A guide to the United States corporate tax rates
Overall, a much smaller portion of profits is now being paid to tax authorities (10). For example, tax credits for research and development might incentivize a company to allocate more money for exploring new technologies. Corporations can reduce their tax liability by deducting business expenditures that are necessary for the operation of the business. Businesses not designated as C corporations are subject to different tax structures.
Corporate income tax is the percentage of profits a business must pay to the government. Corporate income tax has a considerable impact on a business’s cash flow. For this reason, corporations often develop complex strategies for reducing their tax liability. Corporate income tax is the total tax that a company must pay on profits earned. In order to stop large corporations shifting their profits into low-tax nations, the USA and other G7 countries have agreed to a global minimum tax of 15%.
The most complicated aspect of insuring is the actuarial science of ratemaking (price-setting) of policies, which uses statistics and probability to approximate the rate of future claims based on a given risk. After producing rates, the insurer will use discretion to reject or accept risks through the underwriting process. The insurance company will collect historical loss-data, bring the loss data to present value, and compare these prior losses to the premium collected in order to assess rate adequacy.37 Loss ratios and expense loads are also used.
The complete picture includes multiple taxation layers that may affect your tax burden. The 20 countries with the highest statutory corporate income tax rates span almost every region, albeit unequally. While eight of the top 20 countries are in Africa, Oceania appears only once and Europe twice. Of the remaining jurisdictions, four are in North America, and five are in South America. It’s important to recognize that effective rates may What’s The Corporate Tax Rate Federal and State Rates be lower than statutory rates due to deductions, credits, and the structure of the business itself.
A gross receipts tax is a tax on a business’s gross receipts, which includes the business’s total revenue without deductions (e.g., operating expenses). Louisiana provided a full deduction for federal corporate income taxes before January 1, 2022, but it repealed deductibility last year. Iowa also previously permitted a 50 percent deduction for federal corporate income taxes, but this provision expired in 2021. Most successful companies approach taxation as a strategic matter, not as just a requirement for compliance but also as if it were an opportunity to optimize. Understanding the different components of US corporate tax rates, from basic rate structures to complicated international provisions, can help business owners make better decisions and improve their long-term profits.
The state with the highest combined state and federal corporate tax rate is New Jersey at 30.1 percent. Corporations in Alaska, California, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania face combined corporate tax rates at or above 28 percent. Six states—Ohio, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming—face no state corporate income taxA corporate income tax (CIT) is levied by federal and state governments on business profits. Many companies are not subject to the CIT because they are taxed as pass-through businesses, with income reportable under the individual income tax.
Foreign corporations may be subject to U.S. taxes if they conduct business in the U.S. or earn income connected to the U.S. C Corporations file a corporate tax return using Form 1120 and can retain earnings for reinvestment without immediate distributions to shareholders. This structure is often chosen by large companies or businesses seeking to attract investors. The U.S. legal system provides a framework for corporate taxation, with businesses subject to both federal and state laws.
This lowers the effective corporate income tax rate faced by corporations in these states. State corporate income tax rates vary dramatically from state to state. Some states require no state corporate income tax, while others impose heavy taxes in the form of gross receipts tax, state corporate income tax, or both. The state and local tax deduction (commonly referred to as the SALT deduction) is a key strategy for corporations seeking to manage their overall tax liabilities. For the 2025 tax year, the SALT deduction landscape continues to be shaped by both federal and state policies, affecting how much businesses can deduct for taxes paid to state and local governments from their federal taxable income.
My mission is to share practical, trustworthy legal insights in plain English. Foreign companies who have ECI pay a tax rate of 21% on net income earning ECI. They are also subject to a branch earnings tax of 30% on repatriated profits (IRC § 884).
This rate applies to all taxable income for C corporations, regardless of income level or industry. Entrepreneurs should note that this rate does not apply to S corporations or other pass-through entities, which are generally taxed at the shareholder or member level using individual rates. Even in states with high corporate tax rates, however, these taxes collect relatively little revenue, since companies are able to engage in extensive tax planning to reduce their income.
The change is aimed at the biggest corporations, and it aims to make sure they pay an equal amount of federal income taxes regardless of any deductions or credits. Businesses can reduce their corporate tax rate by taking advantage of available deductions, credits, and incentives offered by both federal and state governments and by structuring their business operations efficiently. The following map illustrates the current state of corporate tax rates around the world.