StructureCost2026

LLC or S corp for a dentist in Kentucky (2026)

A dentist in Kentucky with $190,000 of profit pays $56,319 a year in tax and fees as a sole proprietor and $57,556 as an LLC taxed as an S corp, with a $133,000 salary. The S corp starts to pay at about $275,000 of profit.

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

+$1,237 a year

more for an LLC taxed as an S corp than a sole proprietorship in Kentucky, 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 $40 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.

Kentucky, 2026: $190,000 profit, single filer

ItemSole propLLC as S corpChange
Self-employment taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$26,846$0−$26,846
Federal income taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$23,410$28,926+$5,516
State income tax, after the PTET creditrevenue.ky.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$6,063$4,537−$1,526
Annual Reportsos.ky.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$15+$15
Payroll tax on your salaryirs.gov, 2026 rates$0$20,715+$20,715
Payroll service and tax return (estimate)$0$1,800+$1,800
Kentucky pass-through entity tax, paid by the company (elected)revenue.ky.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$1,563+$1,563
Yearly cost$56,319$57,556+$1,237
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
$130,000$91,000$35,621$35,631$36,477$42,079
$190,000$133,000$56,319$56,328$57,556$65,181
$270,000$171,000$88,077$88,084$86,194$97,908

Salary is the BLS median for the job ($170,950), capped at 70% of profit. Revenue 3.5 times profit. Single filer.

What matters for dentists

What the switch takes in Kentucky

  1. File the Articles of Organization with the state: $40 (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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky unemployment tax at 2.7% on the first $12,000 of wages. ui.ky.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 Report, $15 a year, due June 30 (filing window January 1 to June 30). New for you: Kentucky limited liability entity tax (LLET).

Questions

Should a dentist in Kentucky form an S corp?

At $190,000 of profit, not on these figures: the S corp costs $1,237 a year more than staying a sole proprietor.

Is an LLC worth it for a dentist in Kentucky?

For tax, a single-member LLC changes nothing: $56,328 a year against $56,319, the difference being Kentucky's LLC fees and LLC taxes. It separates business liability and is the base for an S corp election.

More

Other professions in Kentucky
Other states