How to form an LLC in Hawaii, USA
Why an LLC?
Two major reasons for forming an LLC are:
Personal liability protection
The primary reason small business owners and real estate investors choose to form an LLC is to protect their personal assets, such as their home, car or family savings. In the event of a lawsuit or if your business should fail, your personal assets cannot be touched, assuming you have properly formed, capitalized and maintained the LLC. This limited liability feature of LLCs is not available in a sole proprietorship or general partnership, where the participants are personally liable for all business debts.
As liability insurance becomes more expensive for less coverage, asset protection is becoming more of a critical factor for entity selection. LLCs provide another layer of complexity, giving you protection for your home and other personal assets.
Flexibility
- Flexible taxation – LLCs, by default, are treated as “pass-through” entities for tax purposes, much like a sole proprietorship or partnership. This means that LLCs avoid double taxation. Alternatively, an LLC may elect to be treated like a corporation for tax purposes, whether as a C corporation or an S corporation.
- Flexible management – Members have greater flexibility in structuring the limited liability company than is ordinarily the case with a corporation, including the ability to divide ownership and voting rights in unconventional ways while still enjoying the benefits of pass-through taxation.
Advantages of a Hawaii LLC
Limited liability
Owners of a LLC have the limited liability protection of a corporation.
Flexible profit distribution
Limited liability companies can select varying forms of distribution of profits. Unlike a common partnership where the split is 50-50, LLC have much more flexibility.
No minutes
Corporations are required to keep formal minutes, have meetings, and record resolutions. The LLC business structure requires no corporate minutes or resolutions and is easier to operate.
Flow-through taxation
All your business losses, profits, and expenses flow through the company to the individual members. You avoid the double taxation of paying corporate tax and individual tax. Usually, this will be a tax advantage, but circumstances can favor a corporate tax structure.
Creditors’ passive rights
Creditors do not get control rights
Section 428-504 provides that if a judgment creditor of a member obtains a charging order against the member’s distributional interest, it “constitutes a lien on the judgment debtor’s distributional interest”. That is, a charging order requires the LLC to pay the judgment creditor any distribution that would otherwise be paid to the judgment debtor. But the judgment creditor does not have a right to participate in management.
A court may foreclose on the lien and order the distributional interest to be sold. A purchaser at the foreclosure sale obtains only the rights of a transferee. Obtaining a charging order and a foreclosure sale are the judgment creditor’s exclusive remedies.
The Hawaii LLC Act has an unusual provision related to what are called “events of dissociation.” Section 428-502 provides that a person ceases to be a member of an LLC when the person transfers all of his or her distributional interest. In addition, section 428-601 provides a person ceases to be a member when the person makes a transfer for the benefit of creditors, becomes a debtor in bankruptcy, or fails to contest a petition seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, or liquidator of the person or of all or substantially all of the person’s property.
When a member becomes dissociated from an LLC, section 428-701 requires the LLC to purchase the former member’s distributional interest. The LLC must pay the “fair value” of the distributional interest as of the date of dissociation. The LLC must deliver a purchase offer to the former member within thirty days. Although this provision of the Hawaii LLC Act is unusual because most states do not have a similar requirement, the provision enhances members’ ability to protect their control of an LLC.
Because of the advantages of forming an LLC in Hawaii, over 7,500 new LLCs are formed in the state each year.
Register your Company today!
Our Business Development Team is ready to guide and assist you to discuss all options you have and to provide you with all the support you need to enable you to take the right decision facing your specific needs!
All our Consultancy and Advisory services are completely FREE!
Packages and Prices!
Inclusions
Year 1 Incorporation and service fees.
Optional Services (Bank Account opening, Nominee services, Certification of documents, amongst others).
Annual Renewal service fees for year 2 and subsequent years, to keep your company in good standing and full Compliant at all times.
Our company licensing services
— What we do and do not do
Our company is EXCLUSIVELY engaged in assisting worldwide clients, either individuals or corporate entities, to get duly and properly licensed with local Regulators and Financial Authorities to get respective official licenses to legally carry out their cryptocurrency or financial related business activities.
TBA & Associates Tax Business Advisors does not provide or carry out any sort of Cryptocurrency or Financial services!
Disclaimer: While TBA & Associates strives to make the information on this website as timely and accurate as possible, the information itself is for reference purposes only. You should not substitute the information provided in this article for competent legal advice. Feel free to contact TBA Customer Services for advice on your specific cases.