Need help with Partnership LLC K1 forms and capital accounts reporting
Hey tax folks, I'm in a bit of a jam trying to wrap up a partnership return for my husband and his business associate. Their LLC is closing down and I'm confused about the capital accounts section on the K1 forms. When I'm filling out the K1s, should the entire capital (cash) amount the LLC had at year start be reported on each partner's K1 form? Or am I supposed to divide that cash balance between them somehow? Some additional context: - This is the final return since they're shutting down the business - They split all remaining cash exactly 50/50 - My husband was the only one who used personal funds for some business expenses last year I've been staring at these forms for hours and just can't figure out the right way to handle the capital accounts. Any help would be super appreciated!
18 comments


Mia Green
The capital accounts on K-1s should reflect each partner's individual share of the business capital, not the total capital of the LLC. So you would not put the entire capital amount on each partner's K-1. Since they're 50/50 partners, you'd typically split the beginning capital account balance equally between them. However, since your husband contributed additional personal funds for expenses, his capital account should be adjusted to reflect those contributions. For the final return, you'll need to show the starting capital for each partner, any additional contributions (like your husband's personal expenses), their share of income/loss for the year, any distributions taken, and the ending balance (which should be zero if they completely liquidated the business). Make sure the ending capital account on each K-1 matches what they actually received in the final distribution.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•Thanks for explaining! So if they started with $20,000 total in the business account, I'd put $10,000 as the beginning capital for each partner? And then for my husband, I'd add the personal expenses he covered as additional contributions during the year? Also, for Schedule K-1 Box L (Partner's Capital Account Analysis), there are several "tax basis" options. Which one is typically used for a simple LLC partnership?
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Mia Green
•You've got it right about the beginning capital - if they had $20,000 total, and they're 50/50 partners, each would start with $10,000 in their capital account. And yes, your husband's personal expenses paid for the business would be added as additional capital contributions to his account only. For Box L, most small partnerships use the "tax basis" method. This is typically the simplest approach for partnerships without complex assets or liabilities. The other methods (GAAP, 704(b), etc.) are more commonly used by larger or more complex entities. Since this is the final return for a relatively simple partnership, tax basis is likely your best option.
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Emma Bianchi
I struggled with similar K-1 issues last year until I found taxr.ai online. Saved me so much headache with my partnership return! I uploaded my confusing partnership documents, and it analyzed everything and explained exactly how to handle the capital accounts. The site even walked me through how to record additional capital contributions similar to what your husband made. Here's the link if you're interested: https://taxr.ai - it costs way less than hiring a CPA and saved me hours of frustration. My scenario was almost identical - closing a business and figuring out how to properly record everything on the K-1s. The tool even caught a mistake I was about to make with the capital distribution entries.
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Lucas Kowalski
•Does this tool actually handle partnership returns specifically? I've tried some tax software that claims to do partnerships but then gets super confused with anything beyond the absolute basics. Also, how much access do you get - is it just a one-time analysis or can you ask follow-up questions?
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Olivia Martinez
•I'm skeptical about these online tools. How can they possibly understand the nuances of partnership tax law? Did it actually help with the technical aspects like Section 704(b) capital account maintenance or just give general information? Partnership tax is complicated even for professionals.
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Emma Bianchi
•Yes, it specifically handles partnership returns including K-1s. What impressed me was that it's not just generic advice - it actually analyzes your specific situation and documents. I was able to upload our operating agreement and prior year returns, and it used that context to provide tailored guidance. The service gives you continuous access during your subscription period, so you can ask follow-up questions and upload additional documents as needed. I went back several times with questions as I worked through the return, and each time got detailed, specific answers based on my situation.
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Lucas Kowalski
I wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai that was mentioned earlier. I was initially unsure about using it, but with my accountant booked solid during tax season, I gave it a try for our 3-person partnership. The system actually understood all our complex basis calculations and even identified that we had been incorrectly handling guaranteed payments in previous years. It provided clear explanations about how to properly allocate the beginning capital, track my additional contributions, and close out the K-1s correctly for our final year. The partnership-specific guidance was surprisingly detailed - it even generated the exact amounts to enter in each box of Form 1065 and Schedule K-1. Definitely saved our business thousands in accounting fees and potential penalties from errors.
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Charlie Yang
If you're still having issues after trying to figure this out yourself, consider using Claimyr to get connected directly with an IRS agent. I called for weeks trying to reach someone about a complicated K-1 issue similar to yours, and kept hitting the "call back later" message. Used https://claimyr.com and got through to a real IRS agent in about 20 minutes, who walked me through exactly how to handle partnership capital accounts during dissolution. They even explained the exact differences in how contributed expenses should be handled. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Since you're dealing with a final return, getting something wrong could mean amended returns later, which is a huge headache. The IRS agent confirmed things I couldn't find clear answers about anywhere online.
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Grace Patel
•Wait, how does this actually work? The IRS never answers their phones - are you saying this service somehow gets you past the hold times? That seems too good to be true. I've literally tried calling dozens of times about partnership issues.
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Olivia Martinez
•This sounds like a scam. There's no way some random service can magically get you through to the IRS faster than anyone else. They probably just connect you to some overseas "tax expert" who has no real credentials. I'd be very careful about sharing any tax information with services like this.
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Charlie Yang
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Olivia Martinez
I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I was still desperate for help with a similar partnership dissolution issue, so I tried it anyway. Got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 30 minutes who walked me through the entire process of how to handle capital accounts for a final partnership return. The agent confirmed I needed to split the beginning capital 50/50, add any additional partner contributions separately, then show the final distributions that zeroed out each account. They even explained which boxes needed to be checked to indicate it was a final return and how to handle the different basis calculation methods. Saved me from making several mistakes that could have triggered an audit. Completely worth it when dealing with something as complicated as partnership dissolutions.
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ApolloJackson
Don't forget to check if either partner had a negative capital account before the final distribution! This can create unexpected tax consequences. If one partner's capital account went negative during operations (meaning they took out more than they put in plus their share of profits), that negative balance is treated as income to that partner when the partnership dissolves. Also, make sure you file Form 8594 (Asset Acquisition Statement) if the partnership is selling any assets as part of the dissolution. And don't forget to file Form 966 to formally dissolve the entity with the IRS.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•Neither partner has a negative capital account, fortunately. But I hadn't heard about Form 8594! They didn't really sell any physical assets though - they just distributed the remaining cash and closed their bank account. Are there other forms I need to file beyond the 1065 and K-1s to properly close the partnership?
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ApolloJackson
•If they only distributed cash and didn't sell any assets to a third party, then you don't need Form 8594. That form is only required when business assets are sold. For properly closing a partnership, you'll need: Form 1065 with the "final return" box checked, Schedule K-1s for each partner marked as final, and potentially Form 966 (Corporate Dissolution or Liquidation) depending on how the LLC was classified for tax purposes. If it was always treated as a partnership, Form 966 isn't typically required. Also, don't forget state-level filings! Most states require some type of formal dissolution filing with the Secretary of State or similar agency. This is separate from the tax filings but equally important to properly close the business and prevent future filing requirements or penalties.
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Isabella Russo
One more thing - check if either partner had any unreimbursed business expenses (UBE) they paid personally. These can be reported on Schedule E of their personal returns rather than being treated as capital contributions on the K-1. This is often better tax treatment since capital contributions don't directly reduce tax liability but UBEs can.
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Rajiv Kumar
•I thought the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated unreimbursed business expenses for partners? Isn't that part of the miscellaneous itemized deductions that were suspended through 2025?
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