Corporate Tax Lawyers in Mission Viejo
In Mission Viejo, 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 rule is called "corporate personhood." Essentially, under the law of California, corporations are, in many ways, the same as individual human beings. Therefore, corporations have some of the same legal rights and obligations as actual people.
As a prime example, corporations have to pay income taxes, just as a person would.
Corporate Tax Rate in Mission Viejo, California
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 Mission Viejo, California 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 $18.3 million per year. Corporations earning less than $50,000 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%.
The corporate tax rate in California may also differ from the individual tax rate. However, in many states, the corporate tax rate is lower than the individual income tax rate. This is because many states believe that the ideal way to attract business (and thus improve their economies) is to have a low corporate tax rate.
Corporations in Mission Viejo, California are obligated to pay both the state and federal corporate tax. Failing to pay either (or both) of these taxes can result in grave legal penalties, including fines that may prove ruinous, particularly for smaller businesses.
How Can a Mission Viejo, California Corporate Tax Lawyer Help?
Many bigger companies have corporate attorneys and accountants on staff who help them adhere with federal and state tax laws.
But most smaller Mission Viejo corporations cannot afford to have these professionals on staff. Therefore, they simply hire them as needed. If you are a business owner, and you have concerns about corporate taxation, you should seek the counsel of a competent and dependable tax lawyer in Mission Viejo, California as soon as you can.