StructureCost2026

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

A general contractor in Nebraska with $130,000 of profit pays $36,304 a year in tax and fees as a sole proprietor and $36,939 as an LLC taxed as an S corp, with a $91,000 salary. The S corp starts to pay at about $282,500 of profit.

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

+$635 a year

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

Switching from a sole proprietorship to an LLC taxed as an S corp starts to pay at about $282,500 of profit, with the same settings. Setting up costs $225 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.

Nebraska, 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$16,242+$3,100
State income tax, after the PTET creditrevenue.nebraska.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$4,794$3,437−$1,357
Biennial Reportsos.nebraska.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$14+$14
Payroll tax on your salaryirs.gov, 2026 rates$0$14,078+$14,078
Payroll service and tax return (estimate)$0$1,800+$1,800
Nebraska pass-through entity tax, paid by the company (elected)revenue.nebraska.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$1,368+$1,368
Yearly cost$36,304$36,939+$635
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$22,418$22,428$23,116$26,841
$130,000$91,000$36,304$36,313$36,939$42,468
$180,000$115,000$53,966$53,975$52,834$62,018

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 Nebraska

  1. File the Certificate of Organization with the state: $100 (fee). Nebraska also requires a newspaper notice, about $125.
  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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska unemployment tax at 1.25% on the first $9,000 of wages. dol.nebraska.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, $28 every two years, due April 1 of odd-numbered years (delinquent after June 16).

Questions

Should a general contractor in Nebraska form an S corp?

At $130,000 of profit, not on these figures: the S corp costs $635 a year more than staying a sole proprietor.

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

For tax, a single-member LLC changes nothing: $36,313 a year against $36,304, the difference being Nebraska's LLC fees. It separates business liability and is the base for an S corp election.

More

Other professions in Nebraska
Other states