About Inc Authority
While this Inc Authority review might sound a little bit like the Incfile review we recently did, make no mistake about them. These are two distinctively different business formation and registered agent service providers.
Case in point- one particularly outstanding Inc Authority feature you won’t find on Incfile is its free business formation package. Yes, that’s right- it turns out you can apply for an LLC business (limited liability company) through Inc Authority for free. The only payment here is, of course, your state filing fees.
Hence, it’s understandable that Inc Authority continues to attract a wide range of new businesses across all the 50 U.S. states. Startups predominantly operate with very limited budgets, and they tend to go for such options.
Fair enough. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. While it’s undeniable that Inc Authority deserves all that attention for its very generous offering, you should always expect free services to come with a catch.
Overview of Inc Authority
Inc Authority’s journey started in 1989. This makes it one of the oldest and most experienced LLC formation and registered agent service providers.
As a matter of fact, Inc Authority has so far served more than 130,000 companies across the country and counting, most of which happen to be small to medium-sized businesses.
But, it doesn’t end there. Turns out Inc Authority is also an option among large businesses and enterprises.
Well, you could say its success has a lot to do with the free package. However, that’s not the only trick Inc Authority has up its sleeves. Businesses also reportedly like for its additional business-support services.
In essence, Inc Authority is an authority not only in LLC formation, but also when it comes to registered agent services, digital storage and distribution of compliance documents, business funding analysis, tax planning consultation, EIN application, business credit assessment, and trademark application.
Inc Authority Review – Main Features
Ease of Use
Overall, I find Inc Authority to be incredibly easy to use. All the services here are facilitated by a web-based system, whose dashboard grants you direct access to its business formation tools, plus the subsequent business management and compliance add-ons.
Other than that, Inc Authority’s system stores and delivers digital copies of your LLC formation and compliance documents. Consequently, you should be able to conveniently retrieve all your files from anywhere as long as you have a stable internet connection.
And speaking of which, you can expect an easy time navigating the entire system on both mobile and PC. Inc Authority comes with a pleasantly straightforward interface and menu options, most of which can be understood by beginners right off the bat.
Free Business Formation Package
Now, the best thing about all this is, Inc Authority’s business formation setup service is entirely free of charge. The company won’t charge you anything for business name verification, the preparation and filing of your formation documents, a year’s worth of registered agent services, plus checking and merchant services.
That’s a fairly generous package I must admit. And surprisingly, Inc Authority further tops it off with business funding analysis, plus tax planning consultation (how to minimize tax return penalties, etc…).
Eventually, the only thing you’ll be charged for is your state’s formation filing fee (not a service fee), which should range between $40 and $500 (fees vary on additional services need e.g. LLC operating agreement add-on, etc…).
Premium Service Packages
Otherwise, you could alternatively proceed with one of its three premium service bundles. They offer additional business formation resources plus tools for sparking business growth, but at comparatively costly rates.
The cheapest business entity package starts at $399, while the other two cost $499 and $799 respectively- exclusive of the accompanying state filing fees (state fee).
Well, on the brighter side, at least everything here is transparent. You won’t find any hidden charges on any of Inc Authority’s packages, including the free startup bundle.
Forming a Business
As we’ve established already, business formation is the core service offered by Inc Authority. That’s why, when you come to think of it, the company uses this specific brand name for business entity formation.
Now, when it comes to the actual business formation process, Inc Authority is a fairly dynamic service provider. It specializes in not only LLC formation, but also the filing of corporations. So, the business type choice is yours based on your organization’s structure.
But, whichever you choose, you’ll have Inc Authority handling the subsequent paperwork on your behalf.
Business Name Verification Check
Its agents will first conduct a thorough 5-point business name search to confirm the availability of your selected company name. That means you can only proceed after they confirm that no registered business bears the same name as yours.
Business Credit Coaching
But if you’re worried about your company’s credit performance, perhaps Inc Authority’s Business Credit coaching services could help you turn things around.
You’ll be dealing directly with an expert business credit coach, who’ll proceed to create and integrate your company profile with Dun & Bradstreet and Experian Business. They’ll then help you discover the tricks to building business credit, with the help of intuitive software.
In the end, it’ll typically take you about 3 months to achieve an A+ credit rating, which will then increase your work capital, credit lines, and business loan options.
Inc Authority Review – Customer Support
Going by the range of expert services we’ve sampled here so far, it’s evident that Inc Authority isn’t willing to take any chances when it comes to customer support.
Take, for instance, the expert services. In addition to the protection advisors, you get to capitalize on tax consultants, business credit coaches, business analysts, etc.
All these are great supplements to Inc Authority’s core customer support system, which comes in the form of phone, email, and live chat channels.
Well, you can bet I raised a couple of tickets on various business compliance inquiries to test Inc Authority’s overall responsiveness.
And much to my amusement, the customer support team, on average, took less than two hours to respond to my emails. A fairly admirable performance I must say. Plus, I noticed all the agents who got back to me were adequately knowledgeable.
Inc Authority Pricing
Free: The free package offers business name check, business funding analysis, tax planning consultation, Inc care support, S-Election form for third party provider filing, checking and merchant services, digital document storage, and delivery, registered agent services, business registration preparation, and filing, as well as business name check.
Starter: For a regular one-off price of $660, or a discount one-off price of $399 – exclusive of the state filing fee (state fee) – the starter business bundle comes with 1 year Inc protection advisor, tax consultation, business credit, and funding evaluation, IRS tax ID number (EIN), ownership certificates, initial meeting minutes and resolutions, record book & company seal, complete operating agreement/bylaws, custom state filed articles (Articles of Incorporation or Articles of Organization), plus business name availability search.
Inc Authority Business Formation Service – Pros and Cons
Pros of Inc Authority
Inc Authority gives you the chance to consult professional experts in various business-related fields.
It’s possible to supplement your package services by simply purchasing add-ons.
The platform here is pleasantly easy-to-use.
The customer support team is adequately responsive and knowledgeable.
Inc Authority offers a range of unique add-on services that’ll help you grow your business.
Cons of Inc Authority
Inc Authority doesn’t offer advanced compliance services like annual report filing.
Your package’s cumulative cost could increase quite sharply when you introduce multiple add-ons.
The premium packages offered by Inc Authority can be quite costly to startups.
Inc Authority’s customer support team is only available during business working hours.
Inc Authority is yet to set up a well-detailed knowledgebase or a learning center.
Inc Authority Review Frequently Asked Questions.
Why do I need a Business Record Book?
With a business record book, you can easily organize and locate your business documents. On the other hand, it contains a lot of legal documents you might need to open a bank account and to stock your certificates and leger to certify your ownership (business owner details or partnership details).
Why should I use a Registered Agent?
It is mandatory, by law, to have an address to receive all your legal documents and notifications from the state. With a Registered Agency, you won’t have to worry about this, because the agenc=y, becomes your legal address and will receive all your documents with a very high standard of privacy.
