Corporate Tax Lawyers in Columbiana

In Columbiana, Alabama, a "corporation" is defined as a legal entity that's separate from its owners. Thus, from a legal standpoint, the owner of a corporation and the corporation itself are not the same "person."

This doctrine is identified as "corporate personhood." While the concept is somewhat abstract, the law of Alabama treats corporations as individual persons, for most purposes. This means that, legally, corporations have many of the same rights, privileges, and obligations as living, breathing human beings.

One of these obligations is the duty to pay income tax in much the same way as an individual person.

Corporate Tax Rate in Columbiana, Alabama

Every corporation in the U.S. which has taxable income must pay its share of the federal corporate income tax. The majority of states additionally have a corporate income tax, which Columbiana, Alabama corporations are required to pay.

Under federal laws that regulate corporate income taxes, corporations pay a different income tax rate from individual people. Corporations pay a maximum federal income tax rate of 35%, and a minimum rate of 15%, depending on their income. The high tax rate applies to corporations that make .3 million per year, and the low rate applies to any company bringing in less than ,000.

There's also a good chance that the tax rate applicable to corporations in Alabama differ from the individual tax rates. Some states feel that the best economic policy is to attract as many businesses as they can. Thus, in some states, the corporate tax rate is lower than the individual tax rate.

In any case, Columbiana, Alabama corporations have to pay both the state and federal income tax. If they fail to do so, they can be subject to severe penalties, such as very large fines. These fines can be big enough to put some smaller companies out of business. Suffice to say, it's typically cheaper for corporations to pay their taxes than to not.

How Can a Columbiana, Alabama Corporate Tax Lawyer Help?

Most very large corporations have tax attorneys and accountants on staff, as full-time employees, who help them stay in compliance with all applicable state and federal income tax laws.

As most business owners know, however, the majority of small Columbiana corporations can't afford to have attorneys on staff full time. Thus, if you run a small corporation, and are confused about the corporate tax issues that may affect you, it's a very good idea to retain the services of a Columbiana, Alabama tax attorney immediately.