An article from the New York Times (www.nytimes.com) recently reported how Apple sidestepped billions of dollars in taxes by setting up an office in Reno, NV.  Key to any savvy incorporated business owner’s tax strategy, Apple has done something central to its corporate structure and avoided millions of dollars in taxes in California and 20 other states by establishing an office in Nevada instead of their Cupertino,CA headquarters.

The reason is simple: California has a corporate tax rate of 8.84 percent and Nevada’s is 0%. Really for anyone in business, this is a no-brainer. And setting up an office in Reno is just one of many legal methods Apple uses to reduce its worldwide tax bill by billions of dollars each year.

While many states are imposing stronger restrictions and additional taxes on small business, Nevada has once again devoted their legislative session to building a solid foundation for business by passing stronger laws protecting the rights of business owners.

Why incorporate in Nevada? In 2010, 56,000 new companies were formed inNevada and 60% of those business owners do not live in the state.

Nevada has also been continually ranked “Number 1” as a place to do business because the state offers some of the most aggressive pro-business legislation in the country.

Nevada provides a favorable business climate, low taxes, and in the last 32 years the NV legislature have done nothing but make those laws stronger over time. Examples include:

• Nevada shareholders are not a matter of public record
• Nevada officers and directors cannot be held liable for the actions of the corporation
• Nevada has no corporate tax

As a premier Nevada incorporation services provider, Laughlin Associates has been forming Nevada Corporations and Limited Liability Companies for the last 40 years. When you form a Nevada corporation with Laughlin Associates we include a complete corporate kit, a complimentary one-on-one consultation, and unlimited strategy and structure advice for your incorporated company.

At Laughlin Associates, we work closely with the Nevada Legislature to keepNevada a pro-business state. Just a short half hour drive from theNevada capital, we make sure to keep a pulse on the local government and keep our clients informed of the latest news regarding small business owners.

If you have questions about how you can take advantage of a Nevada tax strategy for your business, contact one of our highly qualified business consultants at 1-800-648-0966.

*Thank you to www.nytimes.com for some of this information. To read the full article on how Apples uses Nevada as part of their tax strategy please click here.

Often at Laughlin Associates our business consultants and compliance experts get asked, “What exactly is a registered agent and why does my business need one?”

By law, incorporated companies like S and C Corporations and Limited Liability Companies, are required to retain a registered agent and keep their address on file in the case that the business might receive a legal document or summons from a court.

When you incorporate your business, you must ensure that you secure a registered agent so that your business is treated like a real Corporation.  Also, a registered agent is also beneficial to any business owner running their company from a home office, as they act on behalf of your company by receiving important information such as legal documents, certified mail, and tax documents instead of having them delivered to your home address. 

 The requirements to be a registered agent include:

• A physical address in the state of incorporation
• Availability during normal business hours
• Address must be public information

Some of the other requirements are based on your state of incorporation. There are different restrictions depending on what state you live in and which state you are incorporating your small business in. 

If you are incorporating in a different state, there are professional registered agent services available that will allow you to fulfill your legal compliance requirements.  You may want to look into a professional registered agent service provider like Laughlin Associates if you are incorporating in a state in which you do not have a physical address in. 

In addition, if you are using a P.O. Box or a private mail box for your business, you will want to establish registered agent service so that you can provide that physical address to the Secretary of State.  Please note, that if you conduct business in several different states you will need to establish a registered agent for each state in which you plan to do business.

 If you need assistance choosing a resident agent for your small business, contact one of our experienced business consultants at 1-800-648-0966.

At Laughlin Associates, we know that although many business owners have already incorporated their companies, they may not realize how to use their Corporation or LLC to their full benefit.

Taking advantage of incorporating is not always a simple process for business owners to understand. There is legal jargon, corporate compliance standards, and tax regulations to first comprehend before someone can truly maximize the rewards of owning a small business.

With the help of Laughlin Associates‘ CEO, Aaron Young, business owners will learn how they can save money on their taxes and increase their profitability at the How To Use A Corporation Workshop.

This complimentary event is taking place on Thursday, April 26, 2012 at the Hyatt Place Reno-Tahoe Airport from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. To register please reserve your seat at www.corpworkshop.com.

Participants will discover how to shield their personal assets against the threat of a lawsuit, protect their earnings, and the legal way to dramatically slash their taxes.

Those who will benefit most from this workshop are closely-held corporate and limited liability company owners who need to know what their legal requirements are, the benefits available to them, and how to properly separate out the legal liability of owning a small business.

Join Us and Discover:

• The tax deductions galore that you’ve been missing out on
• The instant method to giving yourself a $10,000 raise!
• A foolproof way to separate yourself from your business
• How to correctly fend against audits and frivolous lawsuits

Attendees will also have the unique ability to talk with our expert one-on-one and get personal answers to their individual questions.  To register for this complimentary seminar please visit www.corpworkshop.com. 

You may have recently heard about the JOBS act which was signed into law last week on April 5.  The bill includes a new craze called crowdfunding, which allows start-up companies to receive funding via the Internet from investors either as a gift or in exchange of company stock or membership (so long as the business is a Corporation or Limited Liability Company.)

To regulate the JOBS Act bill and ensure there are guidelines present for investors and those seeking investment in their companies, President Obama is expected to host a leadership group consisting of industry experts including legal, securities and SEC experts. Laughlin Associates’ exclusive partner, www.fundingroadmap.com CEO and founder, Ruth Hedges, has been appointed as one such member.

The JOBS Act requires that all equity and crowdfunding platforms be a member of a national securities association. This leadership group will explore the various requirements set forth to protect investors and support the effort to jumpstart job growth through entrepreneurship.

Hedges, CEO of Funding Roadmap, the innovative digital business planning tool; appointed as one of the key members in the leadership committee (as reported on www.crowdsourcing.org) will work diligently to notify potential start-ups and investors alike about these legal requirements in order to safeguard investors from fraud and potential liability.

Crowdsourcing.org reported the following list, outlining the goals that the leadership group hopes to institute as some of their many initiatives:

• Establish strong protections for investors including tests to assess investors’ understanding of risk, criminal background checks on issuers, and adequate disclosures by issuers
• Ensure confidentiality of investors’ personal financial information
• Ensure that investors do not exceed statutory investment limits by implementing standardized reporting and communication among platforms
• Establish standard communication processes for transparent flow of information between the issuer, the investor, the intermediary and the regulatory agency
• Develop a code of conduct for crowdfunding platforms, with enforcement mechanisms
• Create a recognizable brand common to trustworthy intermediaries

To learn more about how crowdfunding can impact your business, join us for a live webinar hosted by Ruth Hedges on April 18, 2012 from 6-7 p.m. PST.

You will discover what the crowdfunding revolution is all about in this information packed presentation.

A social media maven herself, Ruth will take you through the ins and outs of the crowdfunding craze by breaking down how it works, why you should get involved, and how you can start getting investor capital for your business or idea ASAP.

Recently appointed to the advisory council of The Crowdfunding Accreditation for Platform Standards (CAPS) program, Ruth will help you navigate the dynamics of crowdfunding for both start-ups and established business owners who wish to grow their companies and gain equity.

Register for this powerful presentation and you’ll get the tips and tricks you need to mega grow your business or start a new wildly successful venture!

This crowdfunding webinar is a hot one, so register now before space runs out.

Tuesday, April 17 is the deadline for filing certain returns and taking certain tax-related actions. Here are the major deadlines:

• Filing 2011 income tax returns for individuals. If you cannot file your return by this deadline, be sure to file an extension request by April 17. The automatic extension (you don’t need to explain to the IRS why you need more time) gives you until October 15, 2012, to file your return. An extension does not, generally, give you more time to pay taxes you still owe. To avoid penalty and interest charges, taxes must be paid by April 17.
• Filing 2011 partnership returns for calendar-year partnerships.
• Filing 2011 income tax returns for calendar-year trusts and estates.
• Filing 2011 annual gift tax returns.
• Making 2011 IRA contributions.
• Paying the first quarterly estimate of 2012 individual estimated tax.
• Amending 2008 individual tax returns (unless the 2008 return had a filing extension).
• Original filing of 2008 individual income tax return to claim a refund of taxes. Some taxpayers have tax refunds due them for prior years, and unless a return is filed to claim the refund by the three-year statute of limitations, the refund is lost forever.