Fact Checked by Editorial Staff
Inc Authority is another, probably among those few companies that started offering ‘zero cost LLC formation’. Currently, almost all the big names in the industry offer the same. However, Inc Authority provides absolutely free (excluding the mandatory state filing fee) services that include a registered agent for a year.
Inc Authority, being a small company, offers incredible packages that no one else offers. Along with the LLC formation at $0, you can also get a free registered agent and EIN. But is it really free? Can a small company afford to provide all of these without charging any fee? Let’s dig deeper with this Inc Authority review. You will find out about the company, pricing plans, packages, turn-around time, and many more.
Inc Authority Review: At a Glance
The Good👍
- Free of cost LLC formation
- Free Registered Agent Service for a year
- Outstanding Customer Reviews (Trustpilot)
- Express Processing
- Free of Cost Name Search
- User-friendly Service
- Reliable & devoted high-quality Customer Service
- Longest Track Record
The Bad👎
- Expensive Premium Packages
- No pricing transparency
- An additional cost of obtaining EIN
- Not BBB accredited
- No refund
- Service Quality: 4/5
- Turnaround Time: 3.5/5
- Pricing: 4/5
- Customer Feedback: 5/5
- User Friendly: 3.5/5
Overall Rating: 3.8/5
Inc Authority: About The Company
Inc Authority is an online business formation service provider that offers free LLC formation. They like to call themselves the “Full-service business formation specialist.” Along with free LLC formation, the company provides a “comprehensive list of start-up business services” that help start-ups grow their business.
Inc Authority may not be the biggest name in the industry, but it has a significant track record in forming businesses. Sites like Trustpilot and Google have impressive user reviews for Inc Authority. Established in 1989 and with a small team (approximately 25 employees), the company outsources some of its services, making its packages slightly more expensive than the other competitors.
However, within the last 30+ years, they have managed to form 250K+ business entities. Comparing other services, like Zenbusiness, it provides LLC formation at $0. This company also offers other business-related services at a much lower price. The reason is they don’t have to outsource any of the services, unlike Inc Authority.
Note: If you find other reviews of the best LLC service, Inc Authority mostly stands in the Top 6 positions. The main reason for this is their Free LLC Service. Hence, it is more popular among start-ups and small businesses.
Packages Offered by Inc Authority
Inc Authority Basic and Premium Packages. The basic one offers free LLC formation and free registered agent service for 1 year, along with other basic services. The premium package offers more advanced services, including operating agreement drafting, obtaining EIN, and so on.
Entry Package – Free LLC Formation
$0 + Additional State Fees may apply
As mentioned above, you can set up your LLC for free with this package. While forming your LLC, you may have to pay the state filing fees to the state government. However, in most states, these fees are tax-deductible. Hence, you will probably get a chance to set up your LLC at no cost at all. Besides free LLC formation, there are other services included in this package. They are:
- Business name check
- Registered Agent Service for 1 year (after that it costs $99/year)
- Preparation and Filing
- S-Election Form
- Digital Storage
- State & Federal Tax Planning Consultation
- Business Credit and Funding Analysis
- INC Care Support – email & phone
Entry Package Beneficiaries:
Small businesses should choose this Entry Package Bundle. It is cost-effective and easy. They can enjoy free LLC service as well as free registered agents for one year.
IncAuthority Alternative: IncAuthority offers a bunch of business formation services for free, it might not be suitable for bigger business setups like multi-member LLCs. In that case, the #1 alternative to IncAuthority is ZenBusiness. ZenBusiness, the best alternative to IncAuthoirty also offers LLC formation at $0.
Premium Packages
Starter Business Bundle
$399 + Additional State Fees may apply
Starter Business Bundle is the premium package IncAuthority offers. Along with the services offered under the Entry Bundle, there are some additional services included under this package. The additional services are listed below:
- Business Name Availability Verification
- Custom State Filed Articles
- Operating Agreement/Bylaws
- Record Book & Company Seal
- Initial Meeting Minutes & Resolution
- Ownership Certificate
- Employment Identification Number (EIN) from IRS
- Annual Compliance Notification
- Website Domain + 5 email address
- Tax Consultation (up to 1 hour)
- INC Success Advisor
Starter Package Beneficiaries:
This plan is for mid-sized businesses with employees. Once you get an employee in your LLC, you will have to obtain the EIN. Under this bundle, you can get EIN and other services. Any mid-sized business can opt for this plan to start their LLCs.
Business Executive Bundle
$499 + Additional State Fees (tax deduction may apply)
Business Executive Bundle offers additional services along with the services available under the Starter Bundle. Below are the additional services you will get in this package,
- Business Credit & Evaluation
- Business License Report
- Website Domain
- Tax Consultation with a tax professional (up to 1 hour)
- INC Successor Advisor (1 Year)
Business Executive Bundle Beneficiaries
Mid-sized businesses that are in need of business credit and loans can opt for this bundle. For smaller businesses or start-ups this premium package might be a little expensive. As there isn’t much of a difference between the Starter Bundle and the Business Executive Bundle majorly.
Tycoon Business Bundle
$799 + Additional State Fees may apply
Tycoon Business Bundle is the highest premium bundle IncAuthority offers to their customers. Under this bundle, they offer almost everything. Apart from all the services under the Starter Bundle and Business Executive Bundle, Tycoon Bundle has some more services. They are:
- Express Processing
- BizCredit Express
- Business Credit Coach
- Multi-tiered Credit Building System
- Business Credit LaunchPad
- Dun & Bradstreet Credit Bureau Registration
Business Tycoon Bundle Beneficiaries
This package is for the biggies in the market. You are paying more to get additional services. Some of the services are not required when you are setting up a limited liability company. So, for some, this bundle can be over-priced with useless services.
Note: Inc Authority outsources some of its premium services. It triggers the price of the services they offer. Some of these services are not required while forming an LLC. Hence, if you are purchasing a premium package, expect to get some unnecessary services as well.
Other Benefits (Services) Offered By Inc Authority
Inc Authority, like other competitors, offers an A-La-Carte menu of services. If you need it, you can opt for those services without purchasing the bundle. On the other hand, you can purchase separate services along with the business bundles. The prices of these services are not disclosed by the company or mentioned on their website. To know more about the price of these services, you must call or email them.
The A-La-Carte services are as follows,
- Federal Trademark
- Revocable Living Trust
- Website & Marketing
- Business Credit
- Business Plans
- Business Funding
Some of the services you can add at the time of checkout. You can pay for the single service along with the bundle you have chosen to upgrade your package. The services are:
- Operating Agreement: Cost – $89
- EIN: $49
- Website Registration: Cost – $10
- Ownership certificate & seal of legal documents (package): Cost – $99
- Same-day filing: Cost – $49
- Express Delivery: Cost – $30
- IncAuthority Advisor: Cost – $27 (monthly) & $197 (yearly)
Inc Authority Service Plans: At a Glance
| Service | Entry Bundle | Starter Business Bundle | Business Executive Bundle | Business Tycoon Bundle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLC formation | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Registered Agent | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| S-Election Form | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Operating Agreement | $89 | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| EIN | $49 | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Business License Search | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Website Domain | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Tax Consultation | ❌ | Upto 1 hour | Upto 1 hour | Upto 1 hour |
| Business Funding & Evaluation | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Express Processing | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
Final Verdict: Should You Use Inc Authority?
Inc Authority is, as mentioned before, one of those companies that started providing LLC formation at $0 excluding state filing fees. In some cases, the state filing fee gets tax benefits that make it forming an LLC totally free of cost. Any small business that has a tight budget can go for Inc Authority. Currently, many biggies offer LLC formation at $0. So, why would anyone choose Inc Authority over others? The reason is their other services. Forming an LLC does not only require filing formation documents, it also requires registered agent service, EIN, operating agreement, and others.
Inc Authority offers all these at a lower cost than many other competitors. In fact, they offer registered agent service for free for one year. After that, it starts charging an annual price. They offer EIN and operating agreements for free with their premium plans.
Mandatory services like an operating agreement come with a price tag under the premium bundle. Apart from that, obtaining EIN which is free if you get it from the IRS, has a price too. If you opt for the premium bundle, you will get some unnecessary services unrelated to LLC formation. Even if you don’t need them you have to pay for them.
When Should You Choose Inc Authority?
If you are a small business looking to form your LLC, then you should consider Inc Authority’s Entry Bundle. Businesses or startups that do not require advanced services like business planners, business credit, or business funding analysis, can opt for Inc Authority. Hence, if you are chasing after low-cost business formation then Inc Authority is your option.
When Should You Not Choose Inc Authority?
Now, if you are far from the basic level, that means you are not a starter in the business, then you should not consider this company. The reason why I am suggesting this is because the services that Inc Authority offers in its premium package may be available at a lower price from other competitors. So, if you are a midsize or a biggie in the industry then you may compare and consider other available business formation services.
Inc Authority Alternatives
If you have to choose an alternative to Inc Authority then ZenBusiness is the best option for you. The reason why we are suggesting ZenBusiness is because not only does it offer free LLC formation but also, the premium packages are cheaper than Inc Authority. Read the full post on ZenBusiness Review to know more about the pricing and packages.
LLC Service | Our Rating & Pricing | Top Features | Learn More |
#1 TOP PICK  | $0 + State Fees |
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 | $0 + State Fees |
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F.A.Qs
Yes. Inc Authority does not charge any price to form an LLC. However, the state filing charges/fees may apply.
It is not mandatory to have a professional registered agent for your LLC. Anyone who fulfills the requirements can be a registered agent. However, it is highly advisable to have one for proper & timely filing of various documents & taxes so that you don’t have to bear late fees or penalties.
You can cancel their services anytime by calling on their phone number. Call 877-684-2836, their official phone number to cancel the service.
Yes, IncAuthority is a completely legit business. They started their journey in 1989 and since then around 250K+ companies have been generated by IncAuthority.
The entry-level package offered by Inc Authority does not cost you anything to form an LLC. You may have to pay a minimum state fee to register your LLC name and file Articles of Organization.
In Conclusion
To sum up the review, it can be said that Inc Authority can be a complete solution for a small business establishment. It offers important services such as business formation, registered agent for 1 year, obtaining EIN, and express filing. However, it does not offer other important services for free. The add-on services come with a high price tag which might be an issue for a small business.
With Inc Authority, one might get other services they require in their premium or Tycoon package. However, alternatively, services like ZenBusiness offer basic services at an affordable price along with free LLC formation. It is advised to explore and compare other services before you jump in and buy IncAuthority services. Though their front runner is the free business formation, just because it is free, does not mean it is well-fitted.