Corporate Tax Lawyers in Atherton

In Atherton, California, 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 California 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.

An apparent example of this concept is a corporation's obligation to pay income taxes similar to how an actual person would.

Corporate Tax Rate in Atherton, California

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

Under the federal tax system, and the tax laws of several states, corporate income is taxed at a different rate from the income of individuals. For instance, the top federal income tax rate for corporations is 35%, compared with 33% for individuals. The highest tax rate applies to corporations making more than .3 million per year. The lowest corporate tax rate is 15%, applying to those corporations that make less than ,000 per year.

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

Whatever their legal tax rate, all corporations in Atherton, California are obligated to comply with state and federal income tax laws. Failure to pay income tax can be punished by massive fines, which can occasionally prove financially ruinous.

How Can a Atherton, California Corporate Tax Lawyer Help?

Many major corporations employ tax lawyers full time, to guarantee that they are in conformity with tax laws, and find legal means to reduce their tax liability.

However, if you are the owner of a smaller corporation in Atherton, you likely can't afford a full-time in-house lawyer. For that reason, you should retain an attorney in Atherton, California who practices tax law, on an as-needed basis, if you ever encounter a corporate tax issue, such as an audi