Corporate Veil


Corporate Veil

The legal separation of a corporation from its shareholders. That is, because of the corporate veil, shareholders are not responsible for paying the debts of the corporation (beyond the level of their own investment) and generally are not legally liable for any crimes the corporation might commit. While the corporate veil protects shareholders, it may be disregarded under certain circumstances, notably if a shareholder assisted the corporation in the commission of a crime. See also: Piercing the corporate veil.