A foreign company considering doing business in the United States must be aware of various legal issues, which may depend on factors like the company's size and goals. Companies are subject to a complex system of federal, state, and local regulations and taxation laws. When operating in California specifically, businesses must comply with the state's codes on corporations, labor, unemployment insurance, taxation, real estate, environmental protection, and more. International companies must also understand various levels of international trade law.

1. A foreign company must consider various legal issues as part of its “business plan” for doing business in
the United States. The actual issues will often depend on such things as the company’s size, field of
business and business goals. Also, as the company expands, new issues may need to be addressed. You
should be familiar with the Code of Regulations, which is going to give you guidelines on how California`s
law work.
http://ccr.oal.ca.gov/linkedslice/shared/help.asp?RS=GVT1.0&VR=2.0&SP=CCR-1000#getaround
As a business owner you are subject to a number of regulations that will protect your business and
employees. You and your company will be subject to several laws and codes that are going to provide
you with the guidelines on how to build a successful business within the state of california.
Labor Code http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.html/lab_table_of_contents.html
Unemployment Insurance Code http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.html/uic_table_of_contents.html
When it comes to taxation, both The United States of America and the State of California present a
proper way of taxation for business owners, that means that companies are subject to a federal and
state level of taxation. Federal and state taxes are completely separate and each has its own authority
to charge taxes. The federal government doesn’t have the right to interfere with state taxation. Each
state has its own tax system that is separate from the other states. Within the state there may be several
jurisdictions that also charge taxes. For example, counties or towns may charge their own school taxes
that are in addition to state taxes. The U.S. tax system is quite complex.
http://www.irs.gov for federal taxation
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.html/rtc_table_of_contents.html for the California Revenue and Taxation
Code
ESTADOS
UNIDOS
(CALIFORNIA)
PERFIL NORMATIVO

2. California’s corporations are being rules by the Code of Corporations, which actually provides all of the
guidelines related to the creation of a new company and the way it should be held.
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=corp&codebody=&hits=20
http://www.dbo.ca.gov/Laws_&_Regs/default.asp
International trade law is a very complex and an ever expanding area. There are basically four levels of
international trade relationships: unilateral measures (national law), bilateral relationships (Colombia-
United States Free Trade Agreement), plurilateral agreements, and multilateral arrangements
(GATT/CAN). When it comes to this type of legislation the International Trade Administration offers
different types of services, which allow investors to do business correctly.
http://trade.gov
Many countries designate certain areas within their borders as a free trade zone. Free trade zones help
to minimize international trade barriers, enabling importers and exporters to operate under better
economic conditions. In California there are 18 Free Trade Zones strategically located in the biggest and
most important cities with piers and harbors, such as, San Francisco, San Jose, Long Beach, Oakland, San
Diego, LA among others. To find the nearest Free Trade Zone in California visit:
http://ia.ita.doc.gov/ftzpage/letters/ftzlist-map.htm
Environmental regulations can impact a business at any time. Whether you produce products that could
potentially harm the environment, are engaged in agricultural farming, or need to dispose of pollutants
or hazardous or non-hazardous waste – you must comply with the law. Businesses impacted by disasters
such as flooding or fire, are also required to implement clean up plans to avoid pollutants entering and
damaging the ecosystem. The EPA Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies enforce
environmental laws. EPA does have presence in the State of California, to find out its regulations visit
EPA’s website.
http://www.epa.gov

3. The Real Estate Law is comprised of statutes and regulations with which real estate practitioners should
be familiar. It is divided into four parts by subject matter as follows:
Real Estate Law and Subdivided Lands Law
Business and Professions Code Sections 10000 through 11288
http://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/relaw/relaw.pdf
Regulations of the Real Estate Commissioner
Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations
http://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/relaw/regs.pdf
Administrative Procedures Act
Government Code Sections 11500 through 11528
http://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/relaw/adminlaw.pdf