Corporate Tax Lawyers in Monterey County

In Monterey County, 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 Monterey County, 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 Monterey County, 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 .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%.

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.

In any case, Monterey County, 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 normally cheaper for corporations to pay their taxes than to not.

How Can a Monterey County, 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.

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