StructureCost2026

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

A general contractor in New Hampshire with $130,000 of profit pays $34,378 a year in tax and fees as a sole proprietor and $34,400 as an LLC taxed as an S corp, with a $91,000 salary. The S corp starts to pay at about $132,500 of profit.

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

+$22 a year

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

Switching from a sole proprietorship to an LLC taxed as an S corp starts to pay at about $132,500 of profit, with the same settings. Setting up costs $100 once in state filing fees.

New Hampshire, 2026: $130,000 profit, single filer

ItemSole propLLC as S corpChange
New Hampshire business profits tax (sole proprietors and LLCs)revenue.nh.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$4,125$0−$4,125
Self-employment taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$17,786$0−$17,786
Federal income taxirs.gov, 2026 rates$12,467$16,050+$3,583
Annual Reportquickstart.sos.nh.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$100+$100
Payroll tax on your salaryirs.gov, 2026 rates$0$14,203+$14,203
Payroll service and tax return (estimate)$0$1,800+$1,800
New Hampshire business profits tax (S corporations and LLCs taxed as S corps)revenue.nh.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$2,247+$2,247
Yearly cost$34,378$34,400+$22
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$20,098$20,168$21,612$24,518
$130,000$91,000$34,378$34,447$34,400$38,729
$180,000$115,000$52,415$52,483$49,761$56,837

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 New Hampshire

  1. File the Certificate of Formation (Form LLC-1) with the state: $100 (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. New Hampshire does not follow the S election: the state taxes the company as a corporation, which the figures above include.
  6. Register with New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire unemployment tax at 1.7% on the first $14,000 of wages. nhes.nh.gov See what payroll costs.
  7. Federal return each year: Form 1120-S, due March 15, plus your own Form 1040.
  8. State upkeep each year: Annual Report, $100 a year, due April 1. New for you: New Hampshire business profits tax (S corporations and LLCs taxed as S corps).

Questions

Should a general contractor in New Hampshire form an S corp?

At $130,000 of profit, not on these figures: the S corp costs $22 a year more than staying a sole proprietor.

Is an LLC worth it for a general contractor in New Hampshire?

For tax, a single-member LLC changes nothing: $34,447 a year against $34,378, the difference being New Hampshire's LLC fees. It separates business liability and is the base for an S corp election.

More

Other professions in New Hampshire
Other states