Under Texas law, a business may incorporate. If it chooses to do so, it is thereafter recognized as its own legal entity. An incorporated business acts in its own name, whether buying and selling property, assenting to contracts or exercising legal rights. In Texas, the process of incorporation is begun by filing with the Secretary of State in accordance with certain guidelines.

Benefits of Incorporation in Texas

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. With unincorporated businesses, personal property of owners can be liquidated in order to satisfy the liabilities of the business. Also, creditors in the Nacogdoches area typically prefer to deal with corporations, since a loan is an investment more easily evaluated when the credit-worthiness of various owners is not an issue. 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 Texas, 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 Nacogdoches lawyer, you can avoid this disadvantage.