Electronic Timing, Inc. (ETI), is a small company founded 15 years ago by electr

Question

Electronic Timing, Inc. (ETI), is a small company founded 15 years ago by electronics engineers Tom Miller and Jessica Kerr. ETI manufactures integrated circuits to capitalize on the complex mixed-signal design technology and has recently entered the market for frequency timing generators, or silicon timing devices, which provide the timing signals or “clocks” necessary to synchronize electronic systems. Its clock products originally were used in PC video graphics applications, but the market subsequently expanded to include motherboards, PC peripheral devices, and other digital consumer electronics, such as digital television boxes and game consoles. ETI also designs and markets custom applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs) for industrial customers. The ASIC’s design combines analog and digital, or mixed-signal, technology. In addition to Tom and Jessica, Nolan who provided capital for the company, is the third primary owner. Each owns 25 percent of the $1 million shares outstanding. Several other individuals, including current employees, own the remaining company shares. Recently, the company designed a new computer motherboard. The company’s new design is both more efficient and less expensive to manufacture, and the ETI design is expected to become standard in many personal computers. After investigating the possibility of manufacturing the new motherboard, ETI determined that the costs involved in building a new plant would be prohibitive. The owners also decided that they were unwilling to bring in another large outside owner. Instead, ETI sold the design to an outside firm. The sale of the motherboard design was completed for an aftertax payment of $30 million.

Does the question of whether the company should pay a dividend depend on whether

the company is organized as a corporation or an LLC?

Explanation / Answer

Dividends are the distribution of profits or retained earnings to shareholders as decided by the board of directors of a corporation. In case of an LLC the distribution of such profits to the owners is simply known as distributions. There is not much of a difference in both as both are a way of giving, the owners of shareholders or owners, profit that is earned by the business, only with a different name. The only difference would be the tax structure with which they are dealt and the distribution calculation or method. Hence the paying back of earnings or profits in form of dividends or distribution does not differ in either case.

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