{"id":4588,"date":"2021-09-21T21:14:39","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T02:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/business-operations\/sole-proprietorship-vs-self-employed.html"},"modified":"2021-09-21T22:15:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-22T03:15:00","slug":"sole-proprietorship-vs-self-employed","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/business-operations\/sole-proprietorship-vs-self-employed.html","title":{"rendered":"Sole Proprietorship vs. Self Employed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30  wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30\">\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-section-main fl-page-articles fl-section-main fl-section-main-full-width\">\n        <h1 class=\"fl-no-margin-top\">Sole Proprietorship vs. Self Employed<\/h1>\n<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/tim-kelly-j-d\/\">Tim Kelly, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by <a\n                href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/j-p-finet-j-d\/\">J.P. Finet, J.D.<\/a>\n                | Last updated\n        <time>\n                            September 21, 2021\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-editorial-note fl-text-sm\">\n            <p>Editorial Note: We earn a commission from affiliate partner links on FindLaw. Commissions do not affect the editorial integrity of our legal content.<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n<p>While many self-employed individuals start their businesses as sole proprietorships, business growth often necessitates making a change. Understanding that self-employed individuals can be sole proprietors, but do not have to be, is critical when making decisions on structuring your business.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Key takeaways<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>All sole proprietors are self-employed.<\/li>\r\n<li>Not all self-employed individuals are sole proprietors.<\/li>\r\n<li>Self-employed individuals operating as independent contractors must fill out an additional federal tax form called a Form 1099-NEC.<\/li>\r\n<li>Registering as a business with the state provides self-employed small business owners greater risk protection than they would have with a sole proprietorship.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><b>We make business formation EASY. <a href=\"https:\/\/legalzoomcominc.pxf.io\/c\/4851649\/2115288\/26746?subId1=sole-proprietorship-vs--self-employed-in-content\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" data-cta=\"Biz LZ - LATL Callout\" data-cta-url=\"legalzoom.com\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to start your free LLC.<\/a><\/b><\/p>\r\n<h2>Understanding Self-Employment<\/h2>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/incorporation-and-legal-structures\/sole-proprietorships.html\">Sole proprietorships<\/a>&nbsp;are businesses that are owned by one person and not registered with the state. All sole proprietors are self-employed. However, not everyone who is self-employed is a sole proprietor. In business, &quot;self-employed&quot; can apply to a wide range of roles and business structures.<\/p>\r\n<p>Suppose you are a freelancing independent contractor. You are operating a sole proprietorship but wanting to change it to a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/incorporation-and-legal-structures\/llcs.html\">limited liability company<\/a>&nbsp;(LLC). Can you incorporate your business as something other than a sole proprietorship? Absolutely. It all depends on what you think is best for your business.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Sole Proprietors and Self-Employed Independent Contractors: Is There a Difference?<\/h2>\r\n<p>While both are self-employed, these terms do not always mean the same thing.<\/p>\r\n<p>Sole proprietors own their own unincorporated business. These are people who start a business and manage that business&#8217;s finances but have not registered their business with the state.<\/p>\r\n<p>The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/businesses\/small-businesses-self-employed\/sole-proprietorships\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Internal Revenue Service (IRS)<\/a>&nbsp;treats sole proprietorships as the default business structure for income taxes. That means if you are an independent contractor who has not filed with the state as an entity like an LLC or corporation, the IRS will treat your business as a sole proprietorship for tax purposes.<\/p>\r\n<p>The term &quot;independent contractor&quot; refers more to the business with which the individual is contracting. These freelancers work for other businesses and provide vital services, but they are not employees. No payroll taxes are deducted from their paychecks.<\/p>\r\n<p>Independent contractors are required to pay self-employment taxes just like sole proprietors. But they must fill out an additional tax form each year (the Form 1099-NEC) that tabulates the amount of income they have received from the businesses where they have worked. This adds an extra step to the tax process for sole proprietors that choose to be independent contractors.<\/p>\r\n<p>While self-employed individuals can be sole proprietors, states also offer structural options with greater risk protection. These are discussed below.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Taxation Of Self-Employed and Independent Contractors<\/h2>\r\n<p>Registered or not,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/incorporation-and-legal-structures\/sole-proprietorship-taxes.html\">all self-employed individuals must pay self-employment taxes<\/a>&nbsp;on their business income. These are taxes for Medicare and Social Security. Sole proprietors report their business taxes on Schedule C of their personal tax return (Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR) at the end of the year.<\/p>\r\n<p>This is different from independent contractors, who must also keep track of their income from other businesses through&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/forms-pubs\/about-form-1099-nec\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Form 1099-NEC<\/a>. &quot;NEC&quot; stands for &quot;non-employment compensation,&quot; and this form needs to be filled out any time the contractor contracts with a new business.<\/p>\r\n<p>Without that added step, sole proprietors have less complicated taxes than self-employed individuals that elect a different business structure. This is a benefit to some, but it also lacks certain protections that other business structures provide.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Changing Your Self-Employed Business&#8217;s Structure<\/h2>\r\n<p>As you can see, independent contractors that have not filed with the state are sole proprietors. So, when are self-employed individuals not sole proprietors? When they have registered their business with the state as its own legal entity. Thankfully,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/incorporation-and-legal-structures\/resources.html\">filing as a business entity<\/a>&nbsp;can be done at any time in your business&#8217;s life span.<\/p>\r\n<p>When is it a good time to register your business as an entity type? Here are some circumstances where it should be considered:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>You want to limit your personal financial risk for your business&#8217;s obligations and debts.<\/li>\r\n<li>You expect your business to generate profits and establish long-term growth.<\/li>\r\n<li>You want your business to operate independently from yourself.<\/li>\r\n<li>You want to hire employees.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>Business owners add a layer of risk protection from their business&#8217;s debts and obligations by registering as one of the following structures.:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>LLC<\/li>\r\n<li>C corporation<\/li>\r\n<li>S corporation<\/li>\r\n<li>Limited liability partnership (LLP)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>Self-Employed and Seeking Assistance?<\/h2>\r\n<p>New small business owners often have many questions they need to answer when starting their journey. The added challenges that come with self-employment can make decisions on structure and timing difficult. When you&#8217;re faced with such challenges, it&#8217;s always best to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/business-organizations\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact a small business lawyer<\/a>&nbsp;who can answer your questions and help weigh your options.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Related Topics<\/h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness.html\">Small Business Law<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/starting-a-business\/first-steps.html\">Starting a Business: First Steps<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/incorporation-and-legal-structures\/choosing-a-legal-structure.html\">Choosing a Legal Structure<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/business-taxes\/start-up-tax-issues.html\">Start-Up Tax Issues<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"was-this-helpful\">\n    <div\n            class=\"was-this-helpful__question-container\"\n            aria-labelledby=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n            role=\"group\"\n    >\n        <span\n                id=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__question fl-text-lg-bold\"\n        >Was this helpful?<\/span>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"Yes\"\n                value=\"yes\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">Yes<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <g id=\"thumbs-up\" clip-path=\"url(#clip0_604_3418)\">\n                        <path id=\"Vector\"\n                              d=\"M6 21H3C2.46957 21 1.96086 20.7893 1.58579 20.4142C1.21071 20.0391 1 19.5304 1 19V12C1 11.4696 1.21071 10.9609 1.58579 10.5858C1.96086 10.2107 2.46957 10 3 10H6M13 8V4C13 3.20435 12.6839 2.44129 12.1213 1.87868C11.5587 1.31607 10.7956 1 10 1L6 10V21H17.28C17.7623 21.0055 18.2304 20.8364 18.5979 20.524C18.9654 20.2116 19.2077 19.7769 19.28 19.3L20.66 10.3C20.7035 10.0134 20.6842 9.72068 20.6033 9.44225C20.5225 9.16382 20.3821 8.90629 20.1919 8.68751C20.0016 8.46873 19.7661 8.29393 19.5016 8.17522C19.2371 8.0565 18.9499 7.99672 18.66 8H13Z\"\n                              stroke=\"#666666\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\n                              stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><\/path>\n                    <\/g>\n                    <defs>\n                        <clipPath id=\"clip0_604_3418\">\n                            <rect width=\"22\" height=\"22\" fill=\"white\"><\/rect>\n                        <\/clipPath>\n                    <\/defs>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/i>\n        <\/button>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"No\"\n                value=\"no\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">No<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <g id=\"thumbs-down\" clip-path=\"url(#clip0_604_3423)\">\n                        <path id=\"Vector\"\n                              d=\"M16 0.999995H18.67C19.236 0.989986 19.7859 1.18813 20.2154 1.55681C20.645 1.9255 20.9242 2.43905 21 3V10C20.9242 10.5609 20.645 11.0745 20.2154 11.4432C19.7859 11.8119 19.236 12.01 18.67 12H16M9.00003 14V18C9.00003 18.7956 9.3161 19.5587 9.87871 20.1213C10.4413 20.6839 11.2044 21 12 21L16 12V0.999995H4.72003C4.2377 0.994543 3.76965 1.16359 3.40212 1.47599C3.0346 1.78839 2.79235 2.22309 2.72003 2.7L1.34003 11.7C1.29652 11.9866 1.31586 12.2793 1.39669 12.5577C1.47753 12.8362 1.61793 13.0937 1.80817 13.3125C1.99842 13.5313 2.23395 13.7061 2.49846 13.8248C2.76297 13.9435 3.05012 14.0033 3.34003 14H9.00003Z\"\n                              stroke=\"#666666\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n                    <\/g>\n                    <defs>\n                        <clipPath id=\"clip0_604_3423\">\n                            <rect width=\"22\" height=\"22\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n                        <\/clipPath>\n                    <\/defs>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/i>\n        <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n    <span class=\"was-this-helpful__taken-action fl-text-sm-bold\"><\/span>\n    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-container\">\n        <div class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message\" role=\"status\">\n            <p class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message-text\"><\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-form\">\n            <div class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback was-this-helpful__feedback--positive\">\n                <fieldset>\n                    <legend class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Why was this helpful?<\/legend>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--understandable\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"positive-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Easy to understand\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--understandable\"\n                        >Easy to understand<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--solved-problem\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"positive-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Solved my problem\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--solved-problem\"\n                        >Solved my problem<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--other\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"positive-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Other\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--other\"\n                        >Other<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/fieldset>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback was-this-helpful__feedback--negative\">\n                <fieldset>\n                    <legend class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Why was this not helpful?<\/legend>\n                    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message\" role=\"status\">\n                        <p class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message-text\"><\/p>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--missing-info\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Missing Information\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--missing-info\"\n                        >Missing the information I need<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--complicated\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Too complicated\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--complicated\"\n                        >Too complicated \/ too many steps<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--dated\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Out of date\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--dated\"\n                        >Out of date<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--negative-other\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Other\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--negative-other\"\n                        >Other<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/fieldset>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"was-this-helpful__form-buttons-container\">\n                <button\n                    class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-button was-this-helpful__feedback-button--positive at-feedback-submit fl-button secondary\"\n                    type=\"submit\"\n                >\n                    <span class=\"fl-button-content\">Submit<\/span>\n                    <i\n                        class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\"\n                        aria-hidden=\"true\"\n                    ><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n                <button\n                    class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-button was-this-helpful__feedback-button--cancel fl-button primary disabled\"\n                    type=\"reset\"\n                >\n                    <span class=\"fl-button-content\">Cancel<\/span>\n                    <i\n                        class=\"fa fa-times-circle medium\"\n                        aria-hidden=\"true\"\n                    ><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message\" role=\"status\">\n        <i class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message-icon fa fa-check\"><\/i>\n        <p class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message-text\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\" fl-section-sidebar  \">\n        <div class=\"generalCard\">\n            <div class=\"disclaimer--newLegalZoom general-card--newLegalZoom__disclaimer fl-text-sm\">\n            <p>FindLaw will earn a commission if you purchase business formation products through these affiliate links.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"general-card general-card--newLegalZoom\">\n        <div class=\"general-card__header\">\n            <div class=\"general-card__header-image-container\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"general-card__header-image--newLegalZoomText\"\n                     src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/ability-law\/resources\/images\/legal-zoom\/legal_zoom_text.png\"\n                     alt=\"\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"general-card__header-image--newLegalZoom\"\n                     src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/ability-law\/resources\/images\/legal-zoom\/legal_zoom.png\"\n                     alt=\"\">\n            <\/div>\n            <span class=\"general-card__header-title fl-text\"><p>Meet FindLaw&#8217;s <b>trusted partner LegalZoom<\/b>, an industry leader in online business formations<\/p>\n<\/span>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"general-card__body\">\n            <div class=\"text section\">\n                <div class=\"cmp-text\">\n                    <h2 class=\"general-card__h2--newLegalZoom fl-h3-landing\">Kickstart your LLC in minutes!<\/h2>\n                    <div>\n                        <p><p>Join the millions who launched their businesses with LegalZoom.<\/p>\n<p><b>LLC plans start at $0 + state fees.<\/b><\/p><\/p>\n\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"general-card__footer\">\n            <a class=\"general-card__footer-link fl-text-lg diy-biz-affiliate\" data-cta-url=\"legalzoom.com\" data-cta=\"Biz LZ - LATL ESum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/legalzoomcominc.pxf.io\/c\/4851649\/2115288\/26746?subId1=sole-proprietorship-vs--self-employed-esum\">\n                <p class=\"general-card__footer-link-text fl-no-margin fl-text-lg-medium\">Get started<\/p>\n                <i class=\"general-card__footer-link-icon fa fa-angle-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"general-card--newLegalZoom__bottom\">\n        <p>Prefer to work with a lawyer?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/business-organizations\/?fli=latl_biz:dir:lz_esum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Find one right now.<\/a><\/p>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"email-subscription fl-mb30\">\n    <div class=\"email-subscription-header\">\n        <div class=\"email-subscription-header-content\">\n            <h3 class=\"fl-callout-sm fl-no-margin\">Stay Up-to-Date With How the Law Affects Your Life<\/h3>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"email-subscription-header-image fl-flex fl-items-end\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\"\n                src=\"https://www.findlaw.com/static/c/images\/images\/w_1200,c_limit,dpr_auto\/f_auto,q_auto:eco\/v1745902396\/ability-law\/wp-prod\/general-components-subscribe-module-Image-subscribeModule_1\/general-components-subscribe-module-Image-subscribeModule_1.png?_i=AA\"\n                alt=\"\"\n                loading=\"lazy\"\n            \/>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"email-subscription-content fl-flex fl-flex-wrap\">\n        <div class=\"email-subscription-content-text fl-mb25\">\n            <h4 class=\"fl-no-margin\">Enter your email address to subscribe<\/h4>\n        <\/div>\n\n        <form class=\"email-subscription-content-form\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distributionList\" value=\"latl\" \/>\n            <label for=\"email-subscription-content-form-group-input\" class=\"fl-text-sm-bold\">Email (Required)<\/label>\n            <div class=\"email-subscription-content-form-group\">\n                <input id=\"email-subscription-content-form-group-input\" name=\"email\" autocomplete=\"email\"\/>\n                <button type=\"submit\" aria-label=\"Submit\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n            <\/div>\n            <p class=\"email-subscription-content-form-success subscribe-success-message fl-text-sm-bold\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"status\">Thank you for subscribing!<\/p>\n            <p class=\"email-subscription-content-form-error subscribe-error-message fl-text-sm-bold\" role=\"alert\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/p>\n\n            <div id=\"email-subscription-content-form-recaptcha\" class=\"email-subscription-content-form-recaptcha subscribe-recaptcha\"\n                data-sitekey=\"0x4AAAAAAABGBEkK9kEeKxO-\"><\/div>\n        <\/form>\n\n        <div class=\"email-subscription-content-footer fl-text-sm\">\n            <p><a href=\"https:\/\/newsletters.findlaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more about FindLaw\u2019s newsletters<\/a>, including our terms of use and privacy policy.<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"general-list\">\n    <h3>Helpful Links<\/h3>\n    <ul class=\"fl-list fl-no-margin\">\n                                    <li class=\"fl-list-item fl-flex\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    <a class=\"fl-list-item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/starting-a-business.html\">\n                        Starting a Business\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                                                <li class=\"fl-list-item fl-flex\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    <a class=\"fl-list-item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/business-taxes.html\">\n                        Business Tax Law\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                                                <li class=\"fl-list-item fl-flex\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    <a class=\"fl-list-item-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/closing-a-business.html\">\n                        Closing a Business\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                        <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"popularDirectory\">\n        <div class=\"general-popular-directory \">\n            <div class=\"general-popular-directory-title\">\n                <h3>Attorney Directory<\/h3>\n            <\/div>\n            <ul>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/business-organizations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Business Organization Attorneys<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/mergers-acquisitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Mergers &#038; Acquisitions Attorneys<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/antitrust-trade-regulation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Antitrust Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/banking-finance-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Banking &#038; Finance Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/franchising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Franchising Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/business-commercial-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Business &#038; Commercial Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                                    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/employment-law-employer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Employment Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n                            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FindLaw breaks down the differences between running a sole proprietorship and being self employed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41135,"featured_media":0,"parent":4533,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"app\/Http\/Controllers\/Templates\/ArticleWithBreadcrumbsController.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":"","_autodraft_ids":[],"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"_sb_is_suggestion_mode":false,"_sb_show_suggestion_boards":false,"_sb_show_comment_boards":false,"_sb_suggestion_history":"","_sb_update_block_changes":"","_is_real_time_mode":false,"_realtime_collaborators":"","footnotes":"","cf_checklist_status":[]},"categories":[2],"tags":[9],"state_laws_tags":[],"flmsa":[],"class_list":["post-4588","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-smallbusiness","tag-aff-llc"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4588\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4588"},{"taxonomy":"state_laws_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/state_laws_tags?post=4588"},{"taxonomy":"flmsa","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/flmsa?post=4588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}