What tax form do limited liability companies (LLCs) classified as partnerships file?

Limited liability companies (LLCs) that are classified as partnerships are required to file Form 1065. This form is specifically designed for partnerships and is used to report the income, deductions, gains, losses, and other tax information from the business operations of the partnership.

Form 1065 does not assess tax on the LLC itself, as LLCs typically operate as pass-through entities. Instead, the income and expenses are reported on this form, and the profits or losses are then passed through to the individual members of the LLC, who report their share on their personal tax returns. This mechanism ensures that the partnership itself is not taxed at the entity level, aligning with how partnerships are generally taxed under federal law.

In contrast, the other forms listed serve different purposes: Form 1120 is for corporations, Form 1040 is the individual income tax return form for personal income, and Schedule C is used by sole proprietors to report income or loss from a business that they operated as a sole proprietorship. Thus, they do not apply to LLCs operating as partnerships, making Form 1065 the appropriate choice for reporting partnership income and expenses.