Inc Authority Review for 2026

Starting a limited liability company isn’t hard, but it’s complicated and time-consuming. You have to file a bunch of papers, pay fees, and drag yourself across the whole state – or the whole country if you’ve decided to register your business in a more business-friendly jurisdiction.

What if we told you that you could hire paperwork experts to do all that for you at absolutely no charge? What if we said you could do the whole thing without leaving the comfort of your home?

Enter Inc Authority.

Inc Authority Overview

It might surprise you to learn that Inc Authority has been going strong for more than 30 years. Founded in 1989, the company has helped millions of Americans set up an LLC.

Inc Authority’s main business is to register an LLC or corporation on the customer’s behalf without any extra fees. As an Inc client, you pay only state fees, which are mandatory and vary from state to state. That’s why Inc Authority has become such a popular LLC formation service. Who can turn down a deal that good?

The company's competitors offer similar services, but they charge for their work. Some of them charge a lot. What the company sells is convenience. You could fill out all these forms and mail them in yourself if you had to. Lots of people do.

The people behind Inc Authority understand that charging for convenience doesn’t cut it anymore. It’s the internet era. Anyone can complete their paperwork by tapping on their smartphone screens in a coffee shop.

That’s why customers praise not only the low price, but also the easy-to-use website and the extra services that are included in the free package or offered at affordable prices. Yes, there are upsells – but none are mandatory.

Available Plans

The pricing starts at $0. The free LLC offer is, in fact, what this company is all about. It’s the core of Inc Authority’s business.

Basic Plan

While the basic LLC formation service is free, the cost of premium services can increase quickly depending on which extras you select during signup.

You’re also still responsible for paying state filing fees. They vary from state to state, and you have to pay them no matter which LLC formation service you select from any provider – or if you do all the paperwork yourself.

Choosing the free route nets you everything you really need: company name search and registration, document preparation and filing, digital document storage and delivery, tax planning consultation, INC CARE support, and a business credit and funding analysis, plus the site’s promoted free extras such as 24-hour processing and a custom-built website.

With Inc Authority, your first year of registered agent service is included at no charge. Renewal pricing should be confirmed before checkout, as it is not prominently disclosed on the main offer pages.

Every LLC must name a registered agent whose main responsibility is to accept and sign for official documents sent by government agencies.

You can be your own registered agent, though that can be tricky if you’re registering your business in a different state for tax or regulatory reasons. Most people who start LLCs find professional registered agent service a reasonable choice. At Inc Authority, your first year is free.

Premium Services

If you want more than the basics, Inc Authority gives you the option to add premium services that can help with compliance, tax setup, business documentation, and online presence.

These extras may include an operating agreement or bylaws, ownership or stock certificates, a record book, initial meeting minutes and resolutions, an EIN, annual compliance notifications, tax consultation, a web domain, and business email.

The downside is that the company does not make its premium pricing especially transparent on its public pages. You may need to go further into the signup process to see exactly what each upgrade costs.

In other words, Inc Authority still offers ways to build out your formation package, but it no longer showcases the same fixed public plan structure as before. That makes it harder to compare packages at a glance, even though the free entry-level offer remains appealing.

Customer Service

Inc Authority covers all the bases when it comes to customer care. You can access customer service agents via live chat by pressing an on-screen button, or you can call them over the phone. Alternatively, you can send an email or use the contact form if you prefer.

All of that is available free – even if you haven’t become a client yet. If you subscribe to one of the company’s paid business formation services, you’ll have access to additional advisory and startup support services.

Customer service agents at Inc Authority get weekends off. They’re accessible Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time. Yes, customers from the east coast might have trouble getting in touch with the support team during their shift.

As we’ve learned from studying TrustPilot data, the vast majority of customers are completely satisfied with this company. Among more than 46,700 reviews, the company shows a 4.9/5 TrustScore on Trustpilot.

Ease of Use

The company has a quick, easy-to-follow three-step process that involves picking the industry, providing information about you and your new company, and placing the order. No complicated forms, no flood of impenetrable legal terms. Just a simple application form anyone can complete while sipping coffee.

It all starts with a click on the big “Start now for free” button, choosing whether you are creating an LLC or doing S Corp incorporation, and identifying the state you want to register in. The customer service number and chat are available every step of the way, along with “more info” buttons that provide detailed information.

Although the company promotes free LLC filing as its main product, you can select various paid add-ons along the way or jump straight into paid plans from the footer of the website.

The bottom of the page may not be the best place to advertise a service that helps Inc Authority pay the bills, but we respect the company for not shoving paid plans into customers’ faces.

Turnaround Time

Anyone who has ever decided to create an LLC knows that it’s not a particularly speedy process. Unfortunately, rush processing is not among the features you can purchase.

You can pay a bit extra if you want the company to send your documents within 24 hours of application, but the rest is completely up to the state government. Depending on where you register a business, it can take between one week and six months for state filing turnaround.

Extra Services and Features

The main additional features and services are:

Federal Tax ID Number (EIN)

Almost all LLCs require an Employer Identification Number – even if they don’t plan to hire employees. The EIN is like a Social Security number for companies. If you’re on Inc Authority’s free plan, the company will charge you $49 to complete and file the application for an EIN. It’s included in all of the paid packages.

With your EIN you’ll be able to apply for a business bank account, take out a small business loan, and hire employees for your new LLC. The price is just right for this service, and a bit less expensive than the fee at most LLC formation companies

We'd note that you can apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at no charge if you choose not to use this paid filing help.

Custom Operating Agreement

Another important document for any LLC with more than one member: the operating agreement.

This document can be obtained when applying for the company's services. It sets out the rules and responsibilities for members of the LLC and establishes you as an owner.

Record Book, Ownership Certificates, and Seal

This package is all about inessential options that make you look and feel more professional.

You get legal ownership certificates, stock certificates, a fancy book for corporate records, and a company seal. This service also includes a custom-made case with your company name engraved on it, a binder case, and content tabs for easy access to all your legal documents.

Minutes and Resolutions

Inc Authority can help your company stay compliant with state and federal laws. By adding minutes and resolutions to your basket, you’ll get a diverse set of business and government forms for essential services like protecting company assets.

Express Processing

For a price, you can get your request processed within 24 hours. You’ll still have to wait for the state government to process everything, so this isn’t as big a time-saver as the premium rush service available at other similar companies.

Website Domain

If you’d like a professional-looking web domain and website tools, be sure to tick this option during signup.

Inc Protection Advisor

This is the most expensive of the company's add-ons, and probably the most important thing you can do to protect your new business. The Inc Protection Advisor service nets you unlimited support, via phone or email.

You can ask about tax and accounting issues, reducing the risk of lawsuits, making payroll, or coping with IRS audits. Information like this doesn’t come cheap, but if you don’t get it from Inc Authority you’ve got to get it somewhere.

Our Verdict

We wholeheartedly recommend Inc Authority, as it is one of the better free LLC formation services we have found. But we would recommend it even if it were a paid service. It is proof that starting up a business doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

The main caveat is that several add-on, bundle, and renewal prices are less transparent on the current public site than they should be, so readers should verify checkout totals before buying.