Business Lawyers Blog
When a person is considering starting a business, one of the first questions that often arises is which state to incorporate in. Many people simply choose the state in which they live and plan to do business, as it often seems to be the easiest and simply makes sense. In many cases, the decision to incorporate in your state of residence is perfectly fine and has no real long-term impact. It is important to note, however, that the choice of jurisdiction in which a business is incorporated has the potential to have a significant effect on a company’s tax liability and the way in which the business is run on a day-to-day basis. For this reason, anyone who is considering forming a business should discuss his or her options with an experienced Silicon Valley startup attorney familiar with corporate law throughout the United States.
Why does it matter?
Corporations and Limited Liability Companies, two of the most popular business formations that can shield owners from personal liability, are created by state law. As a result, there are 50 different sets of rules that apply to business formation and corporate governance. Furthermore, each state has a separate state taxation scheme that can result in significant differences in tax liability. Some of the issues that will depend on where you choose to incorporate include the following: