Arkansas S-Corp Election Savings Calculator
Arkansas has a graduated state income tax with a top rate of 3.90%. Set your expected net profit and a reasonable salary to see whether an S-corp election beats staying a sole proprietor or default LLC in Arkansas for 2026.
Sole prop / default LLC
Take-home rate 73%
Take-home $87,904 Tax $32,096
Net profit $120,000
Self-employment tax (15.3%) $16,955
Federal income tax $11,506
Arkansas income tax $3,634
Take-home pay $87,904
S-corp election
Take-home rate 76%
Take-home $91,067 Tax $28,933
Salary (W-2 wages) $65,000
Distribution (K-1) $48,828
Payroll tax (15.3%) $9,945
Federal income tax $14,064
Arkansas income tax $3,724
S-corp admin costs $1,200
Take-home pay $91,067
Electing S-corp status could save you
$3,163 per year
The distribution portion of your profit skips the 15.3% self-employment tax entirely — it's only subject to ordinary income tax. That's the whole S-corp savings mechanism. It's offset by payroll tax on the salary you must pay yourself, plus payroll processing and extra tax-prep costs. The IRS requires "reasonable compensation" for your salary — pay yourself too little relative to your work and distributions, and it can be recharacterized as wages on audit.