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If you’re considering starting a car dealership, you might be wondering whether forming a limited liability company (LLC) is necessary or beneficial for your business. In this guide, we’ll explore the key factors to consider when deciding whether to establish an LLC for your car dealership.
Forming an LLC for your car dealership can offer several advantages that provide protection and structure to your business operations. One of the primary benefits of forming an LLC is the limited liability protection it provides. There are also tax benefits like pass-through taxation and the flexibility to choose the structure that most benefits your business. The structure also can enhance your professionalism and credibility with potential customers, lenders, and partners.
Throughout this guide, we’ll provide you with step-by-step instructions and valuable insights on how to form an LLC for your car dealership. Whether you’re a seasoned car dealer looking to formalize your business or considering entering the industry for the first time, forming an LLC can be a crucial step toward building a successful and sustainable car dealership.
The top reason to form an LLC for a car dealership is to gain access to the personal asset protection provided by this business structure. Whether you operate a small used-car lot with only a handful of vehicles or a large dealership with a broad selection of cars, you need the limited liability protection that an LLC can provide.
As an example, let’s say that you sell a customer a car with faulty parts. That customer drives off the lot, and the car breaks down in traffic and causes an accident. If you operate your dealership as a sole proprietorship or general partnership, your personal assets — like your house, car, or personal bank accounts — would be at risk if that customer decides to sue your business.
On the other hand, if you form an LLC for your car dealership and you operate and maintain that LLC in a compliant fashion, the scope of your customer’s lawsuit will usually be limited to your business assets. In other words, your personal assets will be protected by the business structure you’ve chosen.
However, this is just one of the advantages of the LLC for a car dealer. Another important aspect is the tax benefits. The LLC actually provides its owners with a selection of options regarding how they want the business to be taxed, which could save you a considerable amount of money compared to simply operating as an informal business entity.
Your car dealership LLC can be taxed as a sole proprietorship (for single-member LLCs) or general partnership (for multi-member LLCs), which is the default option. With this tax structure, your dealership itself does not pay taxes, but rather the profits are passed through the business entity and your owners pay taxes on that money when they file their own personal taxes.
You can also choose for your dealership to be taxed as a What is a C corporation? (the default form of corporation), although this option isn’t very popular because it subjects your business to what’s known as double taxation — meaning that your profits are taxed first on the corporate level and again on the personal level when they’re distributed to your owners.
The other option is S corporation (please see our What is an S Corp? page) taxation. There are quite a few limitations to electing S corp taxation, but most car dealerships have no trouble meeting these requirements — your business cannot have more than 100 owners, they all must be either residents or citizens of the United States, and so on.
S corp taxation can help your car dealership save money by reducing your self-employment tax burden. Instead of paying self-employment taxes (a 15.3% tax that includes the employer and employee portions of Medicare and Social Security) on all of your business income, you can pay yourself and your co-owners a reasonable salary for your roles and only pay self-employment tax on that portion of your income, while you can reinvest the rest of it into your business without paying this tax.
Compared to operating a sole proprietorship or general partnership as a car dealer, the S corp taxation model could potentially save you quite a bit of cash that you can use to buy more cars and expand your operations, rather than writing a big check to Uncle Sam.
Finally, an LLC structure can enhance the credibility of your car dealership business venture. Informal business entities don’t have exclusive assumed business names and typically operate under the personal name(s) of their owner(s). For instance, if your name is Johnny Smith and you operate a sole proprietorship as a car dealer, your company’s name is also “Johnny Smith,” which obviously isn’t a great name for a dealership.
In this scenario, you could register a DBA (doing business as) name to give your business the ability to operate under an assumed business name, but DBAs have no exclusivity regarding their naming rights in many states. This means that if another dealer wants to use your DBA name as their own, they’re not only allowed to do so, but they can actually register a formal business entity with that name, preventing you from continuing to use your own assumed name (see our DBA definition page for more).
With an LLC, you not only have the rights to exclusive use of a business name, but you will also have either the phrase “limited liability company” or the letters “LLC” in that business name. This provides your business with a jolt of respectability because customers respect the professionalism displayed by an LLC. Also, they typically feel more comfortable writing checks to a business entity rather than to an individual.
LLCs are formal legal entities that are typically taxed similarly to sole proprietorships and general partnerships in that the owners include any company profits or losses into their personal returns — the LLC itself does not owe income taxes. An LLC may also elect to be taxed like a corporation, although this is not a very common option.
There are similarities to corporations, too, especially when it comes to financial responsibilities. In an LLC, the owners or members aren’t usually personally accountable for the financial status of the business. This means that if someone sues your LLC, your personal assets are not at risk in most cases. For more information see our LLC definition page.
The formation process for LLCs varies depending on which state you’re forming one in, but in general, the process has some universal steps that need to be taken no matter what state your business is located in. If you want a comprehensive overview of all the steps required to form an LLC, check out our complete LLC guide on the topic. The basic steps in the LLC formation process in any state are as follows:
Coming up with the perfect name for your new LLC is an important step. You’ll need to choose a name that represents your company and describes what you do, and you’ll also have to make sure it isn’t already in use by checking your state’s business database.
Your LLC’s registered agent (For more information, please see our what is a registered agent page) (which can be an individual or a professional service) is responsible for receiving important document deliveries from the state — like service of process or annual report reminders — and forwarding them to you. The registered agent ensures that the state always has a reliable point of contact for your business. While you can serve as your own agent, we highly recommend using a registered agent service.
The form used to create an LLC is usually called the Articles of Organization, although the name can vary (some states call it the Certificate of Formation or something similar). When you file your business formation documents, you’ll need to provide the state with some basic information about your business and its owners. In exchange, the state will formally create your LLC. You can also use an LLC formation service to help with this process.
The Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a federal tax ID number that essentially functions as a Social Security number for a business. The EIN allows your business to hire employees, pay taxes, apply for bank loans, and more. You can obtain an EIN from the Internal Revenue Service free of charge.
New in 2024, your car dealership LLC is required to file a beneficial ownership information report, or BOI report. You’ll file this report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, providing vital information about your LLC’s “beneficial owners.” Beneficial owners are people who control the LLC or get significant economic benefit from it. It’s crucial to file this report by the deadline to maintain compliance; failing to file means you won’t be operating your dealership business legally and you could face hefty legal and civil penalties.
Most states don’t require operating agreements, but every LLC should have one regardless. This is an internal document that outlines several key operational aspects of your LLC like how profits are distributed, the responsibilities of each LLC owner, and how the IRS will view the LLC for tax purposes. The value of the operating agreement is how it can help prevent ownership disputes down the line by clearly explaining how the LLC will be run. (For more information, please see our operating agreement definition page.)
You will need a business bank account for your LLC, and you’ll probably want a business credit card for work-related expenses, as well. It’s also a good idea to use accounting software like QuickBooks or even hire an accountant to handle your bookkeeping for you.
Depending on your state, you may need a general business license to operate your LLC in compliance with state requirements. Each state has its own licensing requirements for car dealerships, so make sure to follow your state’s guidelines to the letter to operate a compliant business. Don’t forget to check with your state to see if there are franchise or privilege taxes assessed on LLCs, and also see if your municipal and/or county government entities have any further licensing requirements.
Again, these requirements can vary by state, but most states require some sort of regular report to ensure that your LLC’s info is up to date in the state’s business database. Some states require annual reports (each year), while others only require them biennially or not at all. No matter what your state requires, you’ll need to stay on top of it to keep your LLC in good standing.
As you might expect, Dealer Marketing Magazine has all kinds of information for car dealers, but the page we’d direct you to is their “Top 10 Online Resources for Dealers” post. On this page, you’ll find training and education tools, along with information on industry regulations, technology and software, blogs, forums, marketing research, and much more.
CBT Automotive Network claims to be a “highly targeted multimedia platform for retail automotive professionals,” and it offers an excellent collection of resources for car dealers. We especially like its “Just Starting Out” page, which includes five tools that new dealers can use to develop their businesses.
Do you need a high-performing website for your car dealership? You might want to get in touch with Higher Turnover, as this company specializes in providing websites for car dealerships. They claim that their websites can help you “sell more cars, save time, and save money in the process.” Sounds good to us!
Don’t let the outdated interface of the NIADA’s website fool you — there’s still lots of great information to be found. They offer webinars, training programs, and legal information. Plus, for used car dealers, there are few resources as valuable as the NIADA’s official magazine, Used Car Dealer.
Edmunds has plenty of resources for car buyers and sellers alike, and for the aspiring car dealership owner, we really appreciate their industry center. They provide tools for online car sales, and their downloadable dealer education resources file is packed with valuable info. Edmunds is one of the biggest names in car sales today, and there’s a good reason for that.
Starting a car dealership LLC can feel like an overwhelmingly busy time, but you don’t have to navigate the process alone. Here at ZenBusiness, we specialize in the “red tape” side of paperwork. Whether you need help starting your LLC, managing your finances with a streamlined money app, or anything in between, we can help. Let us handle the paperwork so you can focus on what you love: creating a seamless shopping experience for the latest motor vehicles.
What liability risks do car dealerships face?
A car dealership has many potential liability risks, starting with the potential for slip-and-fall accidents that exist with any brick-and-mortar retailer. In addition, a car dealership may be liable for damages if it sells vehicles with faulty parts or if there are any financial data breaches in its IT department. In short, you should not operate your car dealership as an informal business entity — you need personal liability protection.
Why should I form an LLC instead of a corporation?
Everyone’s situation is different, and we’re not here to provide legal advice. That said, the LLC has some concrete advantages over the corporation that make it the preferred option for the typical small business owner.
Corporations tend to have more complex formation and maintenance requirements, and they don’t have the taxation advantages of an LLC. The corporation has some advantages of its own (for example, it’s easier to attract investors to a corporation) that make it worth a look but the LLC is a simpler and more flexible business structure.
Can I serve as my LLC’s registered agent?
Yes. Every state allows entrepreneurs to serve as their own registered agents. However, while the role of the registered agent can seem like that of an unnecessary middleman, there is more complexity to this position than some people realize. For instance, you would need to be present and available at your business location during all standard business hours.
Why should I hire an LLC service when I can form my own LLC?
The do-it-yourself route is always an option for LLC formation. However, LLC services are so affordable that there’s really no good reason not to use one these days. In addition, some of these companies often throw in free bonus features that make them an even better bargain.
Need some additional information, check out our ZenBusiness vs LegalZoom page.
Should I form my LLC in my home state, or choose a state like Delaware or Wyoming?
Some people like to form their LLCs in states with favorable legal settings. For instance, Delaware is often seen as the most business-friendly state, as it has an entire court system that’s dedicated solely to business matters. As for Wyoming, this state has some of the most generous anonymity laws for LLC ownership.
However, for most people, the best option is to form their business in their home state. Forming in a different state can be a tremendous hassle and can also add unnecessary complexity to tax issues.
How much does it cost to form an LLC?
The costs of LLC formation can vary quite a bit depending on which state you’re forming one in. For in-depth information about LLC formation costs in your specific state, take a look at our state-by-state expenses.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by Team ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 700,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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