Choosing Corporation or LLC: The Legal Side of iOS App Development Part III
At this point, you’ve read through Apple’s developer contracts and you’ve decided on an amazing name for your iOS app. But what’s the next step, aside from actually designing and coding your app, of course?
While it is definitely possible to have a single individual, also known in the business world as a sole proprietor, post an app to Apple’s App Store, you’re going to be much better off if you form some kind of business entity before you submit your app. Why? Several reasons—most of which revolve around liability and growth.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we need to ask what is a business entity? It’s kind of a strange phrase, but it’s simply a general term for corporations (both C-Corps and S-Corps), limited liability companies, and partnerships. Which one is right for you is going to be a judgment call you should make after you discuss your situation with other iOS entrepreneurs and a knowledgable business lawyer.
With the general nomenclature out of the way, let’s talk about some specifics. Most small developers like to form LLCs. People talk a lot about the benefits of an LLC (liability protection, electable S-Corp taxation status, lack of corporate formalities). However, there are a number of very significant drawbacks. For example, I’ve discussed this on our site before, but if you’re forming a single-member LLC, you’d better be sure you know what you’re doing—or you could find yourself liable for the debts of your company. And that’s not a position anyone wants to be in. Further, LLCs often have a problem scaling, which is something even the smallest app developer should be concerned with since app development can sometimes be an expensive undertaking and you may want to take on extra investors in exchange for a percentage interest in the company. That said, LLCs are great for a small number of shareholders (called “Members” in the LLC context), but trying to add more members and investors down the road can lead to some major problems. After all, corporations are much better suited to taking on investors than LLCs are.
And that brings us to the corporation. Compared to LLCs, corporations are slightly more costly to set up and require more effort to keep running (in terms of required meetings, corporate minutes, resolutions, etc.). However, if you’re looking for a way to scale your business at some point, setting up your entity as a corporation is the way to go. With the ability to issue a range of stock types to investors, you’ll be in a position to grow in ways you never thought possible.
But what if you’re looking for something in between? You’ve started out and you’re developing your first app, after all. What do you do? Well, we sometimes recommend setting up the LLC first and then converting it to a corporation later. That way you don’t have to worry about all of the corporate formalities at the beginning and you can focus on what you do best—developing your app. Then, after your app is finished and selling like hotcakes on the App Store, you can convert the LLC to a corporation. And to top it all off, you’ll have saved some money to boot.
Next time we’ll discuss the legal ramifications of using third party resources and code in your app—what it means for your development now and in the future.
Photo Courtesy: Thomas Leuthard