In Kentucky, businesses are allowed to incorporate, thereby becoming their own legal entities. After incorporation, buying and selling property, agreeing to contracts and exercising legal rights are considered acts of the business itself and not its owners. To incorporate in Kentucky, a business must file with the Secretary of State in compliance with specific guidelines.

Benefits of Incorporation in Kentucky

Benefits 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. Had the business remained unincorporated, owners risk losing their personal property should the business become unable to pay its liabilities. Furthermore, a business that has not incorporated puts the unnecessary burden on creditors in the Boone County area to evaluate the credit worthiness of individual owners rather than that of the business, making loans more difficult. Finally, the ownership stake in a corporation can be apportioned into uniform slices, known as "shares" of stock. This makes it possible to sell ownership investments in more manageable slices.

Costs of Incorporation

These benefits come at a price. First, incorporation in Kentucky may require a filing fee. Second, a corporation pays taxes just like any other entity. Disbursements to the owners of the corporation are also taxed as individual income, so this means earnings might be taxed twice. But this double taxation can be avoided with proper planning and help from a local Boone County lawyer.