Ethics Quiz Answers

| The partners are jointly and severally liable for business debts and obligations. The partners are held personally responsible for the business and may be sued personally for liability. Partners’ personal assets are subject to lawsuit(s) made against the business. Lack of continuity; death of a partner may end the partnership/business if a buy/sell agreement is not in place. Disagreements may be difficult to resolve.

A corporation is a separate legal entity that possesses distinctive liabilities and privileges than that of their members or shareholders. As an investor, a corporation’s advantage is liability for their own investments especially in risky investments (Kubasek, et al., 2012, p. 760). Among the various types of corporations for Betty to select from, an S corporation is an enticing venture for new entrepreneurs given that it grants limited personal liability for debts, sharing of corporate profits, and taxation relief. Double taxation is a main disadvantage of C corporations but not for S corporations. The General Corporation Law (Corp C §§100-2319) treats S corporations similarly to partnerships for taxation purposes.

Some of the benefits of a Limited Liability Company are that as a Limited Liability Company it limits the owner of personal liability for business actions. The members are liable, but normally just to the amount of their share in the business. Their individual assets are not considered for resolving business debts. The fact that your personal assets are protected is a great benefit. Whereas, operating under a partnership all members are individually accountable for the company’s debt. In comparing the differences between a

SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP: Sole proprietorships are the most common form of business in the United States. You and your business are one in the same. While being your own boss as its advantages, like working your own hours and collecting all profits made by the business, there are some disadvantages. For starters is coming up with starting working capital. Most Sole Proprietors have to seek funds from other sources.

The individual owner is limited to personal money and loans when it comes to funding the business.

Sole proprietorships are the most common type of business in the U.S. They are most commonly chosen because they are the easiest type of business to set up and give the sole owner of the company complete control of the company. There are many benefits to a sole proprietorship in regards to control, profit retention, and convenience.

Sole proprietorship: Is the simplest and most common business structure. There is no legal distinction between the proprietor and the business, which means it is autonomous. You are entitled to all profits and responsible for all your business's losses and liabilities.

INCOME TAXES – As a sole proprietor all business income or losses must be reported as personal income tax. The business itself is not taxed separately.

Profit retention – In a partnership profit and losses are shared unless partners agree to

disagreements will happen (is not when it happens). Everyone that runs a business always has his or

* Limited Liability - Unlike partnerships and sole proprietorships, corporate shareholders are not liable for any of the corporation's debts.

The corporation and stockholders have the tax burden in a corporation. In whole, from the owners’ point of view, it is more sensible to form a corporation that has a little more flexibility and less liability versus a partnership or sole proprietorship.

(Panza & Potthast, n.d.) Ethics is very important to a company’s success. Ethical behavior can bring benefits to a business. They can attract customers, which can lead to a boost in sales and profits. It can attract the right employees and increase productivity. It can also attract investors and keep the company’s share price high. Unethical behavior on the other hand can damage a company’s reputation and make it less appealing to stakeholders. It could also result in lower profits.

One major disadvantage of the partnership is taxation, partners will pay the tax same way as a sole trader. Therefore they will pay the corporation tax in addition to this they will have to pay income tax. Another disadvantage is liability partners are still subject to unlimited liability same with a sole trader if the business can’t pay its

For example, if the public thinks that the firm’s prospects are rosy but the managers see trouble ahead, these managers would view their debt-as well as their equity-as being overvalued. That is, the public might see the debt as nearly risk- free, whereas the mangers see a strong possibility of default.