Don’t have time to read this entire inc authority review? Here’s the quick version.
They have a lot of similarities and are the two free options you have for forming an llc. For us, incfile just has the edge and we recommend them because of the sheer volume of companies they have formed (more than double as many as incfile).
That said, inc authority is still a popular llc formation service. Since its inception in 1989, it has been catering to the needs of thousands of clients. With a client list of over 130,000 companies and plenty of 5-star online reviews, they are an industry powerhouse!
In an industry full of hidden fees, impossible to read the fine print, the “always free” pricing structure of inc authority is like a breath of fresh air. Most of the formation services charge a hefty sum for the services they provide.
This is not the case with inc authority. They value your trust and the formation of an excellent relationship over money, which is rare to find these days. In this review, we will cover everything from their pros and cons to their pricing packages and customer reviews.
If you’re still looking to figure out if they are the right llc formation company for you, keep reading the detailed inc authority review below to get a better idea of what they can offer you.
Are you a new business owner? We know that navigating the ins and outs of starting a new business isn’t an easy job. With an endless to-do list, confusing legal jargon is something that you don’t need on top of everything.
Getting a start-up up and running is complex and scary. However, filing and forming an llc doesn’t have to be. With the help of the right llc formation service, you can get all the legal paperwork out of your way!
With so many formation services out there, finding the right service consumes a lot of time. To make your job easier, we have put together a comprehensive review of one of the best llc formation services out there, inc authority.
After reading the review, you will be equipped with ample knowledge to figure out whether it is a perfect fit for you or not!
Inc Authority Pros and Cons
Everything in the world has some advantages and some disadvantages. Things become clear only when we look at both sides of the picture. Let’s see what are a few benefits of using inc authority as well as a few negative aspects of the service.
Benefits of Inc Authority
Free pricing model – llcs and s-corporations. When you are starting a new business, there are a lot of expenses and you have to keep an eye on your budget. In the corporate world of today, it is very hard to find a service with affordable rates, let alone a free pricing model. There are only two companies in the llc formation industry that offer their expert services free of cost and inc authority is one of them.
Full year of registered agent service. To receive legal documents, every registered business has to provide a physical mailing address. If you run an online business, you may not have a permanent address that you can use. Moreover, many business owners don’t want to use their home address as it becomes a part of the public record. Along with their generous pricing model, inc authority provides you free registered agent services for one year and receives all the documents on your behalf.
Positive customer reviews. With over 3,000 customer reviews online, and most of them positive, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t trust inc authority!
Limited liability protection. If you use the services of inc authority, they provide you limited liability protection. With this protection, you will not be responsible for any lawsuits that are brought against the company nor will be responsible for any debts.
Tax planning consultation. How many times have we searched google for hours trying to find answers to our tax queries? More often than not, you will not find enough information and even when you do, the reliability of the information will be questionable. To save your time, and provide you with authentic information, inc authority sets up a meeting with a professional tax planner at no added cost. It doesn’t get any better than this!
Excellent customer support. As a new business owner, it is normal to feel confused and uncertain. If you need any help, their customer support is available and ready to serve. The operating hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, monday to friday. The representatives will walk you through the process and answer any questions that you might have regarding the formation of an llc.
Disadvantages of Inc Authority
There are a few things that we don’t like about inc authority and even though they are not make-or-break points, we still think that you should know the complete picture before diving in.
- Expensive premium packages. Inc authority provides free llc formation services. However, they have premium packages with additional services at well. The premium packages are expensive as compared to other formation services in the market.
- No refund policy. Most of the formation services have some sort of refund policy. Most of them charge a cancellation fee and return the rest of the money. However, inc authority doesn’t have a refund policy. Once you place your order, there is no going back.
- No customer support on weekends. Even though they have excellent customer support and the representatives are knowledgeable and friendly, they don’t work on weekends. Moreover, customer support hours are from 9 am to 5 am (pst). We all know that new business owners don’t keep normal hours and if you have a question at 8 p.M., you will have to wait till morning to get the answer.
Inc Authority Formation Packages
Inc Authority is Excellent Value for Money
What is better than getting free services? Nothing! Inc authority provides you free llc formation services – just pay the state fees and become a proud owner of an llc! They also have several paid packages that offer additional features that you can choose from.
Free Business Bundle
If you use inc authority to form your llc, you get plenty of features and services that you will appreciate as a new business owner. The features include in the free standard llc formation package are:
- Business Name Check
- Preparation & Filing
- Registered Agent
- S-Election Form
- Digital Storage & Delivery
- INC CARE Support
- Tax Planning Consultation
- Business Funding Analysis
- Free Business Name Check. Deciding the perfect name for your business takes a lot of time and effort. Imagine the disappointment when you file your LLC and find out that some other entity with the name already exists. To prevent this, Inc Authority allows you to run a free business name check before you pay money to have your LLC filed!
- Articles of Organization – Preparation and Filing. Inc Authority will take the required information and draft all the documents necessary for the formation of an LLC. Moreover, they file them with the state of formation to officially create your business entity.
- Free Registered Agent Service. For the first year after the formation of your LLC, they will act as your registered agent and receive all the documentation on your behalf. After that, you will have to renew the service and pay $99 annually.
- S-Corporation Tax Election Form. If you want to form your LLC as S-Corporation for tax purposes, they will also help you prepare the necessary documents and then file them on your behalf.
If you are an entrepreneur or a small business owner looking for an affordable LLC formation service, then you should use Inc Authority’s free service. At the end of the process, if you choose their additional services, they also offer a 20% discount coupon.
Starter Business Bundle
The first paid package that Inc Authority offers is the starter packages that begin from $399. This package includes all the features of the free package along with plenty more. The additional features that you get in the starter package are:
- Business Name Check
- Custom Filed Articles
- Operating Agreement
- Company Seal
- Record Book
- Meeting Minutes & Resolutions
- EIN
- Ownership Certificates
- Business Funding Evaluation
- Free Tax Consultation
- Inc Success Advisor
- Business Operating Agreement. A business operating agreement is a document that outlines the hierarchy of your business. Moreover, it lays down a few rules and guidelines according to which your business will run. Inc Authority will draft this important document on your behalf.
- Company Seal and Record Book. Love the old-school feel of seals on letters and documents? Inc Authority will provide you with a customized seal with your company logo. Moreover, you will also get a record book in which you keep your important business documents safe.
- Ownership Certificates. As a part of the starter package, you and any other owner of your company will get certificates of membership.
- IRS Tax ID Number. Similar to social security numbers, businesses need an Employer Identification Number. With the help of an EIN, you can hire employees, open business bank accounts, file your taxes, etc. Inc Authority will help you get your tax ID number from the IRS.
- 1-year Inc Protection Advisor. Not only will you get access to regular customer support, but you will also get professional and expert support on advanced business issues such as business licensing, audits, payroll, banking, lawsuits, and a lot more!
If you want additional services such as an operating agreement, EIN, etc., then you should go for the Inc Authority Starter Business Bundle.
Executive Business Bundle
The second paid package from Inc File Authority is the Executive LLC Formation package at a price of $499. It is an amazing bundle. You get all the features from the basic and starter packages along with alluring features that will help your new business in different ways.
The features present in the Executive package are:
- Business Name Check
- Custom Filed Articles
- Operating Agreement
- Company Seal
- Record Book
- Meeting Minutes & Resolutions
- EIN
- Ownership Certificates
- Business Funding Evaluation
- Free Tax Consultation
- Inc Success Advisor
- Website Domain
- Business License Report
- Business License Report. In the executive package, you will get access to the business licensing software of Inc Authority. This will help you figure out which permits and licenses your business needs according to the nature of your business and state of formation.Inc Authority will do all the necessary research on your behalf and apply for the required tax registrations, licenses, and permits.
- Business Funding Analysis. Searching for different ways to fund your business and support your operations? Inc Authority will help you with their business funding analysis service. They will get an expert to assess the funding needs of your company and will provide a report on various funding options.
- Tax Consultation. Business taxation is a broad subject and entails complex state and federal compliance issues. With the help of an Inc Authority taxation expert, you will be able to get answers to all your taxation queries concisely and clearly.
- Web Domain. We live in a digital world. Without an online presence, your business will be missing plenty of opportunities. In this package, you get access to a web domain as well. Inc Authority truly caters to all your business needs as a startup!
The executive business bundle doesn’t bring a lot to the table and we don’t recommend it. However, if money isn’t a problem for you and you want a website domain along with a business license report, then you should choose this package.
Tycoon LLC Formation Package
This is the last paid plan from Inc Authority. You have to pay $799 for the Tycoon package. All the services that are part of the Executive package are included in the Tycoon Package along with the following features:
- Business Name Check
- Custom Filed Articles
- Operating Agreement
- Company Seal
- Record Book
- Meeting Minutes & Resolutions
- EIN
- Ownership Certificates
- Business Funding Evaluation
- Free Tax Consultation
- Inc Success Advisor
- Website Domain
- Business License Report
- BizCredit Express
- Express Processing
The Inc Authority Tycoon Business Bundle is for entrepreneurs who are not constrained by a budget. We don’t recommend this package since it is very expensive. There are several other options in the market that you can explore instead of choosing this bundle.
Inc Authority Customer Reviews
No matter how fascinating and alluring the services offered by a company may seem, if their customers aren’t satisfied, it is of no use. Inc authority has been around for more than 3 decades and has provided services to thousands of companies.
There are a lot of online reviews regarding inc authority and most of them have nothing but positive comments regarding the company, especially their free formation services. They have a 4.8 rating on trustpilot with 4,548 reviews, most of which are sparkling.
They are full of praise for their excellent customer support – if personalized support is what you are looking for, then inc authority is the right fit for you. There are a few reviews about having to pay for services they didn’t order but the response from inc authority seems adequate.
To ensure nothing goes amiss, make sure that you review everything before ordering and if you have any queries, their support team is always there for you!
Best Inc Authority Alternative
You landed on this review looking specifically for information about inc authority and their llc formation services, but for us to provide a fair review we also need to make it clear that they may not be the best option, depending on your needs.
They do offer a good service but for a straightforward llc formation, there are better alternatives. This is why for most entrepreneurs and business owners, we recommend zenbusiness.
Zenbusiness is the one brick court recommended service because their price is incredibly low, the customer support is top-notch, and they include everything you would want when forming your company in a simple package intended to get your company formed fast.
Is Inc Authority Worth It?
With excellent customer support and a free formation package, Inc Authority is a good option. But is it worth your money? No. The paid packages are very expensive and we only recommend using their free formation services.
- Cost Value. Since they offer a free formation service, they are a good option for new business owners to get started. However, they have expensive premium packages which many new business owners can’t afford.
- Customer Support. They provide high-quality customer support and you will be satisfied with them. Not only can you contact them via phone, but you can also fill an online contact form to initiate the email support process.
- Ease of Use. The order process is simple to use and fairly straightforward. You can complete the checkout process in only three steps. However, there are several upsells in the sub-steps so you might want to steer clear of them.
Inc Authority FAQs
Why do I have to incorporate my business?
You need to incorporate your business to protect your personal assets from litigation. Incorporating a business offers liability and asset protection, estate planning advantages, tax advantages, and a lot more.
Does Inc Authority provide services other than business formation?
Apart from business formation, Inc Authority has a long list of services they provide to new startups. From website design to tax consultations and the provision of EIN, they offer a lot of services that you should check out.
Can I incorporate a business on my own?
Yes, you can incorporate your business on your own. However, we will recommend that you hire the services of expert formation services. By doing this, you will not only save your time and energy, but you will also be sure that there are no errors in your legal paperwork.
What is express service and how do I avail of it?
If you want to incorporate your business quickly, you can use the express service available at Inc Authority. For registering new LLCs, each state has a varying turnaround time. Many of them offer expedited services to assist business owners who want to incorporate quickly.
If you use the express service, Inc Authority will prioritize your business and your business filing will be submitted within 24 hours. However, you need to place the order within their business hours.
If you place the order once their office closes, you will have to wait till the start of a new business day.
