Incorporation in Virginia

Find the right Business Incorporation attorney in Arlington, VA

By Virginia law, a business that has incorporated is identified thereafter as its own legal entity. This means that the business can buy or sell property, offer and accept contracts and exercise legal rights in its own name. In Virginia, the process of incorporation is begun by filing with the Secretary of State in accordance with specific guidelines.

Benefits of Incorporation in Virginia

A corporation enjoys advantages that unincorporated companies do not. Primarily, it cannot be held accountable for an amount of debt greater than the value of the assets that the owners have invested in it. Had the business instead remained a collection of the owners' personal assets, the personal property of the stakeholders could be liquidated to pay the liabilities of the business, if it runs into financial issues. A corporation might also find it easier to finance itself through loans, allowing creditors in the Arlington area to evaluate their investment by assessing the corporation rather than the individual credit-worthiness of its owners. Finally, a corporation's ownership stake is divided into equal slices or "shares" of stock, which make investments in the business much easier to transfer.

Costs of Incorporation

Along with a possible fee to apply for incorporation in Virginia, 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 Arlington lawyer, you can avoid this disadvantage.

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Life in Arlington

Arlington is located in Arlington County, Virginia. It is located south of the Potomac River, across from Washington D.C. Per the 2010 census, Arlington's population had reached 207,627 people.

Being so near Washington D.C., sites such as the Pentagon, the Department of Defense, and the White House are not too far away. Other landmarks in Arlington include the Arlington National Cemetery, the United States Air Force Memorial and the marine Corps War Memorial.

Top employers include the Virginia Hospital Center, US Airways, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, SRA International, SAIC, CACI, Boeing, Towers Watson, and Jacobs. Although the legal industry is not included, Washington D.C. is filled with many top-notch law firms that train attorneys from top law schools. Further, in Arlington itself, there are many small firms and law offices to tend to the legal needs of residents who do not want to travel to D.C.

All in all, Arlington offers a quaint atmosphere with a location central to the "big city attractions and advantages."

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