IRS Publication 5352 – If you’re searching for IRS Publication 5352 PDF, detailed statistics on small business income and losses, or insights into individual income tax returns featuring Schedule C, E, or F activity from tax years 2015-2017, this article breaks down everything you need to know. Published by the IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) Division in August 2019, this document offers aggregate data and highlights rather than step-by-step filing instructions.
What Is IRS Publication 5352?
IRS Publication 5352, titled Individual Income Tax Returns with Small Business Income and Losses, Tax Years 2015-2017, is a statistical report (Catalog Number 72958R) compiled by the IRS SOI Division. It analyzes individual Form 1040 returns that reported income or losses from small business activities via:
- Schedule C (Profit or Loss From Business)
- Schedule E (Supplemental Income and Loss, including partnerships and S corporations)
- Schedule F (Profit or Loss From Farming)
The publication does not provide tax preparation guidance, deduction rules, or filing instructions. Instead, it delivers high-level tabulations and visualizations drawn from millions of returns. It was released in 2019 and remains available directly from the IRS as a free PDF download: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5352.pdf.
Researchers, economists, policymakers, and data analysts use it to study trends in self-employment, entrepreneurship, and small business contributions to the U.S. tax system during those specific years.
Key Findings: Small Business Returns in 2015–2017
Publication 5352 highlights how significant small business activity was even before major tax reforms in later years. Here are the standout statistics:
- Prevalence of small business returns: In 2017, nearly 28% of all individual income tax returns (approximately 42.3 million) reported some form of small business income or losses. This marked a slight rise from 27.5% in both 2015 and 2016.
- Economic impact: These returns accounted for 47.1% of total adjusted gross income (AGI) and paid 60.4% of all individual income taxes in 2017, with comparable shares in 2015 and 2016.
- Higher average income: Average AGI on returns with small business activity reached $122,414 in 2017 — significantly above the overall average of $72,006 for all returns. This was up from $115,900 (vs. $67,846 overall) in 2015 and $114,274 (vs. $68,049) in 2016.
- Tax rates: The average tax rate for small business filers was 18.7% in 2017, noticeably higher than the 14.6% rate across all individual returns.
- Net business income: Combined net income (less losses) from Schedules C, E, and F totaled $1.1 trillion in 2017 — about 21.1% of AGI for these returns. The figure was $1.0 trillion in both 2015 and 2016.
Breakdown of Income Sources
The publication includes insightful visualizations showing how income was distributed on small business returns:
- Salaries and wages: Remained the single largest income component at 52.8% of AGI in 2017 (down from 53.7% in 2015 and 55.0% in 2016). By comparison, wages made up 68.8% of AGI for the overall taxpayer population in 2017.
- Partnerships and S corporations: The dominant source of business income, generating $680.3 billion (13.1% of AGI) in 2017, up from $628.7 billion in 2015 and $629.0 billion in 2016.
- Other categories: Included capital gains, pensions/IRAs, taxable interest, dividends, and direct Schedule C or F business income/loss.
These breakdowns appear in stacked bar charts comparing the three tax years side-by-side.
Trends Across the Three Tax Years
- The share of returns with small business activity edged upward from 27.5% to 28%.
- Average AGI grew for both small business filers and the general population.
- Wages slightly declined as a percentage of income on small business returns, while partnership/S corp flows remained the largest business component.
- Overall, small business returns consistently showed higher average incomes and tax contributions than non-business returns.
These patterns reflect a period of economic recovery and growing gig/self-employment activity leading into 2018 tax law changes.
Who Should Use IRS Publication 5352?
This report is most valuable for:
- Tax researchers studying sole proprietorships, partnerships, and S corporations
- Economists analyzing self-employment trends
- Policymakers evaluating small business contributions to federal revenue
- Historians or journalists comparing pre- and post-TCJA (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) data
Important note: This is not a taxpayer guide. For practical advice on reporting small business income today, refer to current IRS resources such as Publication 334 (Tax Guide for Small Business) or the instructions for Schedule C. Tax laws have changed substantially since 2017 (including qualified business income deductions and net operating loss rules).
How to Download and Access the Full Publication?
You can download the official IRS Publication 5352 PDF directly here:
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5352.pdf
Additional detailed tables are available on the IRS SOI Tax Stats page:
SOI Tax Stats – Individual Income Tax Returns with Small Business Income and Losses.
Final Thoughts on Small Business Tax Statistics
IRS Publication 5352 remains a key historical reference for understanding the scale and characteristics of small business activity on individual tax returns during 2015–2017. It underscores that millions of Americans combined wage income with entrepreneurial earnings, contributing disproportionately to both AGI and tax revenue.
For the most current small business tax information, always check IRS.gov or consult a qualified tax professional, as rules evolve annually.
Keywords: IRS Publication 5352, small business income statistics, Schedule C tax data 2015-2017, individual tax returns with losses, IRS SOI publication PDF.