S Corporation Tax Calculator

Plug in your business’ profit and see how taking part of it as a salary (and the rest as a distribution) could reduce your tax bill. Spoiler alert: The savings might surprise you.

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What's an S Corp?

An S Corporation isn’t a new type of legal entity—it’s just a different way to have your existing business (likely an LLC or PLLC) taxed. But that small change can have a big impact on how much tax you pay as a business owner.

With an S Corp election, you still own your business as usual. But instead of taking 100% of your profits as self-employment income—and paying self-employment tax on all of it—you split that income. You pay yourself a reasonable salary as an owner, and take the rest as a distribution.

Here’s the kicker: Distributions aren’t subject to self-employment tax. That’s where the savings come in.

Here's how it works

Let’s say your business nets $300,000 in profit. If you’re taxed as a regular LLC, you could owe around $30,000 in self-employment tax. If you elect S Corp status, and pay yourself a salary of $90,000 while taking the other $210,000 as a distribution, your self-employment tax might drop to around $14,000.

LLC

You pay around

$30,000

in self-employment tax

S Corp

You pay around

$14,000

in self-employment tax

Try our calculator

Enter your estimated yearly income and see a side-by-side comparison of taxes as a sole proprietor vs. an S Corp—including your potential savings.

Estimate the difference in self-employment taxes if you switch from a sole prop/LLC to an S Corp.
$
We recommend $176,100 based on your profit
$
Please enter a valid salary greater than $0

Get Results

Total potential savings as an S Corp
$0
As a Sole Prop/LLC you pay
in self-employment taxes
$0
As an S Corp you pay
saving $0 in taxes
$0
This estimate is for informational purposes only and is based on the inputs provided. It does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice.

If the numbers look good, we’re here to help.

01
expert slc bookkeeping

File the S Corp election

We’ll handle the paperwork to elect S Corp status with the IRS, so you can start saving on taxes.

02
reliable slc bookkeeping

Set up payroll

Get help setting up a compliant payroll system, paying yourself a reasonable salary the right way.

03
expert salt lake city accounting

Stay compliant year-round

We’ll manage filings and deadlines to keep your S Corp in good standing.