Corporate Tax Lawyers in El Cerrito

In El Cerrito, California, a "corporation" is specified 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 rule is called "corporate personhood." Essentially, under the law of California, corporations are, in many ways, the same as individual human beings. Thus, corporations have some of the same legal rights and obligations as actual people.

One of a corporation's primary legal commitments is its duty to pay income taxes, as an actual person would.

Corporate Tax Rate in El Cerrito, 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 additionally have a corporate income tax, which El Cerrito, 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.

Likewise, chances are good that the corporate tax rate in California are different from individual income taxes. However, many states feel that their economies would be best served by attracting as many businesses as possible. For that reasons, in a large number of states, the corporate income tax rate is considerably lower than the individual rate.

Whatever their legal tax rate, all corporations in El Cerrito, 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 El Cerrito, 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.

But if you are the owner of a small corporation in El Cerrito, chances are you don't have a full-service legal department on your payroll. Thus, if you need help with your corporate taxes, it's essential that you speak with a lawyer in El Cerrito, California who practices tax law.