California LLC Industry Guides

Different industries face different considerations in California. Between state licensing requirements (CSLB for contractors, DRE for real estate, DCC for cannabis), high franchise tax, and no Series LLC — structuring matters. See our CA LLC guide.

Industry Guides

• Real Estate — no Series LLC, separate entities per property ($800 each)
• E-Commerce — CA sales tax (7.25%+ ), marketplace rules
• Freelancers — $800 commitment, S-corp at $80K+
• Consulting — S-corp optimization, no license needed
• Construction — CSLB license required (unlike TX)

California-Specific Industry Considerations

Tech/SaaS: SaaS is not subject to CA sales tax. S-corp election valuable for high-earning founders. Cannabis: State + local licensing required. Must use CA LLC (not out-of-state). Complex regulatory compliance. Entertainment: LLC commonly used for production companies, talent representation, IP holding. Real estate: Expensive to structure ($800/entity/year with no Series LLC alternative).