PARTNERSHIP TAX
The individual tax liabilities in a business partnership
A partnership company doesn’t pay taxes on the business’s income. That responsibility is divided among the individual owners.
Which forms you need to file
Partnerships are considered pass-through entities. That means that any income or losses are passed through the partnership to the individual owners, who are then responsible to account for that income or loss on their income tax returns. However, the partnership is required to file IRS Form 1065. This is an informational partnership tax return submitted annually that reports the earnings, losses, deductions and credits from the partnership. The partnership itself must also issue a Schedule K-1 to each individual owner so that they can report and pay their share of the partnership’s tax liability.
How is K-1 income taxed?
The Schedule K-1 is used by each individual in the partnership to pay income tax based on their share of the earnings, losses, deductions and credits. In addition to income tax, each individual may need to file IRS forms for self-employment tax, estimated tax and international tax.
Are partnership distributions taxable?
Because each individual partner pays taxes on their share of the partnership income, they are not taxed on any withdrawals or distributions. If a partner takes a withdrawal or distribution that exceeds their net share in the partnership, that withdrawal or distribution would be considered taxable income.
How M&T Bank can help
IRS Form 1065 and Schedule K-1 require a lot of information from your financial statements, other tax forms and individual partners. Finding trusted professional help is advisable. M&T’s Business Banking Specialists can connect you to vetted professionals with the expertise to help you make the best organizational decisions.
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