StructureCost2026

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

A photographer in Kentucky with $50,000 of profit pays $11,241 a year in tax and fees as a sole proprietor and $11,958 as an LLC taxed as an S corp, with a $35,000 salary. The S corp starts to pay at about $285,000 of profit.

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

+$717 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 $285,000 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: $50,000 profit, single filer

ItemSole propLLC as S corpChange
Self-employment taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$7,065$0−$7,065
Federal income taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$2,667$2,960+$293
State income tax, after the PTET creditrevenue.ky.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$1,509$1,107−$402
Annual Reportsos.ky.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$15+$15
Payroll tax on your salaryirs.gov, 2026 rates$0$5,721+$5,721
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$355+$355
Yearly cost$11,241$11,958+$717
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
$30,000$21,000$6,039$6,051$7,085$8,084
$50,000$35,000$11,241$11,252$11,958$13,605
$70,000$45,000$16,502$16,513$16,216$19,232

Salary is the BLS median for the job ($44,660), capped at 70% of profit. Revenue 2.5 times profit. Single filer.

What matters for photographers

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 photographer in Kentucky form an S corp?

At $50,000 of profit, not on these figures: the S corp costs $717 a year more than staying a sole proprietor.

Is an LLC worth it for a photographer in Kentucky?

For tax, a single-member LLC changes nothing: $11,252 a year against $11,241, 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