StructureCost2026

LLC or S corp for a lawyer in Iowa (2026)

A lawyer in Iowa with $180,000 of profit pays $52,803 a year in tax and fees as a sole proprietor and $53,970 as an LLC taxed as an S corp, with a $126,000 salary. The S corp starts to pay at about $275,000 of profit.

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

+$1,167 a year

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

Switching from a sole proprietorship to an LLC taxed as an S corp starts to pay at about $275,000 of profit, with the same settings. Setting up costs $50 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.

Iowa, 2026: $180,000 profit, single filer

ItemSole propLLC as S corpChange
Self-employment taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$25,433$0−$25,433
Federal income taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$21,625$26,787+$5,162
State income tax, after the PTET creditrevenue.iowa.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$5,745$4,237−$1,508
Biennial Reportlegis.iowa.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$15+$15
Payroll tax on your salaryirs.gov, 2026 rates$0$19,524+$19,524
Payroll service and tax return (estimate)$0$1,800+$1,800
Iowa pass-through entity tax, paid by the company (elected)legis.iowa.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$1,607+$1,607
Yearly cost$52,803$53,970+$1,167
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
$120,000$84,000$32,087$32,098$32,886$38,108
$180,000$126,000$52,803$52,813$53,970$61,278
$260,000$160,000$82,269$82,276$80,729$93,927

Salary is the BLS median for the job ($159,670), capped at 70% of profit. Revenue 2.1 times profit. Single filer.

What matters for lawyers

What the switch takes in Iowa

  1. File the Certificate of Organization with the state: $50 (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 Iowa 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 Iowa unemployment tax at 1% on the first $20,400 of wages. workforce.iowa.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: Biennial Report, $30 every two years, due January 1 to April 1 of odd-numbered years.

Questions

Should a lawyer in Iowa form an S corp?

At $180,000 of profit, not on these figures: the S corp costs $1,167 a year more than staying a sole proprietor.

Is an LLC worth it for a lawyer in Iowa?

For tax, a single-member LLC changes nothing: $52,813 a year against $52,803, the difference being Iowa's LLC fees. It separates business liability and is the base for an S corp election.

More

Other professions in Iowa
Other states