StructureCost2026

LLC or S corp for a personal trainer in New Hampshire (2026)

A personal trainer in New Hampshire with $50,000 of profit pays $9,732 a year in tax and fees as a sole proprietor and $11,223 as an LLC taxed as an S corp, with a $35,000 salary. The S corp starts to pay at about $132,500 of profit.

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

+$1,491 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: $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$2,920+$253
Annual Reportquickstart.sos.nh.gov, checked Oct 23, 2026$0$100+$100
Payroll tax on your salaryirs.gov, 2026 rates$0$5,635+$5,635
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$768+$768
Yearly cost$9,732$11,223+$1,491
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
$40,000$28,000$7,427$7,504$8,908$9,868
$50,000$35,000$9,732$9,809$11,223$12,432
$80,000$47,000$16,936$17,013$17,361$20,488

Salary is the BLS median for the job ($47,160), capped at 70% of profit. Revenue 1.3 times profit. Single filer.

What matters for personal trainers

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 personal trainer in New Hampshire form an S corp?

At $50,000 of profit, not on these figures: the S corp costs $1,491 a year more than staying a sole proprietor.

Is an LLC worth it for a personal trainer in New Hampshire?

For tax, a single-member LLC changes nothing: $9,809 a year against $9,732, 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