StructureCost2026

LLC or S corp for a general contractor in Arkansas (2026)

A general contractor in Arkansas with $130,000 of profit pays $35,809 a year in tax and fees as a sole proprietor and $36,617 as an LLC taxed as an S corp, with a $91,000 salary. The S corp starts to pay at about $285,000 of profit.

More settings revenue, salary, filing status, payroll costs, PTET

+$808 a year

more for an LLC taxed as an S corp than a sole proprietorship in Arkansas, at these numbers.

Switching from a sole proprietorship to an LLC taxed as an S corp starts to pay at about $285,000 of profit, with the same settings. Setting up costs $45 once in state filing fees. As an LLC taxed as an S corp this uses the state's pass-through entity tax election, which lowers the cost here.

Arkansas, 2026: $130,000 profit, single filer

ItemSole propLLC as S corpChange
Self-employment taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$18,368$0−$18,368
Federal income taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$13,142$16,259+$3,117
State income tax, after the PTET exclusiondfa.arkansas.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$4,299$3,196−$1,103
Payroll tax on your salaryirs.gov, 2026 rates$0$14,105+$14,105
Payroll service and tax return (estimate)$0$1,800+$1,800
Arkansas LLC franchise taxsos.arkansas.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$150+$150
Arkansas pass-through entity tax, paid by the company (elected)dfa.arkansas.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$1,107+$1,107
Yearly cost$35,809$36,617+$808
What these figures count
  • State income tax, and state taxes on the business itself: franchise, LLC, S corp, gross receipts and excise taxes.
  • Social Security and Medicare on both sides of an owner salary, federal unemployment tax and the state's new-employer rate.
  • The 20% qualified business income deduction with its income limits and the professional-service rule.
  • Yearly report fees, and a cost you can change for payroll and the business tax return.

Many S corp calculators leave out state taxes and the QBI deduction, which can make the election look better than it is.

At three profit levels

ProfitSalary usedSole propLLCLLC as S corpC corp
$90,000$63,000$22,239$22,338$23,101$26,627
$130,000$91,000$35,809$35,908$36,617$41,938
$180,000$115,000$53,076$53,173$52,143$61,089

Salary is the BLS median for the job ($114,990), capped at 70% of profit. Revenue 6.2 times profit. Single filer.

What matters for general contractors

What the switch takes in Arkansas

  1. File the Certificate of Organization (Form LL-01) with the state: $45 (fee).
  2. Get an EIN from the IRS (free, online) and open a business bank account in the new name.
  3. Check the business can elect: no more than 100 shareholders, all of them US citizens or residents (no nonresident alien owners), and one class of stock. IRS
  4. File IRS Form 2553 to elect S corp tax treatment, within 2 months and 15 days of the start of the tax year it should apply to. See how the S corp election works.
  5. Register with Arkansas as an employer and run payroll for your own salary: federal Forms 941 each quarter, Form 940 and a W-2 each year. New employers pay Arkansas unemployment tax at 2% on the first $7,000 of wages. dws.arkansas.gov See what payroll costs.
  6. Federal return each year: Form 1120-S, due March 15, plus your own Form 1040.
  7. State upkeep each year: Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report, no fee, due May 1, starting the year after formation. New for you: Arkansas LLC franchise tax.

Questions

Should a general contractor in Arkansas form an S corp?

At $130,000 of profit, not on these figures: the S corp costs $808 a year more than staying a sole proprietor.

Is an LLC worth it for a general contractor in Arkansas?

For tax, a single-member LLC changes nothing: $35,908 a year against $35,809, the difference being Arkansas's LLC fees and LLC taxes. It separates business liability and is the base for an S corp election.

More

Other professions in Arkansas
Other states