Incfile LLC Service Review

Incfile opened for business in 2004, and since then they’ve formed more than 1 million LLCs and corporations. In 2018, they were named one of the 360 best entrepreneurial companies in America by Entrepreneur magazine.

A fun fact about Incfile is that they are one of just a few companies we’re aware of (along with ZenBusiness) that offers LLC formation service for free. All you need to pay is your state fee.

Pros and Cons of Incfile

Pros of Incfile

✔ Incfile has a lot of experience, with more than 1 million businesses formed since it opened in 2004.

✔ Like ZenBusiness, Incfile offers a free formation package that only requires you to pay your state fee. This is especially impressive considering that some competitors charge hundreds for similar services.

✔ Incfile includes a year of registered agent service (which is a requirement for all LLCs) in every LLC formation package.

✔ Incfile receives strong customer feedback. Not only do they maintain high average rating scores, but they currently have more than 50,000 reviews available online.

Cons of Incfile

✖ Even though their free LLC service is a good deal, you’re going to deal with more upsells and potentially higher overall prices as a result. If you want a more straightforward offering, at ZenBusiness we’ll form your LLC for free (just pay your state’s required fee) without any recurring charges.

✖ Incfile’s customer support system isn’t always the most responsive, especially by email. We’ve sent them several email support requests that went unanswered.

Incfile LLC Formation Packages

Incfile has three LLC formation packages, each with its own combination of pricing and features. We will break down each option below.

Silver = $0 + State Fee

➢ Preparation and Filing of Your Articles of Organization: The Articles of Organization are the documents required to form your new LLC. Incfile will draft these documents and file them with your state to officially create your business.

➢ Name Availability Searches: They search your formation state’s business database to make sure that your desired business name isn’t already taken by another entity.

➢ One Year of Registered Agent Service: A registered agent (legally required to form an LLC) accepts important documents on behalf of your business, then forwards them to you. This person or entity helps ensure you never miss an important delivery. Incfile provides this service free for one year, after which there’s a $119 annual fee, but there’s no obligation to renew this service.

Gold = $199 + State Fee

Includes everything from the Silver package, plus…

➢ Employer Identification Number (EIN): This is a nine-digit number that essentially works as a Social Security number for your business. With an EIN, you can open a business bank account, file business taxes, hire employees, and more. You can acquire your own EIN relatively easily from the IRS, but Incfile can save you some time and effort by doing it for you.

➢ Custom Operating Agreement: An operating agreement is a document that outlines the ownership structure of your business, along with laying some ground rules for the way your company will operate. Incfile will prepare this custom document for you.

➢ Lifetime Company Alerts: Incfile will send you email notifications throughout the life cycle of your LLC to inform you of upcoming filing deadlines for documents like annual reports and business licenses.

➢ Online Document Access: As soon as your state of formation returns your filed documents to Incfile, they’ll post them to your online client dashboard and notify you that they’re ready to view and download.

➢ Express Shipping: Incfile will ship a hard copy of your filed Articles of Organization to you using express shipping (1-3 business day delivery) with a tracking number.

➢ Banking Resolution: This document designates who has the authorization to open a business bank account on behalf of your LLC.

➢ S Corporation Tax Form Preparation: If you decide to have your business taxed like an S corporation, Incfile will prepare and file the relevant forms with the IRS.

➢ Business Tax Consultation: A 30-minute (no-obligation) consult session with a certified tax professional. You can ask them any questions you may have about the tax rules and regulations that apply to your business.

Platinum = $299 + State Fee

Includes everything from the Gold package, plus…

➢ Next-Day Filing: Incfile will process your order and submit your formation documents to your state by the next business day after your purchase.

➢ Sample Document Library: You’ll get access to Incfile’s legal contract templates. This is a library of 25+ commonly used business forms and documents written by an attorney that you can customize for your needs.

➢ Domain Name and Business Email: You’ll receive a domain name to use for your business website, along with an official business email account for your business. These features are free of charge for one year.

In-Depth Incfile Review

Incfile Overall Pricing and Value

Incfile will help you form your business for free (all you pay is your state’s fee) while also providing a year of registered agent service. Once the first year is over, the registered agent service will renew for $119 per year, but you can opt out if you’d like.

Their mid-tier Gold package costs $199. If you want more documents like an operating agreement and a banking resolution, EIN acquisition, lifetime company alerts, and S corporation tax election (if necessary), the Gold package may be worth a look.

Incfile’s Platinum package is more expensive at $299, but depending on your business needs, the value may be there for you. You’ll receive faster in-house processing, along with a domain name and business email address.

Track Record

Incfile was founded in 2004 out of Houston, Texas, “with a mission to provide a superior user experience at an unparalleled value.” Since starting out, they have helped entrepreneurs form more than 1 million businesses.

Customer reviews are a strength for Incfile, as they have thousands of positive reviews across the web and just a small handful of negative feedback.

Customer Support

Incfile offers phone and email support, which we tested. Whenever we’ve called Incfile, we’ve received prompt and courteous assistance from their representatives, even though they don’t elaborate on their answers very much or offer up a ton of additional info.

While we found their phone support to be quite responsive, that hasn’t been the case with their email support in our experience. We sent them several emails, and they only responded to some of them. Even the responses we did receive arrived days later and were mostly form emails that didn’t directly address our questions.

Ease of Placing an Order

The point of using an incorporation service is to save time and make the formation process as simple as possible. With some online services, it can still feel like you’re basically filing on your own. But with Incfile, the process is fast and simple.

As you walk through the process of signing up for Incfile, your steps are personalized based on the state you live in and the type of business you wish to establish. There are question marks and hyperlinks throughout the application to learn more about a specific question or entry on the form.

Incfile gives you the option to opt into additional services that aren’t part of your formation package, and if you choose to do so, your price is immediately updated on the screen.

Should you start an LLC with Incfile?

When it comes down to making a choice, Incfile may have more advantages than disadvantages. Here are some scenarios where you should or shouldn’t use Incfile for LLC formation service.

✔ When to Form an LLC with Incfile

If you’re on a budget but still want help creating an LLC, Incfile and ZenBusiness both offer business formation services for free (just pay your state’s fee).

✖ When NOT to Form an LLC with Incfile

If you’re looking for responsive customer support, you might be better off using one of their competitors. Also, if you value having a 100% satisfaction guarantee backing up your purchases, companies like ZenBusiness and LegalZoom have better offers.