Piercing the corporate veil or lifting the corporate veil is a legal decision to treat the rights or duties of a corporation as the rights or liabilities of its shareholders. Therefore, this shareholder limited liability emanates mainly from statute. …
In this regard, what is meant by the term statutory piercing of the veil?
“Piercing the corporate veil” refers to the judicially imposed exception to the separate. legal entity principle, whereby courts disregard the separateness of the corporation. and hold a shareholder responsible for the actions of the corporation as if it were the. actions of the shareholder.
Moreover, why is piercing the corporate veil important?
A key reason that business owners and managers choose to form a corporation or limited liability company (LLC) is so that they won’t be held personally liable for debts should the business be unable to pay its creditors. … When this happens it’s called “piercing the corporate veil.”
What does veil mean?
: a piece of cloth or net worn usually by women over the head and shoulders and sometimes over the face. : something that covers or hides something else. veil. verb.
What is corporate veil when is it said to be lifted?
Lifting of Corporate veil:
It refers to the situation where a shareholder is held liable for its corporation’s debts despite the rule of limited liability and/of separate personality. The veil doctrine is invoked when shareholders blur the distinction between the corporation and the shareholders.
What are the circumstances under which corporate veil can be lifted?
The Court held that the veil of the corporate entity could be lifted by adjudicating authorities so as to determine as to which of the directors was concerned with the evasion of the excise duty by reason of fraud, concealment or wilful misstatement or suppression of facts or contravention of the provisions of the Act …
What is a separate legal existence?
If a business is a separate legal entity, it means it has some of the same rights in law as a person. It is, for example, able to enter contracts, sue and be sued, and own property.Sole trader and partnership does not have separate legal entity.
What is piercing the corporate veil and when would it occur?
“Piercing the corporate veil” refers to a situation in which courts put aside limited liability and hold a corporation’s shareholders or directors personally liable for the corporation’s actions or debts. Veil piercing is most common in close corporations.
How do you protect against the piercing of the corporate veil?
5 steps for maintaining personal asset protection and avoiding piercing the corporate veil
- Undertaking necessary formalities. …
- Documenting your business actions. …
- Don’t comingle business and personal assets. …
- Ensure adequate business capitalization. …
- Make your corporate or LLC status known.
What is reverse piercing the corporate veil?
The term “reverse piercing” the corporate veil refers to a doctrine whereby courts disregard the corporation as an entity separate from one of its shareholders.
What are three common grounds for piercing the corporate veil?
A few worth noting are set forth as follows:
- The existence of fraud, wrongdoing, or injustice to third parties. …
- Failure to maintain the separate identities of the companies. …
- Failure to maintain separate identities of the company and its owners or shareholders. …
- Failure to adequately capitalize the company.
Is it hard to pierce the corporate veil?
This legal structure creates an entity separate from the individual. … It is expensive and difficult to pierce the corporate veil and get a judgment against the individual behind the company.
