Corporate Tax Lawyers in Los Altos Hills

In Los Altos Hills, 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 Los Altos Hills, California

Practically every for-profit corporation in the U.S. is required to pay taxes on its income each year. Most states also have their own corporate income tax. All corporations in Los Altos Hills, California are required to pay it.

The federal corporate income tax rate is different from the tax rate that applies to individuals. The highest corporate tax rate at the federal level is 35% of income - applying to companies that make over .3 million per year. Corporations earning under ,000 pay a 15% tax rate. There are various tax brackets in between.

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. Thus, in some states, the corporate tax rate is lower than the individual tax rate.

In any case, Los Altos Hills, California 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 typically cheaper for corporations to pay their taxes than to not.

How Can a Los Altos Hills, California Corporate Tax Lawyer Help?

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

As most business owners know, however, the majority of small Los Altos Hills 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 Los Altos Hills, California tax attorney immediately.