Incorporation in New York

Find the right Business Incorporation attorney in Schenectady, NY

For businesses seeking recognition as separate legal entities, New York law allows them to undergo the process of incorporation. An incorporated business acts in its own name, whether buying and selling property, assenting to contracts or exercising legal rights. To incorporate in New York, a business must file with the Secretary of State in compliance with particular guidelines.

Benefits of Incorporation in New York

There are distinct benefits to incorporating a business. Most importantly, liabilities the business accrues may be satisfied only by assets that the owners have specifically invested in it. 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 Schenectady area to assess the credit worthiness of the business as a whole rather than that of its owners, allowing the business to obtain loans more easily. Lastly, a corporations charter requires that ownership be divided into stakes or "shares" of stock, all of equal size. This makes the process of transferring control much more practical.

Costs of Incorporation

Incorporation comes at a price. First, New York may charge a filing fee to process applications for incorporation. Also, the corporation will pay taxes 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 Schenectady lawyer.

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Life in Schenectady

Schenectady, New York is a city in Schenectady County. It has a population of approximately 61,000 people, making it the ninth-largest city in New York State.

The name is a bit of a mouthful, and was derived from a Mohawk word that roughly translates to "near the pines" or "beyond the pines." It is part of the Albany Metropolitan Area.

The area was first settled by Europeans in 1661, as part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, which comprised most of what is now the state of New York. In the 19th Century, Schenectady became an important transportation hub, connecting the Hudson River to the Great Lakes. In 1887, Thomas Edison moved Edison Machine Works to the city, and it then became the headquarters of General Electric, founded by Edison,which is now one of the largest companies in the world.

Modernly, Schenectady, New York is coming out of the hard economic times which many cities in Upstate New York endured throughout the second half of the 20th Century, but its economic outlook is improving.

If you live in Schenectady, New York and need an attorney, you probably won't have any problem finding the Schenectady, New York lawyer who is right for you.

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