Federal and State Taxes Payable by Your Kentucky LLC

There are a wide variety of business taxes that your Kentucky LLC will need to pay. These include tax that’s payable to the Kentucky government, like Kentucky sales taxes and Kentucky state tax. You will also need to pay federal, self-employment and possibly payroll tax to the IRS.

If you want help with your taxes, Incfile provides a complete Business Tax Filing service.

How Your Kentucky LLC Will Be Taxed

The profits of a Kentucky LLC are not taxed at the business level like those of C Corporations. Instead, taxes for a Kentucky LLC work as follows:

• Kentucky LLC owners pay self-employment tax on business profits.
• Kentucky LLC owners pay KY state tax on any profits, less state allowances or deductions.
• All LLC owners pay federal income tax on any profits less federal allowances or deductions.
• Some KY LLCs pay Kentucky sales tax on products.
• Employers pay payroll tax on any salaries they pay to employees.
• Employees pay federal, state and payroll tax on their earnings.

Items 1, 2 and 3 are taxed as “pass-through” income for any LLC owners, managers or members who receive profits from the business. Any profits are reported on federal and Kentucky personal tax returns, and that’s where you will pay those taxes.

Kentucky State Tax on Your LLC Earnings

As a Kentucky business owner, you will need to pay KY state tax on any money you pay to yourself. These earnings flow through to your personal tax return, which is where you will pay Kentucky income tax. You will be taxed at the standard rates for Kentucky state taxes, and you will also get to apply regular allowances and deductions.

Any salaried employees will also need to pay personal Kentucky state taxes.

The Kentucky state tax rates are between two and six percent, depending on your earnings.

Get details on the Kentucky state tax online here.

Kentucky Sales Taxes on LLC Sales

If you sell physical products or certain types of services, you may need to collect sales tax (also known as sales and use tax) and then pay it to the KY Department of Revenue. Kentucky sales tax is collected at the point of purchase. Kentucky sales tax rates do vary depending on the region, county or city where you are located.

You will typically need to collect Kentucky sales tax on:

• Tangible, personal property and goods that you sell like furniture, cars, electronics, appliances, books, raw materials, etc.
• Certain services that your Kentucky business might provide

Most states do not levy sales tax on goods that are considered necessities, like food, medications, clothing or gas.

Get details on the Kentucky sales tax online here.

Sales Tax Rates for Your Kentucky LLC

Sales tax rates do vary between states, counties and cities. Typically, the state will set a base sales tax rate, then specific counties and cities may levy small additional sales tax amounts on top of that.

Federal Taxes for Your Kentucky LLC: Self-Employment and Income Taxes

There are a couple different federal taxes that every LLC will need to pay, including Kentucky LLCs. These are self-employment tax and federal income tax, which are taxed as “pass-through” income via your tax return forms.

Kentucky LLC Federal Self-Employment Tax

All Kentucky LLC business members or managers who take profits out of the LLC will need to pay self-employment tax. This tax is also known as FICA, Social Security or Medicare tax. It applies to all the earnings you withdraw from your Kentucky business. The current self-employment tax rate is 15.3 percent.

You will be able to deduct your business expenses from your income when working out how much self-employment tax you owe. Here are some examples of how much self-employment tax you may need to pay, depending on your earnings:

• On profits of $30,000, you would pay self-employment tax of $4,590.
• On profits of $60,000, you would pay self-employment tax of $9,180.
• On profits of $90,000, you would pay self-employment tax of $13,770.
• On profits of $120,000, you would pay self-employment tax of $18,360.

Pay Less Self-Employment Tax by Treating Your Kentucky LLC as an S Corporation

The Internal Revenue Service allows LLCs to ask to be treated as an S Corporation for tax purposes. This can help you reduce the amount of self-employment tax that you pay by declaring some of your income as salary and other income as distributions or withdrawals.

You can do this by making an “S Corporation Tax Election” with the IRS using a form known as Form 2553. We can file your Form 2553 with the IRS on your behalf.

Incfile Form 2553 S Corporation Tax Election for an LLC service

Speak to your accountant for more information on reducing your Kentucky LLC self-employment tax through an S Corporation tax election.

Kentucky LLC Federal Income Tax

You must also pay regular federal income tax on any earnings you take out of your Kentucky LLC. The amount of income tax you pay depends on your earnings, current income tax brackets, deductions and how you file.

You only pay federal income tax on your Kentucky LLC profits that you take out of the business, less certain deductions and allowances. This includes your tax-free amount, plus LLC business expenses and other deductions for areas such as healthcare and some retirement plans. Speak to your accountant for more information.

Employee and Employer Taxes for Your Kentucky LLC

If you pay employees, there are some slightly different tax implications. Speak to your accountant to get clear guidance for your own unique situation.

Employer Payroll Tax Withholding for Your Kentucky LLC

All employers must collect and withhold payroll tax from their employees when they receive their salaries. You would normally withhold 7.65 percent of the taxable salary that you pay to your employees.

Employer Federal and State Tax Withholding for Your Kentucky LLC

You may also choose to withhold federal and Kentucky state income tax on the wages you pay to employees. Speak to your accountant for more information.

Employees May Need to File Tax Returns

Regardless of whether you withhold federal and Kentucky state income tax, your employees may need to file their own tax returns.

Kentucky LLC Employee Insurance and Other Requirements

You may also need to pay insurance for any employees, like employee compensation insurance or unemployment tax. There will also be other requirements you have for employees.

Get more requirements from the Kentucky Labor Cabinet website.

Other Taxes and Duties for Your Kentucky LLC

Depending on the industry you are in, your Kentucky LLC may be liable for certain other taxes and duties. For example, if you sell gasoline you may need to pay a tax on any fuel you sell. Likewise, if you import or export goods you may need to pay certain duties. Speak to your accountant about any other taxes you may need to withhold or pay.

Estimated Taxes for Your Kentucky LLC

Most Kentucky LLCs will need to pay estimated taxes throughout the year, depending on the amount of income and profit you expect to make. The most common types of estimated tax are:

• Federal income tax
• Federal self-employment tax
• Kentucky state tax

Most Kentucky LLCs will pay estimated taxes four times a year. Speak to your accountant for more information.

FAQs on Kentucky LLC Business Taxes

Does Kentucky Have Sales Tax?

Yes. Kentucky does have a sales tax, which may vary among cities and counties.

Does Kentucky Have a State Tax?

Yes. Kentucky does have a general state income tax. You can find more information above.

Do I Need to Pay Estimated Taxes?

Yes. In most cases you must pay estimated taxes on your Kentucky tax, federal income tax and self-employment tax. Speak to your accountant for more information.