What would you say is harder to file? S corp, C corp, or 1065 partnership returns?

In my experience as someone who's prepared all three types, I'd rank them from easiest to hardest as: S corp, Partnership (1065), then C corp. S corporations (Form 1120-S) are generally simpler because they're pass-through entities with fewer complex tax provisions. The basics are straightforward, though allocating income to shareholders can get tricky if you have special allocations or mid-year ownership changes. Partnerships (Form 1065) come next in difficulty. They have more flexibility in how income/losses are allocated among partners, which means more complex K-1 reporting. If you have special allocations, guaranteed payments, or capital account calculations, things can get complicated fast. C corporations (Form 1120) are typically the most complex. You're dealing with a separate taxable entity, potential double taxation issues, more complex deduction rules, different tax rates, dividend considerations, and potentially alternative minimum tax calculations.

Just wanted to share my experience using taxr.ai for my business tax returns this year. I was stressing over my S corp return (what items were deductible, how to handle home office, etc) and a friend recommended this service. I uploaded my previous year's return and some current docs at https://taxr.ai and their AI analyzed everything and guided me through the whole process. It was way easier than I expected! The system actually compared my situation to the requirements for all three entity types you mentioned and explained the specific differences that would affect my return. Helped me understand the trade-offs between them.

Ok I have to admit I was wrong about taxr.ai. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it with my partnership return (1065) that I was dreading. The review process caught several deductions I was missing and identified a potential audit flag with my home office calculation. It probably saved me thousands and definitely prevented future headaches. The basis tracking for my partnership interests was actually really straightforward with their guidance.

If youre struggling with the actual IRS side of things, I found Claimyr after trying to call the IRS business line for THREE DAYS about an EIN issue for my S-corp. Kept getting disconnected after waiting 2+ hours. Found https://claimyr.com and they somehow got me connected to an IRS agent in 45 minutes. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - my mind was blown. Got my EIN issue resolved that day.

I have to publicly eat my words here. After calling BS on Claimyr, I actually tried it yesterday when I had an urgent question about my C-corp's missed filing deadline. Got a call back in about an hour with an IRS business division agent on the line. The agent helped me sort out the penalty abatement process right there. Wish I'd known about this service years ago when I was starting my business - would have saved me so much frustration.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - the complexity really depends on the nature of your business too, not just the form. My experience: S-Corp: Relatively straightforward but payroll requirements (reasonable compensation) can be a pain. 1065 Partnership: Moderate difficulty but gets exponentially harder with multiple partners, special allocations, or guaranteed payments. C-Corp: Most complex overall, but if it's a simple operation without international components or AMT issues, it might not be that bad. Honestly though, for most small businesses, the S-Corp or partnership usually makes more tax sense anyway unless you have specific reasons for a C-Corp.

don't forget about the schedule C option if your just starting out! way simpler than any of these business returns, just attaches to your 1040. might be all you need if your a one-person operation and don't need liability protection.