Incorporation in Massachusetts

Find the right Business Incorporation attorney in Salem, MA

In Massachusetts, businesses are allowed to incorporate, thereby becoming their own legal entities. When an incorporated business acts, whether it is to buy and sell property, assent to contracts or exercise legal rights, the process is then attributable to the business itself and not its owners. To incorporate in Massachusetts, a business must file with the Secretary of State in compliance with particular guidelines.

Benefits of Incorporation in Massachusetts

Advantages of incorporation are many. The primary benefit is that the liabilities of the business can only be satisfied by the assets specifically invested into the company by the owners. If the business had remained a personal asset of the owners, they would run the risk of losing their personal property to pay for the company's financial liabilities in case of default. Furthermore, banks in the Salem area prefer to evaluate the credit worthiness of a business as a whole rather than that of individual owners. This makes the process of acquiring corporate loans simpler. Finally, the ownership of a corporation is divided into an abundance of equal portions or "shares" of stock. Without this mechanism, transferring ownership of a business would be impractical.

Costs of Incorporation

Along with a possible fee to file for incorporation in Massachusetts, there are other costs that corporations incur. The most important is that a corporation is taxed as its own entity. The individual incomes of the owners are still taxed also, and this can mean the same income is taxed twice, known as double taxation. With proper planning and assistance from a local Salem lawyer, you can avoid this disadvantage.

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Life in Salem

Salem is in Essex County of Massachusetts. It is home to Salem State University. In history the city is known because of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Today, people visit Salem and check out sites such as the Nathaniel Bowditch House, Salem Common, The Witch House, Derby Square, Pickering House, Salem Willows Park, Ropes Mansion, and Salem Athenaeum.

Tourism is a significant contributor to Salem's economy. There are small law offices where attorneys have established their practice in many areas of law. Therefore, residents can rest assure that their legal needs can be taken care of.

Famous residents of Salem include Rick Brunson, Jeff Juden, Rob Oppenheim, Nathaniel Bowditch, John Endcott, John Hathorne, Bob Vila, Jack Welch, and Steve Thomas.

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