Corporate Tax Lawyers in Mountain Brook

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

This doctrine is recognized 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 most of the same rights, privileges, and commitments as living, breathing human beings.

As a prime example, corporations have to pay income taxes, just as a person would.

Corporate Tax Rate in Mountain Brook, Alabama

Every corporation in the United States is obligated to pay federal income tax. Most states also have a corporate income tax, which corporations doing business in Mountain Brook, Alabama are obligated to pay.

At the federal level, and in certain states, corporations are taxed at different rates from individuals. Federally, the top corporate tax rate is 35% - a rate applying to corporations earning more than .3 million per year. Corporations earning less than ,000 a year pay a 15% corporate tax rate, and there are a few tax brackets in between. For comparison, the federal income tax for persons maxes out at 33%.

In Alabama the corporate tax rate likely differs from the individual tax rate as well. In many states, policymakers have decided that the local economy benefits most when it is business-friendly. In those states, the corporate tax rate is usually lower than the individual income tax rate, unlike the federal system, where the corporate tax rate is higher.

In any case, Mountain Brook, Alabama corporations have to pay both the state and federal income tax. If they fail to do so, they can be subject to grave 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 normally cheaper for corporations to pay their taxes than to not.

How Can a Mountain Brook, Alabama Corporate Tax Lawyer Help?

Many bigger companies have corporate attorneys and accountants on staff who help them adhere with federal and state tax laws.

As most business owners know, however, the majority of small Mountain Brook corporations can't afford to have attorneys on staff full time. Therefore, 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 Mountain Brook, Alabama tax attorney immediately.