Incorporation in California

Find the right Business Incorporation attorney in Ontario, CA

California law allows a business to incorporate and be recognized as its own legal entity. After incorporation, buying and selling property, assenting to contracts and exercising legal rights are considered acts of the business itself and not its owners. The office of the Secretary of State is the agency that receives applications for incorporation in California, and they must be completed in conformity with particular guidelines.

Benefits of Incorporation in California

An incorporated business enjoys certain benefits, the most important being a limit of liability for the shareholders. The most shareholders can lose is the amount they invest in the business. Without incorporation, the personal property of business owners is at stake should the company become unable to satisfy its debts. A corporation also allows creditors in the Ontario area to assess the credit worthiness of the business as a whole rather than that of its owners, allowing the business to receive loans more easily. 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

Incorporation can be costly. First, a modest filing fee may be charged in California for any business that wants to incorporate. Also, a corporation is taxed as its own entity. In other words, the profits a corporation makes are now taxed separately, while any disbursements to shareholders are taxed as individual income. This is called double taxation. However, a business may avoid this disadvantage with proper planning and assistance from a local Ontario lawyer.

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Life in Ontario

Ontario, California is a city in San Bernardino County. Its current population is about 170,000 people.

For thousands of years, the area now known as Ontario was a hunting and foraging ground for the semi-nomadic Tongva band of Native Americans. People of European descent arrived when Mexican settlers began populating the area.

Ontario's early economic growth was fueled by agriculture, and tourism by wealthy Californians, who viewed the area as a health resort, and it is still a destination for people who enjoy a warm, dry climate, either for recreation or retirement.

During and after World War Two, Ontario, and many other suburbs, experienced a housing boom, thanks to the explosion of industrial activity, which significantly increased the population. Modernly, there is still some manufacturing activity in Ontario, California, which is an important part of its economy.

Owing to its diversity and relatively large population, a thriving legal community has sprung up in Ontario. Ontario, California lawyers are as diverse as the community itself, and virtually every imaginable practice area is represented. If you need legal advice or representation, an Ontario, California lawyer is a good person to ask.

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