Final answer:
White Company and Cody Company, which must file separate tax returns, both fall under the 34% flat tax rate based on their respective incomes. Dividend payments received by White from Cody are typically included in White's taxable income, while the declared dividends from each company to shareholders do not affect the corporate tax calculation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Corporate Tax Rate Application
When applying the corporate tax rates to the incomes of White Company and Cody Company, both operating as separate entities requiring separate tax returns, we must consider their earnings individually. Given that White Company has an operating income of $300,000 and Cody Company has a pretax income of $125,000, neither company's income exceeds the $335,000 threshold for the 34% flat tax rate. Therefore, both companies would be taxed at this rate before any other tax considerations are made.
White Company received $15,000 in dividends from Cody Company, which is typically included in taxable income unless a dividends-received deduction applies. Cody Company also declared $10,000 in dividends to the noncontrolling interest. White Company declared dividends of $180,000, which does not directly affect the corporate tax but rather impacts the distribution of after-tax profits to shareholders.
When preparing their tax returns, each company must apply the 34% flat tax rate to their respective incomes, alongside any tax rules about dividend income and distributions to shareholders. By following this tax structure, they adhere to federal corporate tax guidelines within the income brackets mentioned.