Form 2553, Election by a Small Business Corporation, is the form an LLC or corporation files to be taxed as an S corporation. It is what actually makes the election — forming an LLC does not do it, and neither does telling your accountant. Without a filed and accepted Form 2553 there is no S corporation.
Find out if an S-corp saves you money. Then file the form correctly.
For LLC owners and solo founders making real profit. Scorply checks the math free, then builds a filing-ready IRS Form 2553 — right effective date, every owner’s consent, and the exact fax number and address for your state.
- Your SSN never leaves your device
- 2026 figures, verified against IRS sources
- 30-day refund policy
Form 2553 runs on a strict filing calendar
A calendar-year election is due 2 months and 15 days into the year it takes effect — and if the window has closed, late-election relief under Rev. Proc. 2013-30 usually stays open for years. Check where you stand today.
Why this is hard
The form is free. Getting it right is the hard part.
You can download Form 2553 from the IRS in ten seconds. What the blank form will not tell you is whether the election is worth making, which date belongs on line E, who has to sign, or where to send it.
Is it even worth it?
Below roughly $50,000 of profit the election usually costs more than it saves. We say so plainly instead of selling you something.
The date on line E
Get it wrong and your election starts a year later than you think, or is rejected outright. We derive it from your entity's actual timeline.
Every consent
A missing shareholder signature is one of the most common rejection reasons. Late elections need former owners to sign too.
Where it goes
Two service centers, 24 states to one and 27 to the other — decided by where you operate, not where you incorporated.
Free savings check
Start with the honest number
Most calculators quote 15.3% of your distributions. That figure ignores the qualified business income deduction you give up when you start paying yourself a salary. This one does not.
Your numbers
Nothing is sent anywhere. This runs entirely in your browser.
Profit for the year before paying yourself anything.
A starting point only — see the note on reasonable compensation below.
Likely worth itTax year 2026
$5,056
estimated saving per year
The election looks like it saves around $5,056 a year — comfortably more than the payroll and filing costs it creates. Confirm you can support the salary figure and that you are ready for the ongoing filings.
Federal income tax plus employment taxes, plus the added cost of running payroll and a corporate return.
Stay as you are$28,462
Income tax $11,506Self-employment tax $16,955
Elect S-corp$23,406
Income tax $13,682Payroll taxes $8,304Added costs $1,420
Where the saving actually comes from
- Employment tax you stop paying
- +$8,651
- Extra income tax, mostly from a smaller QBI deduction
- −$2,175
- Payroll service and the extra tax return
- −$1,420
- Net
- $5,056
Most calculators quote 15.3% of your distributions and stop there. They leave out that every dollar of salary also reduces your qualified business income deduction, and that your adjusted gross income moves. Both are included above.
In this model, the lowest total tax lands at a salary of $18,000
That is an observation about the arithmetic, not a recommendation. Reasonable compensation is a facts-based legal standard — what you would have to pay someone else to do your job. Setting salary to whatever minimizes tax is precisely the position the IRS challenges. There is no 60/40 rule, and no percentage safe harbor of any kind.
What an S election commits you to
Running payroll at least quarterly, filing Forms 941 and 940, issuing a W-2, filing a separate Form 1120-S every year, keeping the salary defensible, and — in some states — a separate state election plus entity-level tax. The election also locks in: revoking it generally bars re-electing for five years.
Ready to make it official?
Start my Form 2553Estimates use 2026 federal figures verified on July 30, 2026. They cover federal tax only and assume one owner-operator, no self-employed health insurance or retirement contributions, and no qualified property. State taxes are not included. This is self-help information, not tax advice.
How it works
Three steps, about fifteen minutes
- 1
Check whether it is worth it
Enter your profit and the salary you would pay yourself. We model both structures in full and tell you the honest number — including the cases where the answer is no.
- 2
Answer plain questions
No tax jargon. We work out your effective date, whether you are late, which shareholders must consent, and whether you need Part II or Part IV.
- 3
Print, sign, send
You get the completed Form 2553, any relief statements, and a checklist with the exact IRS fax number and address for your state.
Pricing
One payment. No subscription.
Accountants and formation companies charge $50 to $300 to file this form for you.
Filing Packet
Everything you need to file Form 2553 on time.
$49
- Completed IRS Form 2553, filled from your answers
- Every shareholder consent line filled in (Columns J–N)
- Correct requested effective date, checked against your entity's timeline
- The exact IRS fax number and mailing address for your state
- Step-by-step filing checklist and what to expect after you send it
- State S-corp guide for your state, including any separate state election
- Generated in your browser, so your Social Security number never reaches our servers
For late elections
Late Filing & Complete
For anyone past the deadline, or who wants the full picture.
$79
- Everything in the Filing Packet
- Rev. Proc. 2013-30 late-election relief statement, drafted from your facts
- Eligibility screening for late relief before you pay
- Part IV late corporate classification representations, completed
- Reasonable compensation guide with the factors the IRS actually weighs
- Payroll and ongoing-obligation checklist for your first S-corp year
- A dated first-year filing calendar — every Form 941, 940, W-2 and 1120-S deadline
30-day refund policy: if Scorply does not produce a usable filing for you, we refund you. Form 2553 is available free from irs.gov — you are paying for guided preparation, review and filing instructions, not for the form.
Common questions
What is IRS Form 2553?
Can I file Form 2553 online?
No. As of 2026 Form 2553 still cannot be e-filed. It must be mailed or faxed to the IRS service center for the state where your business operates. The only electronic route is attaching a late election as a PDF to a timely e-filed Form 1120-S.
What is the deadline for Form 2553?
No more than 2 months and 15 days after the beginning of the tax year the election takes effect — March 15 for a calendar-year business — or at any time during the preceding tax year. Missing it does not void the form: under IRC section 1362(b)(3) the IRS treats it as an election for the following year instead, unless you request late relief.
I missed the deadline. Can I still elect S-corp status?
Usually yes. Rev. Proc. 2013-30 allows a late election within 3 years and 75 days of your requested effective date if you intended to be an S corporation all along, the only thing that went wrong was the missed filing, and everyone has reported income consistently. Scorply screens you against each condition before you pay and drafts the required relief statement.
How much does Scorply cost, and why not just use the free IRS form?
The Filing Packet is $49 and the Late Filing & Complete package is $79. The IRS form itself is free and always will be — you can download it at irs.gov. What you are paying for is the benefit check, the correct effective date, the completed shareholder consents, the Rev. Proc. 2013-30 relief statement, and the exact address for your state. Accountants and formation companies charge $50 to $300 for the same filing.
Is Scorply tax advice?
No. Scorply provides self-help tax forms and general information. We are not a law firm or an accounting firm, we do not review your situation, and the calculator produces an estimate from the figures you enter rather than a recommendation. If you have multiple owners, operate in several states, or have unusual facts, have a CPA review your filing.
Do you store my Social Security number?
No. Your Form 2553 is generated in your own browser, so shareholder Social Security numbers are written straight into the PDF on your device and never reach our servers.
More detail in the guides, including the $184,500 Social Security wage base and what reasonable compensation actually means.
Ready to elect S-corp status?
Answer a few plain questions and walk away with a filing you can send today.