Rhode Island LLC Taxes

After you start a Rhode Island LLC, there are two main types of ongoing filings. The first is the Annual Report with the state, and the other is taxes.

Paying taxes is an important part of running a business, but figuring out which taxes you need to pay can be a pain.

This lesson will provide you with general resources and the basics of Rhode Island LLC tax filing requirements.

What taxes does a Limited Liability Company pay in Rhode Island?

Each LLC has a different tax situation, so the taxes paid for a Rhode Island LLC varies.

The amount of taxes owed for your LLC depends on rules like:

• how your LLC is taxed
• state and local tax rules
• any sales and use tax requirements, or
• whether you have employees

Additionally, some business types are required to register for industry-specific taxes.

Pro Tip: We recommend hiring an accountant to ensure your LLC meets all of its tax obligations.

We also recommend getting an EIN Number for your LLC. An EIN is also called a Federal Tax Identification Number. They mean the same thing.

Not only will an EIN number be used to open an LLC bank account, but it will also be used for filing taxes with the local, state, and federal governments.

LLC pass-through taxation (Who pays the taxes?)

By default, LLCs don’t pay taxes.

Instead, the LLC Members are responsible for reporting the income (or losses) on their personal 1040 tax return. The Members pay taxes on any LLC profits. This is because of LLC pass-through taxation.

Simply put, pass-through taxation means the responsibility for reporting tax information from an LLC “passes through” the LLC to the LLC Members.

How are LLCs taxed in Rhode Island?

By default, a Rhode Island LLC is taxed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) based on the number of Members the LLC has. Then the Rhode Island Department of Revenue: Division of Taxation honors this and taxes your LLC the same way at the state level.

An LLC with 1 owner (Single-Member LLC) is taxed like a Sole Proprietorship.

An LLC with 2 or more owners (Multi-Member LLC) is taxed like a Partnership.

The above are referred to as the “default status“. Meaning, they are automatically applied based on the number of LLC Members.

Alternatively, you have the option of requesting an “elective status” for your LLC. This is done by filing an extra form with the IRS. Once granted, this elective status means the IRS will treat your LLC as a Corporation (either an S-Corporation or C-Corporation) for tax purposes.

Note: Your Rhode Island LLC Operating Agreement should also include information about how your LLC is taxed.

Federal Income Taxes

There are several different options for how the IRS can treat your LLC for tax purposes.

Single-Member LLC taxes (default status)

The IRS treats all Single-Member LLCs as Disregarded Entities for tax purposes. This just means that the IRS doesn’t expect the LLC to file its own federal income tax return.

Instead, the owner of the Single-Member LLC files the return (and pays the federal income taxes).

How the LLC pays federal income tax is determined by who owns the LLC:

• If the LLC is owned by an individual, the LLC is taxed like a Sole Proprietorship.
• If the LLC is owned by another company, the LLC is taxed as a branch/division of the parent company.

Multi-Member LLC taxes (default status)

If an LLC has two or more owners, the LLC is taxed like a Partnership.

The LLC needs to file a 1065 Partnership Return and issue a Schedule K-1 to the LLC owners.

The K-1s report each owner’s distributive share of profits. And the K-1 income “flows through” to the owners. The income taxes are then paid by each owner on their personal income tax return (Form 1040).

Husband and Wife LLC taxes

You may have heard that in some states, a husband and wife LLC has the option to file taxes as a Single-Member LLC (aka Qualified Joint Venture) instead of a Multi-Member LLC.

This is true for community property states (like Texas). That said, Rhode Island isn’t a community property state, which means Qualified Joint Ventures are not available in this state.

Electing to have your LLC taxed as a Corporation

Instead of the default statuses above, a Limited Liability Company (LLC) can be taxed like a Corporation.

Note: We recommend speaking with an accountant before making a corporate election.

There are two types of corporate elections:

• S-Corporation
• C-Corporation

LLC taxed as an S-Corporation (elective status)

By filing Form 2553 with the IRS, your LLC can request to be taxed like an S-Corporation.

Being taxed as an S-Corp can help businesses (with established profits) save money on self-employment taxes.

LLC taxed as an C-Corporation (elective status)

By filing Form 8832 with the IRS, your LLC can request to be taxed like a C-Corporation.

Being taxed as a C-Corp can help large employers save money on healthcare fringe benefits.

Rhode Island State Income Tax for Rhode Island LLCs

In most states, the LLC itself usually doesn’t file a state-level return. Instead, the owner files a personal state-level return that includes the LLC’s profits or losses.

That said, Rhode Island is unique in requiring that all LLCs file an Information Return (Form RI-1065) each year. This means that Single-Member LLCs and Multi-Member LLCs must file Form RI-1065 each year.

This is because pass-through entities (including Single-Member and Multi-Member LLCs) must also pay the Rhode Island Minimum Tax. This tax costs $400 per year and is paid to the Rhode Island Department of Revenue.

Single-Member and Multi-Member LLCs must file Form RI-1065 to pay this tax each year.

The owner(s) must still also file a personal state-level return (Form RI-1040).

Pass-through Entity Tax Election

LLCs in Rhode Island also have the option of being taxed at the business entity level through the Pass-through Entity Tax Election (PTE).

If all LLC Members agree to have the LLC taxed this way at the state level, then the LLC itself reports income each year by filing the Pass-through Entity Tax Election Return (Form RI-PTE). This form is filed with the Rhode Island Department of Revenue.

The owner(s) must still also file a personal state-level return (Form RI-1040) with the Rhode Island Department of Revenue.

The PTE is separate from, and in addition to the Minimum Tax. This means that you will also still need to file Form IT-140 with the Department of Revenue.

You can read more about the Pass-through Entity Tax Election and the Minimum Tax from these Rhode Island DOR resources:

• Pass-through Entities
• Entity Filing Requirements

There are also other types of Rhode Island business tax that apply to certain industries and types of businesses.

We recommend hiring an accountant to prepare and file your state income taxes.

You can also contact the Rhode Island Department of Revenue: Division of Taxation for more information about Rhode Island state taxes.

Local Income Tax for Rhode Island LLCs

You and/or your LLC may need to file and pay income taxes with your local municipality (town, city, county, etc.).

We recommend hiring an accountant to prepare and file your local income taxes.

You can also contact your municipality to check on their requirements.

Rhode Island Sales Tax

If you sell products to consumers in Rhode Island, you may need to collect sales tax and get a Seller’s Permit.

A Seller’s Permit is the license that allows you to collect sales tax on retail sales in the state where you do business. It’s sometimes also called a:

• resale license
• wholesale license
• sales tax permit/license
• reseller permit

They all mean the same thing and we may use these terms interchangeably.

You can register for business tax with the Division of Taxation online through Combined Online Registration Service.

You can read more information about Rhode Island sales tax from these Rhode Island DOT resources:

• Sales & Use Tax
• Sales & Excise Tax

For more information on permits, read Rhode Island Business Licenses and Permits.

And if you have any questions about whether you need a Seller’s Permit, you can contact the Rhode Island Division of Taxation at 401-574-8829.

Rhode Island LLC Payroll Taxes

If your Rhode Island LLC will have employees, you must submit payroll taxes. Payroll taxes are essentially a group of taxes and filings, including:

• Federal income tax withholding
• State income tax withholding
• Social Security tax
• Medicare tax
• Federal unemployment taxes (FUTA)
• State unemployment taxes (SUTA)
• Local/county deductions
• Employee deductions

As an employer in Rhode Island, you need to set up payroll, withhold payroll taxes from employees’ paychecks, and then submit those filings and taxes to various state and government agencies.

Although you can file payroll taxes yourself, the calculations can be burdensome and very complex. And if done improperly can lead to penalties and fines. Most people hire a payroll company or ask their accountant for help.

Our favorite payroll company is Gusto Payroll. They’ll automate and take care of your payroll taxes.

For more Rhode Island payroll tax resources, please see the references section at the bottom of this page.

Managing your books & staying organized

You can keep track of income and expenses using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Or you can use software to help automate things and save time.

The accounting software we recommend is Quickbooks Online.

Working with an accountant

As you can see, figuring out the different types of taxes you owe can be complicated, let alone how to properly fill out all the forms. And doing taxes improperly or missing deadlines can be harmful to your business

We strongly recommend working with an experienced accountant in Rhode Island to help make sure you file your federal, state, and local taxes correctly.

Check out our guide on how to find an accountant.

Rhode Island Division of Taxation Contact Information

There are other types of Rhode Island business tax that apply to certain industries and types of businesses.

You can contact the Rhode Island Division of Taxation at 401-574-8829 for more information about Rhode Island state taxes.

Rhode Island LLC Taxes FAQs

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.