Explore crowdfunding to kickstart your Maryland small business. Learn legal insights and strategies for successful funding from our experienced Maryland business attorney.

An LLC may elect how it wants to be taxed: as a sole proprietorship, partnership, S-Corp, or C-Corp. Depending on the situation, electing one income tax structure over another income tax structure for an LLC can provide important tax benefits for the company and the owner. Because tax law can be complicated, it's beneficial to discuss your concerns and needs with a Maryland business tax attorney before electing how your LLC should be treated for tax purposes.

Are you interested in purchasing a franchise? Purchasing a franchise offers several benefits, such as name recognition and an established reputation. However, deciding whether a franchise is a good investment for you can be complicated. Below are seven considerations that you may want to discuss further with a Maryland business attorney before entering a franchise agreement.

Are you ready to start a new company? If so, there are several steps you should take as you prepare to begin a new business. The steps you take now to build a strong foundation for your business can greatly impact whether your business is successful. As a Maryland business attorney, I regularly guide clients through the steps of starting a company.

Is your company complying with Maryland’s new minimum wage laws? If not, you could face significant penalties from the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. If you have questions about the minimum wage increase, a Maryland business attorney can review your company’s policies to ensure compliance with the new minimum wage laws in Maryland.

The Maryland Healthy Working Families Act became effective as of February 11, 2018. Many employers continue to have questions regarding the Act’s requirement for employers to provide employees with ESS time (earned sick and safe leave) to care for themselves or their family members, in accordance withthe requirements of the Act. Consulting with a Maryland business attorney can help ensure you are complying with all provisions of the Act.

Starting a business can be an exciting but nerve-wracking process. Every one of today’s biggest companies started out on the ground floor, and they were often led by people who were unsure about their future prospects.

A Maryland tax attorney can do many things for clients. We are not only called upon when someone has a problem with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or other taxing authority. A tax attorney can help you with all matters related to personal and business taxes with two goals in mind – reducing your tax burden and preventing an audit.

Are you searching for a way to lower your taxes for 2018 and beyond? If you are married, you might be able to create a partnership with your spouse to put more money in your pocket instead of Uncle Sam’s pockets. Don’t worry if you and your spouse do not work well together because your spouse can be more of a silent investor than a participating partner.

Several events should trigger a review of your estate plan, such as the birth of a child, a divorce, or the death of an heir. Another reason to review your estate plan is a change in the tax code. When Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), I received numerous calls from clients with questions about how the changes to the federal tax code impacted their estate plans.

A tax and retirement planning tool used by some individuals has been eliminated with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). However, even though we may be losing an effective tax planning opportunity, all is not lost. There are still some ways to use IRA recharacterizations that comply with the TCJA.

The purpose of an Advance Care Directive is to carefully explain how you want medical decisions to be made for you in the event you are unable to make the decisions for yourself. Even though you can locate forms for an Advance Care Directive online, preparing this important legal document without the assistance of a Maryland estate-planning attorney can result in your health care wishes being ignored.

Some of your property might not go to the people you wanted to get those things because of events that happen over time, which is why you need a residuary estate clause.

Estate planning is an important process for individuals regardless of their wealth, marital status, age, or health. An estate plan is much more than simply directing who will inherit your assets upon your death. A comprehensive estate plan can lower or eliminate estate taxes, protect assets from creditors, provide for incapacitation, protect a family member with special needs, and much more.

An estate administration attorney guides a personal representative through each step of the estate administration process. Because a personal representative can be held liable for negligence and other errors made while administering the estate, it is important to have an attorney to provide legal advice and support.

When a minor child or an incapacitated adult is appointed a court-ordered guardian and conservator, the person appointed by the court has a duty and legal responsibility to act in the best interests of the protected person or ward (minor child or incapacitated adult). It can be a little overwhelming if you are suddenly appointed by the court to care for another person and manage that person’s property and affairs.

A corporation may be formed in any state while conducting business and being physically located in the business owner’s state of residence. A DC business attorney guides business owners in choosing the state for the formation of a business that offers the business the best advantages of incorporation.

Have you been named as the Attorney-in-Fact or Agent of a Durable Power of Attorney? If so, it is very important that you understand the powers and duties that have been granted to you by the Principal. It is equally important that you understand how and when to use the powers granted to you by the Durable Power of Attorney. Our Virginia estate-planning attorney assists individuals in learning how to use a Durable Power of Attorney in addition to assisting individuals as they create these documents as part of their estate plan.

Many of the changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 benefit businesses. However, some of the changes may make it more difficult for businesses to write off certain expenses. For example, changes in the entertainment deductions for 2018 may cost companies thousands of dollars, especially for companies who have a strong sales department that entertains clients and potential customers on a regular basis.

There are many different structures your business can have in Virginia, and each form has advantages and disadvantages. One of the factors people consider when deciding which type of business entity to form is the amount of protection they will have from creditors. With that in mind, when are you liable for your Virginia business debts?