The LLC is the dominant US small-business structure for a reason - limited liability without the corporate-tax double-hit. But sole proprietorships, general partnerships, LPs, LLPs, S-Corps, C-Corps, and statutory trusts each have specific use cases where they outperform LLCs. This Anonymousllc.co reference compares the seven major business structures across liability, taxation, formation cost, ongoing maintenance, and anonymity at the state level.
The LLC is the default because it pairs a corporate-grade liability shield with pass-through taxation and near-zero formality - no board, no bylaws, no double tax. It fits solo founders, partnerships, and non-residents in one flexible wrapper. Every other structure trades away one of those advantages. A sole proprietorship drops the liability shield. A C-Corp adds double taxation and formal governance. An S-Corp adds payroll and a corporate return. The LLC keeps all three benefits and lets an owner elect corporate tax treatment later if the numbers justify it. The LLC also carries a privacy advantage no corporation matches out of the box: in Wyoming, New Mexico, Delaware, and Nevada, members and managers stay off the public record. Anonymousllc.co forms an anonymous LLC for $397 all-in in Wyoming, $347 in New Mexico, $407 in Delaware, or $722 in Nevada, each including the EIN, operating agreement, and bank applications.
A sole proprietorship costs nothing to start but gives unlimited personal liability, so every business claim reaches your personal assets - the single reason it loses to an LLC for any real business. An LLC builds a legal wall between you and the business for a one-time formation cost. Sole proprietorship - no formation required. Income reported on Schedule C with a personal 1040. Self-employment tax applies to net profit. Liability: unlimited personal liability. Every business claim attaches to your personal assets. Formation cost: $0. Ongoing maintenance: $0 state-side, same federal tax filings. Anonymity: none. Every contract, bank account, and tax filing is in your personal name. When a sole prop beats an LLC: never, over the long run. The $347-$722 one-time cost of an LLC (New Mexico to Nevada range) is dwarfed by even one customer claim. The only honest case for a sole prop is short-term, sub-$5K/year side income with no customer-facing risk.
A general partnership forms automatically when two people co-own a business, and it gives each partner unlimited liability for the other partner's actions - the worst asset-protection position of any structure. A multi-member LLC delivers the same partnership tax treatment with a full liability shield. General partnership - formed automatically when two or more people co-own a business without filing entity paperwork. Income flows through to partners' personal returns via Form 1065 and K-1s. Liability: unlimited personal liability for each partner, including for the other partner's actions. Joint and several liability is the worst-case asset-protection scenario. Formation cost: $0 (formed automatically). Ongoing maintenance: Form 1065 partnership return required. Anonymity: none. When a general partnership beats an LLC: never. The multi-member LLC provides identical partnership taxation with limited liability. General partnerships survive only as a default for co-owners who never formed an LLC.
An LP wins in real-estate syndications and PE fund structures, and an LLP wins in licensed professional partnerships - law, accounting, architecture - where the form is required or expected. For most operating businesses, the LLC is simpler and offers a stronger shield. Limited Partnership (LP) - one or more General Partners with unlimited liability plus one or more Limited Partners whose liability is capped at their capital contribution. Used in real-estate syndications and PE fund structures. Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) - all partners have limited liability. Most US states restrict LLPs to licensed professional firms. Liability: Limited Partners and LLP partners have LLC-equivalent shields; General Partners in an LP do not. Formation cost and ongoing maintenance: comparable to an LLC plus partnership tax filings. Anonymity: limited - most states require listing General Partners on LP filings. When LP/LLP beats LLC: LPs suit the general-partner/limited-partner split that fund and syndication investors expect; LLPs suit professional firms where the LLP form is the norm. Anonymousllc.co forms LLCs, not LPs or LLPs.
An S-Corp election beats a plain LLC once net income reaches about $80K/year, because the reasonable-salary structure shields distributions from self-employment tax and saves $5K-$15K annually. The best path is an LLC that elects S-Corp treatment, keeping LLC flexibility plus the tax savings. S-Corp - a corporation, or an LLC, that elects pass-through taxation via Form 2553. Only the owner's reasonable salary is subject to FICA; distributions are not. Liability: limited liability, same as an LLC. Formation cost: $200-$500 to form a corporation, plus $0 for the Form 2553 election. Ongoing maintenance: Form 1120-S corporate return, payroll for owners (W-2 plus Form 941), and state corporate franchise taxes. Anonymity: depends on state, but most require officer or director listing on annual reports. S-Corp is a federal tax election, not a state entity type. Most Anonymousllc.co customers who want S-Corp benefits form a Wyoming LLC and elect S-Corp treatment via Form 2553 - the most common high-income small-business structure.
A C-Corp beats an LLC when institutional venture capital is in your near-term plan, because VCs require the preferred-stock, 83(b), and ISO option-pool structure built for C-Corp law. For every other use case, the LLC's single-layer tax and simplicity win. C-Corp - a corporation taxed separately from its owners under Form 1120. Dividend distributions are taxed again at the shareholder level, the double-taxation issue. Liability: limited liability, same as an LLC. Formation cost: $200-$500 in most states; the Delaware C-Corp is the VC-default. Ongoing maintenance: Form 1120 corporate return and formal governance - board of directors, board meetings, bylaws. Anonymity: in Delaware, directors and officers are not on the Certificate of Incorporation, so a Delaware C-Corp can be anonymous at the state level, similar to an anonymous LLC. For founders raising institutional capital within 12-24 months, forming directly as a Delaware C-Corp avoids LLC-to-C-Corp conversion friction. For the LLC route with a conversion option, see /services/delaware-llc/. Direct C-Corp formation is not in the Anonymousllc.co catalog; message the team on WhatsApp to scope a custom engagement.
A statutory trust beats an LLC in 1031-exchange real estate, certain REIT structuring, and specific estate-planning vehicles - the Delaware Statutory Trust is the standard 1031 vehicle. For most other holding or operating purposes, the LLC is simpler. Statutory trust - a trust formed under state statute (Delaware DST, Nevada Statutory Trust) for specific holding or pass-through purposes. Common in 1031-exchange real-estate syndications. Liability: limited liability for beneficial owners. Formation cost: comparable to an LLC. Ongoing maintenance: trust accounting plus tax filings. Anonymity: comparable to an LLC in the same states, Delaware and Nevada. When a statutory trust beats an LLC: the DST is the accepted vehicle for fractional 1031-exchange ownership, where multiple investors need a passive structure that qualifies for like-kind treatment. Outside those niches, the LLC covers the same ground with less accounting overhead.
An LLC is the only structure that lets an owner choose federal tax treatment: disregarded entity, partnership, S-Corp, or C-Corp, without changing the state entity. A corporation locks you into corporate tax rules from day one. A single-member LLC defaults to a disregarded entity, and a multi-member LLC defaults to a partnership. Filing Form 2553 switches the LLC to S-Corp taxation; filing Form 8832 switches it to C-Corp taxation. The liability shield and state registration stay identical through every election. This optionality is why the LLC is the safe first move. A founder starts as a simple pass-through, then elects S-Corp treatment when profit justifies payroll, or C-Corp treatment if a foreign parent or reinvestment strategy calls for it - all without dissolving and re-forming. Anonymousllc.co forms the LLC; a CPA files the election.
Pick a plain LLC for almost every solo, partnership, non-resident, or online business; layer an S-Corp election on top at $80K+ net income; and reserve the C-Corp for VC-track founders. The structure follows the goal, and the LLC is the default the others deviate from. Solo founder, online business, anonymous: Anonymous LLC ($397 all-in) or Wyoming LLC ($397 total). The default choice for most Anonymousllc.co customers. Multi-member founders, US residents, anonymous: multi-member Wyoming LLC ($397 total) with member-defined distribution rules. Non-resident founder, anonymous: Wyoming LLC ($397 total) or Delaware LLC ($407 total) depending on banking preference. Anonymousllc.co handles the non-resident EIN via fax SS-4. High-income solo founder ($80K+ net): Wyoming LLC plus S-Corp election (Form 2553) for self-employment tax savings. Anonymousllc.co handles formation; a CPA handles the election and payroll. VC-track founder: Delaware LLC now (cheaper, faster) converting to a Delaware C-Corp at Series A, or a direct Delaware C-Corp. Real-estate holding: Wyoming LLC for single-property, Series LLC (DE, NV, TX) for a portfolio, Delaware Statutory Trust for 1031. Professional services firm: state-specific LLP or PLLC.
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