How to Pay Yourself as a Sole Proprietor

As a sole proprietor, you are the sole owner of your business, and you are responsible for managing all aspects of it, including paying yourself. As a sole proprietor, you are personally responsible for all debts, taxes, and liabilities associated with your business.

This means that you will be responsible for paying self-employment tax on your income from the business and filing small business taxes each year. You can also take advantage of various business tax deductions to reduce your tax liability. You deserve to be paid for the hard work you put into running your business! This guide will help you understand how you can pay yourself as a sole proprietor and how to keep your business finances in check. 

How to Properly Structure Your Business Finances as a Sole Proprietor

Self-employment comes with a lot of responsibility, one of the most important being managing your business finances. As a sole proprietor, it is important to understand the financial structure of your business. Properly structuring your finances can help you save money on taxes and ensure that you are compliant with all applicable laws. 

The financial structure of a business refers to how it sources its funds and how it manages its expenses. Typically, businesses rely on a combination of debt and equity to finance their operations. Debt could come in the form of bank loans, while equity represents the money invested in the business by its shareholders or the business owner.

As for expenses, businesses must manage costs related to operations, production, and marketing, among others. By understanding the financial structure of a business, you can make better decisions as to how to fund and grow your own company. Whether you are looking to obtain funding or optimize your expenses, a clear understanding of your business's financial structure can help you achieve your goals and make sure you can get paid for your hard work.

Related Reading: 5 Financial Accounts to Help Manage Your Business Finances

Best Tips for Paying Yourself as a Sole Proprietor

As a sole proprietor, you are the only owner of your business, which means you have complete control over your income and how you pay yourself. 

Here are some best practices for paying yourself as a sole proprietor:

1. Separate your personal and business finances 

   It is important to maintain separate bank accounts and credit cards for your personal and business finances. This makes it easier to track your business expenses and income, and ensures that you are paying yourself from the correct account.

2. Determine a reasonable salary 

   It is important to determine a reasonable salary for yourself based on the profits of your business. You should consider factors such as the industry, location, and experience level when setting your salary.

3. Pay yourself on a regular basis 

   You should establish a regular pay schedule for yourself, such as weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. This will help you to manage your personal finances and ensure that you are receiving a consistent income from your business.
   
   

4. Keep accurate records

   It is important to keep accurate records of your income and expenses, including your salary payments. This will help you to track your business finances and ensure that you are paying yourself the correct amount.
   
   

5. Consult with a tax professional 

   As a sole proprietor, you are responsible for paying both income tax and self-employment tax on your earnings. It is important to consult with a tax professional to ensure that you are meeting all of your tax obligations and taking advantage of any available deductions.

By following these best practices, you can ensure that you are paying yourself appropriately as a sole proprietor and managing your business finances effectively.

How do you pay Yourself as a Sole Proprietor?

As a sole proprietor, it's important to remember to prioritize paying yourself. While it can be tempting to pour all of your earnings back into your business, neglecting your own compensation puts your personal finances at risk. By paying yourself a reasonable salary or allotting yourself a regular distribution from your profits, you're ensuring that you're being fairly compensated for your hard work and providing for your own financial stability. Additionally, paying yourself shows that you value your time and efforts and can help motivate you to continue growing your business. Ready to start paying yourself for the time you invest in your business? Let's walk through these steps, so you are set up for success!

Set up a separate bank account

It's important to keep your personal and business finances separate. Open a separate bank account for your business, and use it to deposit all business-related income.

Determine your salary

Decide on a reasonable salary for yourself based on your business profits and expenses. This amount should be sustainable for your business and should align with industry standards.

Pay yourself regularly

You can pay yourself on a regular basis, such as weekly or monthly, or on an as-needed basis. Be sure to keep track of your payments and update your financial records accordingly.

Use an owner's draw

You can also use an owner's draw to pay yourself. An owner's draw is an amount of money that you withdraw from your business account to cover your personal expenses. However, be cautious about taking too much, as it can affect the financial health of your business.

Consider other forms of compensation

As a sole proprietor, you can also consider other forms of compensation, such as bonuses or profit-sharing, based on the performance of your business.

It's important to keep accurate records of your income and expenses, and consult with a tax professional to ensure that you are complying with tax laws and regulations.

How to Calculate Your Income as a Sole Proprietor

It can feel intimidating to figure out your income as a business owner. Dealing with taxes is stressful and confusing. While we do recommend seeking financial support to help organize your finances, here’s a quick overview of calculating your self-employment income. 

Determine your total revenue: Add up all the money you have earned from your business activities during the year, including all the money you received from your clients, customers or any other source.

Deduct your business expenses: Determine all the expenses that you incurred while running your business. These may include office supplies, rent, equipment costs, insurance, and any other expenses related to your business. Deduct these expenses from your total revenue to get your net income.

Calculate your self-employment tax: Self-employed individuals are responsible for paying self-employment tax, which includes both Social Security and Medicare taxes. The current self-employment tax rate is 15.3%, which consists of 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. However, you may be able to deduct half of your self-employment tax from your income tax return.

You might need more than figuring out your own income; you might need a payroll system to ensure you’re complying with regulations and laws. Additionally, an organized system guarantees you and your future employees are properly paid.

Setting Up Your Payroll System

As a sole proprietor, you might be thinking that a payroll system is something reserved solely for larger businesses with multiple employees. However, setting up a payroll system can actually benefit your business in a number of ways. For one, it can save you time by automating repetitive tasks like calculating taxes, deducting employee contributions, and generating paychecks.

Additionally, having a formal payroll system in place can help you stay organized and compliant with tax regulations, which can save you from costly penalties in the future. Overall, while it may seem like an unnecessary expense at first, investing in a payroll system can ultimately help you streamline your business operations, reduce the risk of errors, and free up more time to focus on growing your business.

Steps to Set Up Your Payroll System

Determine your pay schedule: Decide on how often you want to pay yourself. You can choose to pay yourself weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

Choose a payroll system: There are several payroll systems available for self-employed individuals. Some of the popular options include QuickBooks, Gusto, and ADP. Choose a payroll system that fits your budget and business needs.

Set up your payroll system: Once you have chosen a payroll system, you will need to set it up. Enter your employee information, pay rates, and payment schedule.

Calculate your payroll taxes: As a self-employed individual, you will be responsible for paying both employer and employee payroll taxes. Calculate the taxes based on your pay rate and payment schedule.

Process your payroll: After setting up your payroll system and calculating your payroll taxes, you can process your payroll. Your payroll system will automatically calculate the amount of taxes you owe and deduct them from your paycheck.

File your payroll taxes: You will need to file your payroll taxes with the IRS and state tax authorities. This can be done quarterly or annually, depending on your business needs. Make sure to keep accurate records of all your payroll taxes and payments.

Fundid Recommendation: Figuring out a pay structure as a sole proprietor might seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be - especially with Gusto! Their full-service payroll system allows you to run payroll as many times as you need, plus they will file your payroll taxes automatically. Hire, pay, insure, and support yourself and your employees with Gusto’s all-in-one people platform. Get started today and save when you run your first payroll!