Inc Authority Review for 2024

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 a free or cheap 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.

Inc Authority 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.

The free service comes with its pros and cons, which we’ll go over in a moment. For now, it’s worth mentioning that in addition to the free service, Inc Authority offers three paid LLC-formation solutions that provide many more services.

Surprisingly, these are far from the cheapest options for starting a business. Inc Authority fees quickly jump from free to several hundred dollars.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Here are the options.

Basic package: $0

This is no gimmick. Inc Authority actually offers a free LLC formation service.

Of course, you’re 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, even a tax election form in case you decide to create an S corporation.

With Inc Authority, your first year of registered agent service is included at no charge. You can renew for $99 per year.

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 $100 per year a reasonable price for a registered agent. At Inc Authority, your first year is free.

Starter Business Bundle: $399

The costs instantly skyrocket when you cross into paid plans. There’s no real middle ground. You either choose to incorporate for free or jump to an expensive plan that offers a lot of interesting extras.

The Starter Business Bundle feature list is a mix of services a business owner usually ends up paying for sooner or later, plus a few interesting services to help get a startup off the ground.

First of all, your business will be ready for tax season. That means a complete operating agreement along with ownership certificates and an IRS tax ID, the Employer Identification Number. T

his paid Inc Authority LLC service also includes preparation for the initial meeting with other LLC founders (if you’re not the sole founder), one hour of tax preparation and consultation, and a business advisor at your disposal for a full year.

The company also pre-qualifies you for a business loan of up to $100,000. To top it all off, you’ll get a business record book and a company seal.

Executive Business Bundle: $499

For $100 more, Inc Authority will register a domain for your new company’s website. You also get Business License Report, a PC program that helps you monitor the licenses your business owns and leases. We wouldn’t say it’s the most crucial piece of technology for most companies, but for a small price difference it’s a neat addition. And for some companies, it could be a real lifesaver.

Tycoon Business Bundle: $799

Here is Inc Authority’s ultimate LLC formation service, the most expensive of all formation packages. For twice the price of the Starter bundle, you mostly get conveniences – but hidden among them are some invaluable services.

The package starts with same-day document filing service to get your LLC formed as quickly as possible. You also get a credit building system and an initial registration at the Dun & Bradstreet credit bureau. Also included: 90 days of coaching to help you learn more about business credit and a piece of software called Business Credit Launchpad, which will help your new company build its business credit rating.

This package is more than an LLC-formation package. It’s really about learning how to run your business like a boss.

Inc Authority 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 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 a dedicated advisor who is qualified to answer questions about pretty much anything related to running a company. If you don’t mind paying Inc Authority for that, we absolutely recommend it.

Customer service agents at Inc Authority get weekends off. They’re accessible Monday through Friday from 8 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.

Customers, it turns out, don’t seem to mind the support team’s short working hours. As we’ve learned from studying TrustPilot data, the vast majority of customers are completely satisfied with this company. Among more than 4,000 reviews, 93% have awarded the company five stars.

Customers praise the ease of registering an LLC, the friendly professionalism of the customer support team, and the quality of the company’s paid LLC-formation services. Inc Authority’s TrustPilot score is a very high 4.8 out of 5.

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 two weeks and two months for your LLC to become operational.

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.

Custom Operating Agreement

Another important document for any LLC with more than one member: the operating agreement. This document, which costs $89, 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. For $99, 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. This $79 service can be chosen during the LLC setup process.

Express Processing

For $49, your application gets to government offices the same day you apply, saving you several days. 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 like IncAuthority.com instead of some generic geocities.com/mygreatstartupcompany mess from a free service, be sure to tick this option during signup. You’ll get a top-level web domain, fully customized to your liking, for just $19 per year.

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, for $197 a year or $27 per month.

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.

The Bottom Line

We wholeheartedly recommend Inc Authority, as it is one of the better free LLC formation service 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.