Alabama Code 1975, § 10-4-390(a) (Supp. 1986), provides that “[e]very individual who renders professional services as an employee of a ... professional corporation shall be liable for any negligent or wrongful act or omission in which he personally participates to the same extent as if he rendered such services as a sole practitioner.”
to powers of attorney under Alabama law. The practitioner should use the forms at the end of this article as a guide and should adapt the forms to meet the client’s particular situation. An excellent discussion of Alabama law regarding powers of attorneys and additional forms are found in Chapter 324 of the Southeast Transaction Guide.
An attorney may designate his practice by the name “John Doe & Associates” only if he has at least one associated attorney in his employ. A sole practitioner may use the term “John Doe Law Firm,” “John Doe Law Office,” or “Law Offices of John Doe.”. Firm names and letterhead are governed by the provisions of Rule 7.5 read in ...
How to Form an Alabama Corporation. Use our free guide below to form a corporation in Alabama: Step 1: Create a Name For Your Alabama Corporation; Step 2: Choose an Alabama Registered Agent; Step 3: Choose Your Alabama Corporation’s Initial Directors; Step 4: File a Certificate of Incorporation; Or, use a professional service: ZenBusiness ($39 + state fee)
In view of the above, it is the opinion of the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar that Alabama lawyers may organize a law firm in the form of a limited liability company. ... Special Rules for Limited Liability Companies Performing Professional Services.
Alabama allows professionals to form both PLLCs and PCs, and both PLLCs and PCs provide liability protection for, respectively, their members or shareholders. Because the protection is essentially the same for both PLLCs and PCs, but PLLCs are simpler to create and operate, many professionals prefer the PLLC structure.
What Is the Difference Between an LLC and an S Corp? A limited liability company is easier to establish and has fewer regulatory requirements than other corporations. LLCs allow for personal liability protection, which means creditors cannot go after the owner's personal assets.
Limited Liability Company Most states allow law firms to operate as LLCs or as professional limited liability companies.Feb 23, 2015
The document required to form an LLC in Alabama is called the Articles of Organization. The information required in the formation document varies by state. Alabama's requirements include: Registered agent.
The State of Alabama requires you to file an annual report as part of your required state Business Privilege Tax return.
LLCs. As an LLC owner, you'll incur steep self employment taxes on all net earnings from your business, whereas an S corporation classification would allow you to only pay those taxes on the salary you take from your company. However, itemized deductions could make an LLC a more lucrative choice for tax purposes.Jan 25, 2022
Asset protection. One major advantage of an S corporation is that it provides owners limited liability protection, regardless of its tax status. Limited liability protection means that the owners' personal assets are shielded from the claims of business creditors—whether the claims arise from contracts or litigation.
Although being taxed like an S corporation is probably chosen the least often by small business owners, it is an option. For some LLCs and their owners, this can actually provide a tax savings, particularly if the LLC operates an active trade or business and the payroll taxes on the owner or owners is high.
Most law firms can meet these requirements to qualify for the S corp election, but maintaining that status to minimize taxes requires an additional step: paying owners a fair salary. ... But the IRS requires that shareholders of S corporations who also perform services for those businesses receive a salary.Jul 14, 2021
Can law firms incorporate? Yes, but the answer to what type of incorporation options are available will vary based on the state. For example, many states allow a solo attorney to form a PLLC, or a Professional LLC.
One of the key benefits of an LLC versus the sole proprietorship is that a member's liability is limited to the amount of their investment in the LLC. Therefore, a member is not personally liable for the debts of the LLC. ... If you treat the LLC the way you would a sole proprietorship, you lose the liability protections.Jul 21, 2021
A registered agent is a person or entity that accepts tax and legal documents on behalf of your LLC or corporation. Your registered agent can be an individual resident of the state or a company that’s legally authorized to represent businesses in Alabama.
Name Reservation. In Alabama, you must reserve your business name before forming a corporation. This must be done at least two weeks prior to formation for mailed filings, but can be completed at the time of formation for online filings.
The directors of a corporation are in charge of the adoption, amendment, and repeal of bylaws as well as the supervision, election, and removal of officers. Later you will prepare an “Incorporator Statement” with complete names and addresses of each director and keep it in your corporate records book.
The form must be signed by all shareholders and must be filed within two months and 15 days after the start of the initial tax year.
To operate your corporation, you must comply with federal, state, and local government regulations. The details of business licenses and permits vary from state to state, so make sure to research carefully and plan accordingly.
An S corporation (S corp) is an incorporated business that is taxed as a pass-through entity. This means that S corps do not pay federal taxes on their business income. Instead, the business profits "pass-through" to the owners of the S corp, who are also known as shareholders.
An organizational meeting is the first official meeting of your corporation. These are some of the things that are discussed in a typical organizational meeting: Taking attendance to show you have a quorum (minimum number needed) Appointing temporary officers, chairmen, secretary, etc. Adoption of the bylaws.
A licensed individual or group of individuals authorized to render the same professional services may organize and become a shareholder or shareholders of a professional corporation for the purpose of rendering professional service. One or more of the licensed individuals shall be the incorporators of the professional corporation.
The name of a professional corporation must include the phrase “professional corporation” or the abbreviation “P.C.”, or the word “chartered”, or the abbreviation “Chtd”. The name may not contain the word “company”, “incorporated”, “corporation”, or “limited”, or an abbreviation of those words.
The word “Limited” may be abbreviated as “Ltd.” and the word “Company” may be abbreviated as “Co.”) “Professional service” means any type of professional service which may be legally performed only pursuant to a license or other legally mandated personal authorization.
Professional (s) may form a PLLC to provide a professional service. A PLLC name may consist of the full or last name of one or more of its members or, if not prohibited by law or the profession concerned, the LLC may adopt a fictitious name.
PLLCs are governed by the same laws as LLCs except that the PLLC is subject to regulation by licensing boards. The professional limited liability company name must contain the words “professional limited liability company,” “professional limited company,” “PLC,” or “PLLC.”.
A professional service entity (professional corporation, professional LLC, or professional LLP) may be organized for the sole purpose of providing professional services to the public. Only the following professionals may form a practice as a professional service entity: Certified Public Accountants. Architects.
Licensed individuals may incorporate and become shareholders of a professional corporation to provide professional services. A professional service is any type of personal service to the public which requires a license or other legal authorization. This includes the services rendered by certified public accountants, registered public accountants, chiropractors, optometrists, dentists, osteopaths, podiatrists, architects, veterinarians, doctors of medicine, doctors of dentistry, physicians and surgeons, attorneys at law and life insurance agents.
A professional corporation or PC is one variation of a corporation. Licensed professionals who want to incorporate their practice can form a PC. However, the shareholders, directors, and officers must belong to the same profession.
In California, licensed professionals are limited to forming a sole proprietorship, general partnership, or professional corporation (PC). One advantage of an LLC is that each owner—also called a member—has limited liability, which means they are not personally liable for the financial obligations of the LLC.
It's important to choose the right business structure to protect your business from unforeseen legal and tax consequences. When choosing between an LLC and a PC, check the state statutes to make sure the legal entity can operate in your state.
LLCs are not required to pay state taxes in most states—again, check your state statutes. The owner pays state taxes on their personal tax return. A few states require LLCs to also pay state taxes. In addition, some states impose a fee, often called an annual registration fee, franchise tax, or renewal fee.
A C Corporation is also subject to Florida’s state corporate income tax at a rate of 5.5%.
Many professional C Corporations attempt to avoid distributing dividends by paying all income as compensation (because although it is still taxable to the recipient employee/shareholder, the C corporation gets a deduction for such compensation, resulting in one-layer of taxation).
Because no corporate entity or other legal device is employed to operate the day to day business, sole proprietorships are very popular with solo practitioners. The sole proprietor files his taxes on Schedule C on his individual income tax return.
While the Statute of Limitations for the Internal Revenue Service to audit a person is generally three years (subject to fraud and other exceptions) it is suggested that an attorney or firm keep their financial records for at least 10 years.
If the original auditor or tax examiner determines that a taxpayer willfully attempted to evade taxes, the taxpayer’s case may be referred to the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. The case will then be assigned to one or more special agents.
An eligible small employer may claim a tax credit in tax years beginning after 2009 if it makes nonelective contributions that pay for at least one-half of the cost of health insurance premiums for the coverage of its participating employees. [4]
The Tax Court operates under its own Rules of Practice and Procedure (the rules) and under the Federal Rules of Evidence applicable in trials without a jury in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. If there is no applicable Tax Court rule in a given instance, the court or the judge before whom a matter is pending may prescribe the procedure, giving particular weight to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to the extent that they are adaptable to the matter at hand. This latitude includes the power to correct clerical errors. The Tax Court rules and amendments of existing rules generally will take effect only after the public has been given notice and an opportunity for comment.
A partnership is required to file a Form 1065 tax return. The profits of the partnership flow through to each partner, and each partner’s share of profits and losses is reported on Schedule K-1. General Partners also have risk of exposure to the debts and liabilities of the business.
A 401 (k) plan is a type of tax-qualified deferred compensation plan in which an employee can elect to have the employer contribute a portion of his or her cash wages to the plan on a pretax basis . Generally, these deferred wages (commonly referred to as elective contributions) are not subject to income tax withholding at the time of deferral, and they are not reflected on your Form 1040 since they were not included in the taxable wages on your Form W-2. However, they are included as wages subject to social security, Medicare, and federal unemployment taxes.
Although some of these urge limited liablity as a reason to incorporate, none of them expressly states the major factor, which is that the corp will not protect you from professional liability for your own acts. Only your e.& o. policy will do that.
The company vs. sole proprietorship issue is a balance of cost versus benefit. The company structure provides an added level of insurance, insulating your personal assets from potential lawsuits (if followed properly), and segments your professional finances away from your personal finances.
You need to form a professional corporation. Please see the links below to relevant sections of the CA Business and Professions Code.#N#Disclaimer: This information does not constitute legal advice and does not establish an attorney-client relationship.