Read the guide ↗AGENCY OWNERS
Structure your agency for its next stage
Connect entity decisions with client work, hiring, and owner pay.
Read the guide ↗Agency & Entities is an educational publication from AE Tax Advisors. Explore the 10 topic collections, common questions, and plain-English glossary.
For the underlying distinction between legal structure and tax classification, see the IRS guidance on LLCs and S corporations.