Can you take an owner's draw from an S corp?

Asked by: Delta Gleichner DVM  |  Last update: November 17, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (57 votes)

S-Corp: Owners must take income through a salary. Since the corporation is a separate legal entity, owners can only take distributions, not owner's draws; distributions must be limited in scope and not in lieu of a regular salary. C Corp: Owners must take income through a salary.

Can I take money out of my S Corp for personal use?

As long as you have the profit and basis in the s corporation you can take it as a distribution. It does not effect your tax. You are taxed on your net income whether you distribute it or not.

Can an owner borrow money from an S Corp?

If you take out a loan from your S Corp, you need to dot your i's and cross your t's to make sure it stays characterized as a loan. For example, creating a legally enforceable promissory note helps prove that the transaction was actually meant to be a loan.

Can an S Corp owner take distributions?

Distributions are an attractive option for S-Corp shareholders who want to pull money from the business. S-Corp distributions must be made proportionally according to each shareholder's ownership stake in the company. For example, if a shareholder owns 25% of the S-Corp, they must receive 25% of the total distribution.

What two forms of income can an owner of an S Corp take?

An S Corp owner has to receive what the IRS deems a “reasonable salary” — basically, a paycheck comparable to what other employers would pay for similar services. If there's additional profit in the business, you can take those as distributions, which come with a lower tax bill.

Owners Draw vs Payroll Salary? How to Pay Yourself from Your Business!

36 related questions found

Can you take an owners draw from an S Corp?

S-Corp: Owners must take income through a salary. Since the corporation is a separate legal entity, owners can only take distributions, not owner's draws; distributions must be limited in scope and not in lieu of a regular salary. C Corp: Owners must take income through a salary.

How does an S Corp avoid double taxation?

Shareholders of S corporations report the flow-through of income and losses on their personal tax returns and are assessed tax at their individual income tax rates. This allows S corporations to avoid double taxation on the corporate income.

What is the 60 40 rule for S Corp?

The 60/40 rule is a simple approach that helps S corporation owners determine a reasonable salary for themselves. Using this formula, they divide their business income into two parts, with 60% designated as salary and 40% paid as shareholder distributions.

What is the best way to pay yourself as an S Corp owner?

Three ways to pay yourself: salary, distributions, or both. S corp owners who handle business operations fill two roles: shareholder and employee. But owners who don't manage daily operations are considered only shareholders. Under an S corp structure, your role directly affects your pay.

Can my S Corp pay my mortgage?

The direct answer to whether an S Corp can pay a shareholder's mortgage is no. Personal expenses, including mortgage payments, cannot be directly paid by the corporation without significant tax implications and potential violations of IRS regulations.

Can S Corp owners pay their kids?

Remember, if you're an S Corp or C Corp owner, you will need to pay payroll taxes on your child wages, which significantly reduces any tax benefit. Some parents may be nervous to hire their child because they've heard of the Kiddie Tax, but this tax only applies to unearned income.

Can you loan yourself money from your own company?

Yes. If there are other members of the LLC, however, each must approve the loan. You'll also need to document the loan as a legally enforceable promissory note. Otherwise, the IRS may see the money as a taxable dividend or distribution.

Can I leave money in my S Corp at the end of the year?

At the end of each year, all S corporation profits are allocated to the corporation's shareholders. Even if you and your fellow shareholders choose to leave some or all of the profits in the corporation, taking nothing as distributions or salaries, you will still be required to pay tax on those profits.

How can S Corp avoid paying taxes?

As a pass-through entity, one of the biggest tax advantages of the S corp business structure is that it avoids double-taxation, which means S corps don't have to pay taxes at the federal level the way C corps do. Instead, S corp profits are only taxed once, on the personal tax returns of individual shareholders.

What is the most tax-efficient way to pay yourself?

For tax efficiency, most company directors will choose to pay themselves a low salary and take any further money from the company in the form of dividends. This is because dividends are taxed at a lower rate than salary, and avoid national insurance contributions.

Can I transfer my S Corp to someone else?

As part of your estate planning, you may need to transfer ownership of your S corporation to an entity or trust. S corporations have a special tax status, and if they are transferred to an entity that is ineligible for S corporation status, that status could be lost.

Can I transfer money from my S Corp to my personal account?

A shareholder distribution is a way to take funds out of your business without incurring payroll taxes. For a solely owned S Corporation, this is achieved by transferring funds from your business checking account to your personal bank account.

When should a business owner start paying myself?

You can start paying yourself when your business starts making enough money to cover its expenses and generate a profit. It's important to make sure that your business is financially stable before you start paying yourself.

What if my S Corp made no money?

S Corp owners must file Form 1120-S, U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation. Both C and S Corps follow the same guidelines for filing taxes with no income. If you had no income, you must file the corporation income tax return, regardless of whether you had expenses or not.

What is the 5 year rule for S Corp?

S Corps that lose their “S” status must typically wait five years before being able to re-elect it. As mentioned, deliberately violating one of the rules, such as transferring stock to an ineligible shareholder, is not a good thing.

What is the 2% rule for S Corp?

Some unique income tax rules apply to S corporations regarding compensation and fringe benefits paid to shareholders who own greater than 2% of the corporation. Under these S corp income tax rules, a greater than 2% shareholder is taxed as a partner in a partnership for fringe benefits received.

How often do S Corps get audited?

Historically, S Corp owners were audited at the low rate of 0.05 percent. However, starting in 2021, the IRS began to prioritize auditing S Corporations and partnerships, meaning your likelihood of being selected for audit has increased in recent years.

What is a reasonable salary for an S Corp?

You may or may not have heard of the S Corp Salary 60/40 rule. The guideline encourages setting reasonable compensation between 60% and 40% of the business's net profits. The IRS does not set this guideline. It should not be relied on as the only factor for deciding S corporation reasonable compensation.

Can I loan my S Corp money?

Loans made by shareholders to the s corp enjoy the same protection of assets as a third party lender has, as long as the S corp and the shareholder conclude a bona fide debt agreement. A bona fide agreement has the following requirements: ⇒ The parties agreed in writing.

How to avoid getting double taxed?

An LLC, or Limited Liability Company, avoids double taxation through its unique legal structure. Unlike a C corporation, which is taxed separately from its owners, an LLC is considered a "pass-through" entity for tax purposes. This means that the income earned by the LLC is not taxed at the corporate level.