Kentucky LLC Taxes

An Kentucky LLC is taxed at three levels: federal income tax on the profits, Kentucky state rules, and payroll or sales taxes that depend on what the business does. Kentucky taxes personal income, so LLC owners report their share of profit on a Kentucky return in addition to the federal one. Kentucky also has an entity-level tax to plan for: Limited Liability Entity Tax.

Federal tax treatment

By default the IRS treats a single-member LLC as a disregarded entity, so profit is reported on Schedule C of the owner's personal return. A multi-member LLC is taxed as a partnership and files Form 1065, with each member receiving a Schedule K-1. Either can elect to be taxed as an S corporation (Form 2553) or a C corporation (Form 8832). See the IRS page on LLCs.

Self-employment tax

Members who work in the business generally pay self-employment tax of 15.3% on net earnings: 12.4% for Social Security up to the annual wage base set by the SSA, and 2.9% for Medicare with no cap, plus an additional 0.9% Medicare tax at higher incomes. An S corporation election can reduce this for profitable businesses, but it requires running payroll and paying yourself a reasonable salary. Our LLC vs S-Corp comparison walks through the trade-off.

Kentucky state taxes

Sales tax, payroll tax, and local business taxes sit on top of these. If you sell taxable goods or services, register with the Kentucky tax agency for a sales tax permit. If you hire, you will register for state unemployment insurance and withholding.

Estimated tax payments

LLC owners usually have no employer withholding, so they pay federal estimated tax each quarter, and Kentucky estimated tax as well. Missing estimates can trigger underpayment penalties, so many owners set aside a percentage of every payment they receive.

Kentucky specific notes

Kentucky has one of the lowest LLC filing fees in the country and a low annual report fee. The Limited Liability Entity Tax (LLET) may apply once Kentucky gross receipts or profits pass its thresholds.

Kentucky LLC at a glance

Tax rules and thresholds change, and this page is general information. Confirm details with the Kentucky tax agency and a licensed CPA before you file.