tax
Corporate Tax
Tax on profits of C-Corporations. Separate from owner personal tax, paid by the entity.
Definition
Corporate tax is paid by C-Corporations (in the US) and limited companies (in the UK) on their profits. US federal corporate tax is a flat 21%; UK corporation tax is 25% (lower rate for smaller profits). For C-Corps, this is in addition to owner personal tax on any dividends drawn - the 'double taxation' that makes pass-through entities (LLC, S-Corp) more common for small businesses. Entity choice is a key tax decision: C-Corp can be optimal for businesses retaining earnings or planning outside investment.
In your business
- →Entity choice (LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp) materially affects total tax - revisit every 2-3 years
- →C-Corp can be optimal when you're retaining earnings for growth, less optimal when distributing
- →Work with a CPA on entity choice - the wrong structure can cost 10-15% of profit annually