Corporations provide liability protection for its owners, as well as its officers and directors, with some exceptions. So, there’s that. Insurance covers some things, not all things. And sometimes a corporation won’t help you . . . for example, if you’re a lawyer and you commit malpractice. That’s on you, individually – corporation or not. Tax may also drive a reason to incorporate or organize an LLC.
First things first: the question really is whether an entity is going to do you any good at all. From a liability perspective, keep in mind that anything you do is your personal problem; putting your medical practice into a corporation won’t shield you from your own malpractice. But it could, for example, shield you from your employee’s malpractice, or your file clerk’s sexual harassment claim against a fellow doctor. And it may also shield you from your partner’s malpractice. So there are upsides. Some states, like California (where I practice), restrict the use of certain entities by professionals. The term “professional” itself has some grey area. Typically, professionals required to have a certain education, training, and experience aren’t permitted to use an LLC for their business (in California). So lawyers, doctors, etc. will generally use a corporation, though certain professions, like lawyers, have other specific partnership entities available to them. Others, like real estate appraisers, are still permitted to use an LLC. There may also be tax reasons, as a professional, to put your business into an entity. There’s much to consider.
Should you? Probably not. Are you required to? Maybe. It depends on the type of profession you’re in. Lawyers, for example, are required to be in professional corporations (“PC”). Forming as a PC may require additional restrictions in your bylaws, for example concerning ownership. So if you don’t need to, generally you shouldn’t. But you may not have a choice.
This is the person who signs and causes the filing of the Articles of Incorporation (or, in the case of an LLC the Articles of Organization) with the designated state authority. In a small business, this is usually the owner/shareholder/member. Some folks have their attorney sign the documents to help expedite the process, and that’s ok (but not necessary).
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