Partnerships

In a partnership, two or more people share ownership of a single business. Like in proprietorships, the law does not distinguish between the business and its owners. The partners should have a legal agreement that sets forth how decisions will be made, profits will be shared, disputes will be resolved, how future partners will be admitted to the partnership, how partners can be bought out, or what steps will be taken to dissolve the partnership when needed. It is a fact that a lot of partnerships split up at crisis times, and unless there is a defined process, there will be even greater problems. They also must decide up front how much time and capital each will contribute, etc.

An important argument in favour of this type of business organisations is that partnerships are relatively easy to establish. Another advantage is that with more than one owner, the ability to raise funds may be increased. Unlike in sole proprietorship, prospective employees may be attracted to the business if given the incentive to become a partner. A partnership does not pay corporate tax like corporations but only ordinary income tax, since the co-owners can use the profits gained as their personal income.

At the same time, partners are jointly and individually liable for the actions of the other partners. In case of bankruptcy, the co-owners who invested more capital (the senior partners) lose more than the junior partners, who invested less. If the business activity is successful and generates profits, they must be shared with others. Similar to a sole proprietorship, a partnership has a limited life: it may end upon a partner’s withdrawal or death. Another serious drawback of partnership is the threat of potential disagreements among partners over decision-making, which may cause management conflicts adversely affecting the business.