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We all need to establish our business the best way possible, and for that, we need a good company so we can trust too. For forming an LLC business, there are a lot of companies with different prices and different features. One of these companies is Inc Authority, which is one of the most experienced ones. If you are not certain about choosing this company, here is our in-depth Inc Authority review.
About Inc Authority
Inc Authority is one of the most experienced LLC services companies in the US. They have been working since 1989, with more than 30 years of service.
One thing that Inc Authority is famous for is because as they say, it is free. But is it really free? We will get to that later in this Inc Authority LLC review. But first, let us see some of the advantages and disadvantages of Inc Authority.
Pros and Cons of Inc Authority
Pros:
- Free of charge LLC formation
- Great Reviews from the Community
- More than 30 years of experience
- Pricy but inclusive packages for all the LLC formation services
Cons:
- Lack of pricing transparency on their website
- Delay in filing the LLC formation requests
- Upselling items and services from third-party companies
Pros
Free LLC Formation
As we previously mentioned, Inc Authority is popular mostly for its free LLC or corporation forming, and "Yes, it's really %100 free."
The amount of emphasis on the word free you see on this website is ironic.
You can also form a corporation through Inc Authority. One other good thing that comes with the free bundle of Inc Authority is its free registered agent for a whole year.
The basic plan being free is definitely a positive point about this company as not many companies offer it. However, you are probably not going for this bundle because it is not as free as you might think it is. For example, you still have to pay $89 for an operating agreement, and that is essential for having an LLC.
Great Reviews from the Community
Inc Authority LLC reviews from the customers are very promising. It is indeed impressive to see how such a small company could manage to gather so many customers and reviews on different platforms.
This company has a 4.6 out of 5 rating on Google, and people who have been using its services seem extremely happy about it.
They have more than 7,500 reviews on Trustpilot with a rating of "4.8/5" as well.
More than 30 years of experience
Last but not least, Inc Authority is one of the oldest LLC service companies that we have today. It has been active for more than 30 years, helping thousands of LLCs and corporations to form. “More than 25,000 LLCs & corporations formed a year" as they themselves claim. The long years of experience combined with its positive review, it is easy to notice that Inc Authority has done an excellent job throughout the years they have been active. However, the important question is how they are doing at the moment. So let us take a look at the disadvantages of this company.
Pricy but inclusive packages for all the LLC formation services
Although the packages of Inc Authority are expensive, they do have what you need to get an LLC or a corporation running. They also add some third-party products and services that will add to the price. For instance, the “Credit & Funding Evaluations.”
Cons
Lack of pricing transparency on their website
As mentioned, the number of times you see the word free on this page is ironic. To add to the irony, it is very hard, or almost impossible to find any price other than free on their website. When going through their bundle page, their bundles are listed, but no price. After clicking on the details, it begins to download a PDF file about that bundle. Normally, you would expect the prices to be there, but they are not. The PDF is just a longer version of whatever that is on the web. The prices for the additional services they offer are nowhere to be found. The only way you can know about the price is getting started with the application for forming an LLC and going for a checkout. That is when you will realize that the sweet bundle that you wanted actually costs $799.
Delay in filing the LLC formation requests
Many of the LLC companies do tell you about the turnaround times with their different bundles, but that is not the case with Inc Authority. Inc Authority does not mention how much time it is going to take for your request to be filed, but what you can do is to pay $49 for an express process, and your file to go over the ones who did not pay. However, this payment will not expedite your file with the state. It is also not the same as the expedited state filing, in which the state will push your case ahead of the line. This payment is just for Inc Authority to push your file ahead of the line. Without this express processing payment, it may take Inc Authority days and even a week to look into your files. Add this to the time that the state takes, and you will be waiting for 3 to 4 weeks.
Upselling items and services from third-party companies
The business bundle of Inc Authority is free, except the things that are not free. For example, you need an EIN for your LLC business, and you can get it for free. However, Inc Authority will charge you $49 for it.
Inc Authority is one of those companies that try to sell you their partner companies. One example of this is their tax consultations, and that is mainly an opportunity for them to sell their partner's services. Some of the services they offer might be useful, but you do not need to take their word for it. You should do some more research before you start your process.
About the Bundle and Prices
As mentioned before in this Inc Authority review, besides having a free bundle, Inc Authority is expensive but offers some of the best in the market. There are 3 bundles, one is the free bundle without any services except a registered agent for a year. The second bundle is called the Executive bundle which is $399, and the last and the most complete bundle is the Tycoon bundle which will cost $799. Here are the bundles:
Reviewing the Inc Authority LLC Registration Process
The first thing you have to do to get yourself to the page where you sign up, is to click on any of the start now buttons. They are all over the place. Then you need to fill out some blanks with some required information such as your name, your email, your address, etc.
After you filled out some basic information. It is time for you to choose what services you want and what services you do not want one by one. You can either stick with the free option or choose other options, and pay for the services.
You can still get your free bundle without taking any services, and at the end of your signing-up, you will only need to pay for the LLC forming state fee.
You can either do this or contact them and purchase one of the three bundles they have ready.
Services of Inc Authority
As we said, Inc Authority has many great features and services, some of which might be useful and some others might not.
Registered Agent
Their registered agent is one of the good and free things that you are going to get for a whole year after you formed an LLC. After that, you have to pay $99 per year for it, which is a fair price when you compare it to the other companies. Having a registered agent is necessary for forming an LLC. Bear in mind that the registered agent is from another third-party company. You will notice it when you check out their terms of services. [1]
S-Election Form
This service also comes in all the bundles including the free one. With this option, you can form an IRS file to be taxed as an S-corp. This option is also free.
Tax Planning Advisor
All of the Inc Authority's bundles also come with one hour of meeting with an expert for tax consultation. You can ask whatever question you have from them, and they will help you to make a business plan. However, this meeting is more of a marketing meeting trying to sell more useful services to you, which might be helpful for you. If you do not mind investing a bit more on your business, this meeting is a great opportunity.
Operating Agreement
The operating agreement is another piece of document that you need to have for an LLC, which is a guideline for your business and shows how you run your business. This service is in all the bundles, but sadly does not come for free, and you have to pay $89 for it.
EIN Filing
We already mentioned that you need an EIN which is free, but sadly you have to pay for it in Inc Authority at the cost of $49. In this case if you already have an EIN, there is no problem and you can safely skip this service.
Other Business Services of Inc Authority
Inc Authority offers some other services at different prices as follows:
- Funding evaluation and business credit
- Banking services and credit
- Business license report
- Federal trademark
- Marketing and website design
- Business planning
Customer Support
In all the Inc Authority reviews, it is clear that they have amazing customer support. They are fast-responding, friendly, warm, and welcoming. In addition, they can resolve any of the problems you have. This is one of the strongest points about this company, and the reviewers on different platforms really loved this about this company.
One thing to keep in mind about the staff and the company itself is that they have been in this business for a very long time. Therefore, it is no secret why they are very knowledgeable and experienced in what they are doing. If you work with this company, you are going to receive an excellent experience from their staff and their support, and you can also grow very fast with their consultation.
Main Advantages of Inc Authority
Well, the first thing to mention about Inc Authority is that you can get it for free. The second great thing about it is that it is a very experienced company and working with them will bring quality to the business. Although expensive, if the money does not matter, this company can be of great help for any business.
Is the company Right For You
If you want to form your LLC in an efficient way, this company is for you. Although the prices are free, they are very efficient. However, if someone would not mind paying some cash for receiving even better services, the experience is even better. Likewise, it will return great value to the business.
FAQ
Do I need to purchase the operating agreement from Inc Authority?
Not necessarily. In some states having one is legally required, but you do not need to show it to anyone. You just need to hold one.
Can I start an LLC business with an Inc Authority free bundle?
Yes. Although you have to pay a fee for the state fee, you can use the free bundle. Nevertheless, we do not recommend it for long-term business. If you want a job with value, you need to invest more in it.
Conclusion
Among all the Inc Authority reviews, you can see both good things and bad things about this company. However, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Certainly, they are not the best in the field, but they are great if you do not mind the heavier pricing. This company can make your business successful if you choose to work with them.
References:
- Inc Authority Terms and Conditions. Retrieved from: https://www.incauthority.com/terms-and-conditions
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