When starting a business with a unique idea, it is important to limit your disclosure of this idea to those who have signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
The purpose of an NDA is to restrict the type of disclosure a party can make after you provide them with important information about your idea or concept. Once information is no longer confidential, it can be used by anyone to compete with your company before you have a chance to establish your brand identity. (See post on Trade Secrets). Without an NDA in place, a business owner could lose its competitive advantage. _ Small Business Owners should be aware of the current Estate Tax Credits for 2012 and changes that take effect in 2013. These will have a drastic impact on succession planning for Ohio small businesses.
Federal Estate Tax Currently, the Federal Estate Tax credit is equivalent to $5,120,000.00 per person (any dollar under $5,120,000.00 passes free of Federal Estate Tax. Married couples are able to transfer their unused Federal Estate Tax credit to the surviving spouse that provides the equivalent of a $10,240,000.00 per couple credit (also known as “Portability”). Unless the President and Congress can agree on an extension of the current law, the Federal Estate Tax credit will be reduced, beginning in 2013, to $1,000,000.00 per person, without Portability, at a rate of 55%. Ohio Estate Tax In 2012, the Ohio Estate tax rate is 6% of every dollar between $338,333.33 and $500,000.00. For every dollar above $500,000.00, the tax rate is 7%. This calculation does not include life insurance proceeds. Effective in 2013, the Ohio Estate tax has been repealed. This will be a substantial savings for residents of Ohio. Before transferring your residence to another state, it is important to check that state’s law regarding Estate Taxes. Vendors’ licenses are required for taxable sales. So what are taxable sales?
Every company sells goods, services or a combination of both. Some of these sales are subject to sales tax and other transactions are not. A business owner should be certain about sales tax, because a mistake could be devastating. There are different types of vendor licenses in the State of Ohio.
The decision on sales tax and the amount to be collected should be evaluated with your certified public accountant or tax adviser. |
Elliott Stapleton Attorney with CMRS Law
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