Inc Authority Review

Numerous CPAs, lawyers, and financial advisers recognize Inc Authority’s expertise in devising business strategies for their customers, including tax savings, lawsuit defense, business credibility, and investments.

According to multiple Inc Authority reviews, the brand has one of the fastest and most helpful customer services. Having operated for decades, the company has earned a stellar reputation for helping new entrepreneurs, big corporations, and licensed experts.

What Is Inc Authority?

Founded in 1989, Inc Authority is a household name in business formation services. Based on our Inc Authority review, it has assisted over 130,000 satisfied clients.

Its entity setup services are 100% free. So Inc Authority is the perfect solution for anyone looking for a free LLC formation. That being said, you do need to pay the mandatory state fees.

Now, does Inc Authority handle state-specific requirements? It does handle a few state-specific requirements, such as reserving the business name in Alabama. That being said, it doesn’t offer publication services in a few states that require it.

Other than that, Inc Authority provides a wide range of business services at one platform, such as company formation, business strategy, business planning, and financial consulting.

Inc Authority Business Formation Services

This part of our Inc Authority review will cover the essential services this reputable company offers. Read on to find out more about starting a new business with Inc Authority. 

Business Formation

When it comes to the actual process of business formation, the brand offers a dynamic range of services. For example, besides an LLC, you can form corporations in all 50 states.

Business Name Verification 

The company’s agents will do a 5-point search to see if the name you chose for your new business is available. Many Inc Authority reviews confirm that the next step is doing a name verification check to ensure that your desired business name isn’t already taken.

When forming an LLC with Inc Authority, you’ll be able to monitor everything through your dashboard on the company’s website. You can even view and download digital copies of all your documentation, including supportive information.

Business Filing

Inc Authority will prepare all the documents you need to form your business and submit them to the authorities. In addition, it will make digital copies of your documentation so you can access them through your online account.

So, how long does Inc Authority take to submit a business filing? The company guarantees to submit your business filing within 24 hours from when it received your order (during office hours).

Tax Payment

Inc Authority will inform you about any potential tax benefits during your first consultation to help you with tax planning. Its representatives will consult you about federal, state, and local tax norms so you can save more for your company. Furthermore, Inc Authority will also analyze any financial and tax issues, devise solutions, and personalize recommendations.

S-Election Form and Business Funding Analysis

The two remaining services that come with the free package include preparing and filing the S-Election document Form 2553 to the IRS and analyzing your business funding. Inc Authority reviews in 2021 point out that Inc Authority is more than capable of analyzing your company’s financial requirements.

Operating Agreement

The operating agreement is the first add-on service on this list. It costs $89 and is currently required by some state laws.

The company will provide you with a customized operating agreement depending on your business type.

Reviews of Inc Authority tell us the company will outline your business framework and the profit shares each stakeholder can expect. What’s more, you’ll find that the operating agreement comes in handy if you have to prove your company’s ownership.

EIN Application 

The second add-on service the company offers is the EIN (Employer Identification Number) application. It is a unique tax ID number you use for filing business taxes.

Our Inc Authority review found that you shouldn’t wait until the next tax filing period to acquire EIN — you’ll need it to open your company’s bank account and to hire workers.

You can either deal directly with the IRS (which might be somewhat difficult) or hire Inc Authority to do it for only $49.

Business License Search

According to Inc Authority reviews in 2021, the company offers this add-on service for $99. Note that not everyone needs a business license as it all depends on state-specific requirements and the business model you’ll use.

Registered Agent Services

Inc Authority acts as your registered agent for free in the first year, ensuring that you’ll never miss a single legal notice.

Inc Authority Pricing and Plans

If you’re wondering how much Inc Authority will cost you, it has four tiers of plans. Let’s explore them further. 

Free LLC Filing

The brand’s basic plan is completely free. It covers everything while registering your business — you only pay mandatory fees. 

The services in this package include: 

• Business name availability search
• Preparation and filing
• Free registered agent in the first year
• Digital storage and file delivery
• Preparing and filing S-Election document Form 2553 to the IRS
• Business credit and funding analysis

The Starter Package

Inc Authority’s Starter package costs $399 plus state fees. There are no other Inc Authority fees.

Besides the essential services, it includes the following:

• Complete operating agreement and bylaws
• Initial meeting minutes and resolutions
• Business name availability verification
• Customized state-filed documentation
• Ownership certificates
• EIN
• Business credit and funding analysis
• Tax consultations
• Inc Success Advisor for a year
• Company seal and record book

The Executive Package

The Executive package of Inc Authority will cost you a bit more — $499 plus state fees. In addition to the services included in the Starter package, it offers a website domain and business license report.

The Tycoon Package

The Tycoon plan is the most expensive — $799 plus state fees. It includes all the services present in the Starter and the Executive packages. That is not all, however. With this package, you will also get the following: 

• D&B Credit Bureau registration
• Express processing 
• Business credit coach 
• BizCredit Express
• Business credit LaunchPad
• Multi-tiered credit building system

Inc Authority Customer Support

According to our Inc Authority review and research, the company provides excellent customer support service. Its customer support representatives are very responsive. All in all, Inc Authority customer support is highly skilled and will take extra time to make sure you understand what is right for your business and its future.

Our Inc Authority review points out that the company provides customers with more than one support channel. Namely, you can contact the company via email or call at (877) 462-6366 and (775) 333-5903 during office hours.

Inc Authority also offers live chat support from 8 am–5 pm PST, or you can just leave a message in the chatbox or fill in the online form at any time.

User Experience

According to many reviews of Inc Authority, including ours, its platform is easy to use. 

The dashboard provides access to the following: 

• All of the business formation services and tools
• Additional company management tools
• Compliance add-ons 

Inc Authority saves and gives access to every digital copy of your LLC and compliance files. Not to mention that you can easily retrieve any file as long as you have internet access.

Further, in this Inc Authority review, we found out that you won’t have any trouble navigating its website, which is easily accessible via smartphones, tablets, and computers. 

The platform’s interface is user-friendly and pretty straightforward. So even beginners won’t have difficulties accessing any of the features. That being said, if you end up having some issues, you can check the company’s YouTube channel, where you can find helpful video tutorials. Overall, it was a pleasant user experience for us.

Inc Authority Reviews From Users

On both Reddit and Trustpilot, the customers say that the company quickly responds to any questions or concerns. Inc Authority support also provides additional information if you get stuck. It has a rating of 4.8/5 stars based on over 6,600 reviews on Trustpilot.

There are a couple of negative reviews, which mostly complain about requesting a refund and overdue services. That said, these complaints seem to be few and far between.

There aren’t many Inc Authority reviews on BBB. However, in the last 12 months, the company closed 12 complaints. Most of them had to do with the issue of requesting a refund. Perhaps, that is what resulted in the low Inc Authority BBB rating — F. 

We believe that the company has redeemed itself since then, as the more recent reviews on other platforms are overwhelmingly positive.

Alternatives to Inc Authority

Inc Authority isn’t the only option when it comes to online formation services for LLCs and other business entities. Quite a number of platforms compete with it, and each alternative to Inc Authority comes with excellent features.

Inc Authority vs. Rocket Lawyer

Unlike Inc Authority, Rocket Lawyer isn’t free. However, you’ll only need to pay a minimal fee for its business formation and legal services. 

Notably, Rocket Lawyer is affordable, and it has been in business for a long time. Last but not least, it always has a lawyer on standby to help you with any legal problems.

Inc Authority vs. Wolters Kluwer

According to our review of Inc Authority, its customer service is unbeatable. In comparison, many users complain about slow responses from Wolters Kluwer.

That aside, Wolters Kluwer is likely the most well-established LLC filing service on the list. It’s a renowned brand in the finance niche that can help you with any financial issue. All in all, we recommend turning to it if your business entity is of considerable size.

Inc Authority vs. LegalZoom

LegalZoom provides advanced features like filling an application for trademarks or writing a legal contract. However, it doesn’t offer a free registered agent service, unlike Inc Authority.

It’s worth noting that both platforms are known for their ease of use. Overall, the two are neck and neck.

Our Verdict

According to our research and Inc Authority reviews, it is an option you should consider, especially if you’re planning to run a small startup on an even smaller budget. Its free business formation and registered agent services are perfect for this.

However, to use the services to the fullest, you should combine its free package with advanced services. Although they aren’t cheap, the value they provide is worth the investment.