What are Business Entities?
Why are they important?
Written by Jason Gordon
Updated at September 24th, 2021
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What are business entities?
Business entities are legal organizations that exist by virtue of state law. One way to view a business entity is as a separate person. The business entity carries on business activity on its own behalf. The owners of the business entity are representatives of the entity. Business entities benefit society by allowing individuals to aggregate their resources and efforts in furtherance of a business activity.
The legal entity is essentially a bundle of contracts that provides for the rights and duties of the owners and employees of the business entity. Each individual state passes its own substantive and procedural laws regarding business entities. A business must choose its state of formation or organization.
The home state may be the location where the business is headquartered or it may be any other state where the business organizes and establishes a registered agent. If the business wishes to carry on business outside of its home state, it must qualify to do business and register as a foreign entity doing business in the other state.
Carrying on business is generally defined pretty broadly to include marketing or sales activity. A business may carry on the majority or all of its business in a state or states where it is registered as a foreign entity. The business entity must comply with the laws of any state in which it does business.
- Example: I want to form a business entity in my home state of New York. The rules prescribed by New York will govern the formation process. I want to also carry on business in Pennsylvania. To do so, I will register my business in New York and then register as a foreign entity doing business in Pennsylvania.
Next Article: Closely-Held vs Publicly Held Businesses Back to: BUSINESS ENTITIES
Related Topics
- Holistic (Detailed) Overview of Setting Up a Business Entity
- What is a Closely-held vs Publicly-held Business?
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What are the main types of business entity?
- What are the primary characteristics of business entities?
- What is Creation of a business entity?
- What is Maintenance of a business entity?
- What is Continuity of a business entity?
- What is the Ownership structure of a business entity?
- What is Control of a business entity?
- What is Personal liability of owners of a business entity?
- What is Compensation of business owners?
- What is Taxation of a business entity?
- What is Sales & Use tax?
- What are payroll and self-employment taxes?
Discussion Question
Think about major businesses within the United States. Can you identify five major businesses (Fortune 100 Businesses) within the United States and the state in which they are formed? Where is the headquarters located for each of these businesses?
Practice Question
Martin is from Mississippi. He forms a business entity and begins providing chartered fishing services. He wants to expand his operations to Louisiana. Can you do that given that he is organized in Mississippi? How or why not?
- Yes. All states require businesses formed in other states to register with the State Secretary of States office prior to doing business within the state. Excluding out-of-state (foreign) businesses would violate the Privileges & Immunities Clause of the US Constitution.
