A unique characteristic of corporations is that they are legally separate from their owners, who are called shareholders. Each unit of ownership of a corporation is called a share. If a corporation issues 1,000 shares and you own 100 of them, you own 10% of the company. Corporations can be privately-held or publicly-held. A privately-held corporation’s shares are not issued for sale to the general public. A publicly-held corporation offers its shares for sale to the general public, sometimes on a stock market like the Toronto Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange.
A corporation has some of the same rights and obligations as individuals. For instance, it pays income taxes on its earnings, can enter into legal contracts, can own property, and can sue and be sued. A corporation also has distinctive features. It is separately regulated by law, has an indefinite life, its owners have limited liability, and it can usually acquire capital more easily than an individual. These features are discussed below.
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