SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP

A sole proprietorship is characterized as a business form with a sole owner and unlimited
liability. Unless a business entity, such as a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation is
formed to conduct business, a business with one owner will automatically be a sole
proprietorship.

Sole Proprietorship is the simplest business form and is not a legal entity. Sole proprietorship
is the easiest type of business to establish which means that there’s no state filing required. It
is simply an enterprise owned and operated by an individual.

By default, once you start selling goods or services, you have created a sole proprietorship.
So there’s no actual filing requirements and you simply report your business’s earnings on
your personal taxes.

Advantages of a sole proprietorship:

 Instant, easy & inexpensive

 No state paperwork is required for creation and no ongoing formalities

 No separate tax filing is required - profits or losses are reported on the owner’s tax
return

 The owner may freely mix business and personal assets

Disadvantages of a sole proprietorship:

 The owner is subject to unlimited personal liability for business debts, losses and
liabilities. In other words, you are personally liable for all the business' debts. If your
business gets sued, your personal assets may also be in risk.

 Obtaining capital,- such as a bank loan, can be more difficult - lenders often require a
more formal entity structure.

 Sole proprietorships rarely survive an owner’s death or incapacity, so they do not

retain value.

 Sole proprietorships by definition can only have one owner.