{"id":1956,"date":"2017-06-12T10:27:27","date_gmt":"2017-06-12T15:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/?p=1956"},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:25:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T20:25:27","slug":"business-entity-selection-series-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2017\/06\/12\/business-entity-selection-series-introduction\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Entity Selection Series: 1 – Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today I am excited to kick off a new blog series that provides an overview of different business entity options for farmers and ranchers. \u00a0This was a topic that Amber Miller and I recently discussed on the Ag Law in the Field Podcast #5<\/a>. \u00a0At presentations, people often ask me whether having a general partnership is a good idea or whether an LLC is the best business entity.\u00a0 I wish it were that simple, but as with most legal questions, there is no magic answer to the question of what is the right business entity for your operation.\u00a0 Each entity structure offers pros and cons and should be evaluated in light of your particular situation.<\/p>\n

Over the next couple of months, this series will provide an overview of the following business structures:\u00a0 sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations.\u00a0 For a brief explanation of these various entities, the Texas Secretary of State has prepared a short article titled “Selecting a Business Entity” which is available here<\/a>. \u00a0A similar fact sheet with an agricultural focus was written by James Decker and Amber Miller for the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raiser’s Convention, which is available here<\/a>. \u00a0Further, Texas business entities are governed by the Business Organizations Code, which may be accessed online here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Although this series focuses specifically on Texas law, it may be useful to farmers and ranchers in other states, as most states have fairly similar business entity statutes and provisions.\u00a0 For those of you living in New\u00a0 York, Manhattan-based attorney Cari Rincker previously did a similar series focused on New York on her blog, available here<\/a>.\u00a0 Paul Goeringer \u00a0at University of Maryland Extension Service\u00a0did the same for folks in Maryland, available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As always, you should consult with an attorney and tax professional\u00a0licensed in your jurisdiction before selecting a business entity to review the specific goals and facts of your situation.\u00a0 There is no one-size fits all answer to selecting the right business entity for you, but understanding the various options and the benefits and downsides to each is the first step in making the right decision for your operation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today I am excited to kick off a new blog series that provides an overview of different business entity options for farmers and ranchers. \u00a0This was a topic that Amber Miller and I recently discussed on the Ag Law in the Field Podcast #5. \u00a0At presentations, people often ask me whether having a general partnership is a good idea or whether an LLC is the best business entity.\u00a0 I wish it were that simple, but as with most legal questions, there is no magic answer to the question… Read More →<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2444,"featured_media":1924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-entity-selection"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBusiness Entity Selection Series: 1 - Introduction - Texas Agriculture Law<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/agrilife.org\/texasaglaw\/2017\/06\/12\/business-entity-selection-series-introduction\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Business Entity Selection Series: 1 - Introduction - Texas Agriculture Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Today I am excited to kick off a new blog series that provides an overview of different business entity options for farmers and ranchers. \u00a0This was a topic that Amber Miller and I recently discussed on the Ag Law in the Field Podcast #5. \u00a0At presentations, people often ask me whether having a general partnership is a good idea or whether an LLC is the best business entity.\u00a0 I wish it were that simple, but as with most legal questions, there is no magic answer to the question... 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