Corporate Tax Lawyers in Woodlake

In Woodlake, California, a "corporation" is defined 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." Basically, 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.

An apparent example of this concept is a corporation's obligation to pay income taxes similar to how an actual person would.

Corporate Tax Rate in Woodlake, California

Every corporation in the United States is required to pay federal income tax. Most states also have a corporate income tax, which corporations doing business in Woodlake, California are required to pay.

At the federal level, and in some 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 individuals maxes out at 33%.

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 Woodlake, 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 Woodlake, California Corporate Tax Lawyer Help?

Many major corporations employ tax lawyers full time, to ensure that they are in compliance with tax laws, and find legal means to reduce their tax liability.

But if you are the owner of a small corporation in Woodlake, 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 crucial that you speak with a lawyer in Woodlake, California who practices tax law.