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State Income Tax for Businesses

Most states tax business income in some form. The type of tax and rate depend on your business structure and the state.

No State Income Tax (9 States)

Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire*, South Dakota, Tennessee*, Texas, Washington, Wyoming

*New Hampshire and Tennessee tax investment income only, not earned income.

How Business Income Is Taxed

  • Sole proprietorships & single-member LLCs: Income flows to your personal return and is taxed at your individual state income tax rate
  • Partnerships & multi-member LLCs: Income flows to each partner's personal return
  • S-Corps: Income flows to shareholders' personal returns (some states also have an entity-level tax)
  • C-Corps: Taxed at the state corporate income tax rate (ranges from 2.5% to 11.5%)

Special State Taxes to Watch

  • California $800 franchise tax: All LLCs owe $800/year regardless of income
  • Texas franchise (margin) tax: Applies to businesses with revenue over ~$2.47M
  • Washington B&O tax: Gross receipts tax (no deductions for expenses)
  • Ohio CAT: Commercial Activity Tax on gross receipts over $150K

This is general information, not tax advice.