Corporate Tax Lawyers in Santa Barbara County

In Santa Barbara County, California, a "corporation" is defined 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." Basically, 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.

As a prime example, corporations have to pay income taxes, just as a person would.

Corporate Tax Rate in Santa Barbara County, California

All corporations in America have to pay a federal income tax. Several states also have a corporate income tax, which corporations operating in Santa Barbara County, California have to pay.

Under federal laws that regulate corporate income taxes, corporations pay a different income tax rate from individual people. Corporations pay a maximum federal income tax rate of 35%, and a minimum rate of 15%, depending on their income. The high tax rate applies to corporations that make .3 million per year, and the low rate applies to any company bringing in less than ,000.

The tax rate in California for corporations probably also differs from the taxes that individuals must pay. In some states, the government has decided that their interests would be best served by making corporate taxes as low as possible. So in many states, the tax rate for corporations is much lower than the one paid by individuals, unlike the federal corporate tax.

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

How Can a Santa Barbara County, California Corporate Tax Lawyer Help?

Most bigger companies have corporate attorneys and accountants on staff who help them comply with federal and state tax laws.

As most business owners know, however, the majority of small Santa Barbara County 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 Santa Barbara County, California tax attorney immediately.