Which statement correctly contrasts partnerships and companies in terms of liability and legal status?

• A. Partnerships are separate legal entities with limited liability; companies have unlimited liability and profits pass through to partners.
• B. Partnerships involve unlimited liability and profits pass through to partners; companies are separate legal entities with limited liability and profits distributed as dividends.
• C. Both partnerships and companies have limited liability, but only companies require directors' reports.
• D. Partnerships have perpetual existence; companies have limited life; both have separate legal entities.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is how liability and legal personality differ between partnerships and companies. In a general partnership, partners have unlimited liability for business debts, and there isn’t a separate legal entity distinct from the partners; profits are shared by the partners and typically taxed as their personal income (pass-through). A company, on the other hand, is a separate legal entity with limited liability for its owners, meaning shareholders are only liable up to their investment; profits are distributed as dividends to shareholders rather than passing through to them personally.

Other statements mix up these fundamentals. It’s not correct to say partnerships have limited liability or that companies have unlimited liability, and corporate profits aren’t simply “passed through” to owners as with partnerships. Also, companies generally issue directors’ reports as part of corporate governance, while partnerships don’t have the same reporting requirement.