Corporate Tax Lawyers in Belmont
In Belmont, 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 doctrine is recognized as "corporate personhood." While the concept is somewhat abstract, the law of California treats corporations as individual persons, for most purposes. This means that, legally, corporations have most of the same rights, privileges, and commitments as living, breathing human beings.
An evident example of this concept is a corporation's obligation to pay income taxes similar to how an actual person would.
Corporate Tax Rate in Belmont, California
Every corporation in the U.S. which has taxable income must pay its share of the federal corporate income tax. The majority of states further have a corporate income tax, which Belmont, California corporations are required to pay.
Under the federal tax system, and the tax laws of several states, corporate income is taxed at a different rate from the income of individuals. For instance, the top federal income tax rate for corporations is 35%, compared with 33% for individuals. The highest tax rate applies to corporations making more than .3 million per year. The lowest corporate tax rate is 15%, applying to those corporations that make less than ,000 per year.
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 Belmont, California, corporations must pay both the federal and state corporate income tax. Failing to pay these taxes can result in grave punishment, including huge fines which can put a corporation out of business.
How Can a Belmont, 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 Belmont corporations can't afford to have attorneys on staff full time. Therefore, 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 Belmont, California tax attorney immediately.