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Written by: Carolyn Young
Carolyn Young has over 25 years of experience in business in various roles, including bank management, marketing management, and business education.
Published on August 16, 2022
Updated on January 28, 2023
If you’re starting an LLC, the business entity formation process is one of the first and most important hurdles. This step can be terribly complex and time-consuming, which is why many entrepreneurs turn to professional formation services.
But which are the best LLC formation services in Alaska? This article takes a closer look, stepping into an entrepreneur’s shoes, to help you choose the service that puts you on the road to success.
A business formation service handles the business formation process for you, making it nearly seamless while offering additional services that can make life easier for a new business owner. Whether you’re forming a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation, a business formation service takes care of all the red tape, freeing you up to focus on growing your business.
With so many business formation services to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which is best for you. There are four essential elements that can help you make your decision.
Each service offers various products and services and their plans are all designed differently. You may need some services but not others, so you need to choose the service that offers everything you need. For example, only some of the providers offer annual report filing.
If it’s important to you to get that task off your plate, you’ll want a service that offers that feature. Another feature you might need is a digital dashboard where you can always access your business formation documents.
You’ll want to choose a service that has everything you need to make starting and running your business as easy as possible.
One good way to learn about the quality of anything you’re buying is to listen to what people are saying about it. When we review services we look at Better Business Bureau ratings and reviews, as well as TrustPilot reviews. You should look at both positive and negative reviews to find out what people love about the service, and about issues customers have encountered.
Remember that fake reviews are common, so you’ll have to take some of the reviews with a grain of salt.
Of course, you’ll want to get the best value for your money!
Compare the cost of each service for everything you need. The price can really add up when you start adding extras, so be careful not to go too far. You also want to get good value and great customer service, so if you’re considering the cheapest service, check the reviews to see how people felt about it.
Business formation turnaround times vary with each service, so if you’re in a hurry to get your business up and running, you’ll want to look for the quickest service. You don’t want your order to sit in an office too long before your paperwork gets filed with the state. Some services differentiate themselves with fast turnaround times, so if they also offer good value, that might be your best choice.
Here we summarize our top four picks for business formation services in Alaska.
ZenBusiness has three business formation plans to choose from, with annual fees ranging from $0 to $299. They have a solid rating with the BBB and a quick and easy purchase process.
Swyft Filings has three business formation packages and a variety of a la carte services. Swyft Filings is known for speed, as their signup process is quick and they have faster turnaround times.
Incfile offers three business formation packages. Their Silver Package only charges state filing fees and includes free registered agent services for a year.
The BizFilings Basic Plan and Standard plan both offer good value, and the site is easy to use
ZenBusiness has three business formation plans to choose from, with annual fees ranging from $0 to $299. They have a great track record with BBB, competitive pricing, and a seamless formation process.
The $0 Starter Plan includes a business name availability search through Alaska’s state database and the business formation service, with full customer support. It also offers a few extras, including an accounting consultation to help you get started with your finances. You’ll also have access to your formation documents online at any time. The total cost for this plan including the Alaska state filing fee is $250.
The $199 Pro Plan includes all the services included in the starter plan with the addition of an operating agreement template and their annual compliance service. The annual compliance service means that ZenBusiness will remind you of any reporting due dates based on Alaska’s requirements. The plan also includes expedited filing so that your LLC is approved and ready to go faster. With the state filing fee, the cost of this plan is $449. There will be an additional state fee for expedited filing.
The $299 Premium Plan includes everything in the Pro Plan with the advantage of rush filing, as well as a business domain name, website, and email. Total cost, $549. Again, there will be an additional state fee for rush filing.
Note that none of these plans include registered agent services. They are available for an additional $99 fee. ZenBusiness also has a document library that customers can access for $99.
Each of the ZenBusiness plans include a robust list of services. The Pro and Premium plans come with extras like an operating agreement and expedited and rush filing, making them a great value. However, registered agent services are not included in their packages and are offered at an additional cost.
Swyft Filings has three business formation packages and a variety of a la carte services. Package prices are sold at a one-time fee of $49, $149, and $299, plus state fees. Swyft Filings is known for speed, as their signup process is quick and they have faster turnaround times.
The $49 Basic Package includes verification of your company name, preparation of the articles of organization, and document filing with the state of Alaska. You’ll also get online access to your documents and lifetime customer support. This plan comes with a one-hour business tax consultation to help you prepare for your first tax season, and company compliance alerts so you never miss a deadline. In Alaska, the total cost for this plan including the state fee is $299.
In Alaska, the $149 Standard Package plus state fees comes to a total of $399. This includes all the services included in the Basic Package, but with the addition of a custom operating agreement and a federal tax ID, or EIN. You will also get access to custom banking resolution services and custom organizational minutes, which is a form that helps you set up your very first meeting as an LLC.
For $299, the Premium Package in Alaska includes everything in the Standard Package with the advantage of expedited filing, as well as a business website and web hosting services. You also get a digital LLC kit, which includes a digital company “seal”, a ledger for tracking transfers of ownership, and customized stock certificates. With the state fee, the cost is $549. An additional state fee for expedited filing will apply.
Swyft Filings lives up to its name in terms of speedy processing times. However, the biggest drawback is that they don’t include registered agent services in any of their packages. Additionally, the registered agent service is $149 per quarter, whereas many other LLC formation services either charge an annual fee or bundle it with other offerings.
Incfile offers three business formation packages: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The Silver Package is free, plus state fees, and includes free registered agent services for one year. Incfile also gives customers access to an online dashboard and unlimited phone and email support.
In Alaska, the Silver Package includes the preparation and filing of the articles of organization and unlimited name searches. It also includes free registered agent services for a year, making it a great value at a total fee of $250 with the state fee included.
The $149 Gold Package offers the added services of an operating agreement, business tax consultation, and lifetime company alerts. It has a few other benefits as well, so it’s an overall good value. In Alaska, the total cost is $399.
The $299 Platinum Package in Alaska, with a total cost of $549 has the additional benefit of expedited filing as well as domain name and business filing. You’ll also receive access to business contract templates. However, if you have either the Silver or Gold package, you can gain access to the entire document library for $150. An additional state fee for expedited filing will apply.
Incfile also offers a number of a la carte services. For a fee, Incfile can handle tasks like filing your annual report and changing your registered agent.
Incfile is great for entrepreneurs on a budget, as their Silver Package covers the basics and includes a free year of their registered agent service. Competitors like LegalZoom and Swyft Filings have a more robust suite of services, but can be more expensive.
The BizFilings Basic Plan offers good value compared to others, since they offer a few extras with the plan, including registered agent services for six months. You can purchase extra services with all their plans, including an operating agreement and other forms, and a business license research package.
They don’t offer as many services as some competitors, but if you’re just interested in forming your business, this is a good option.
BizFilings’ Basic Plan costs $99, plus state fees, and includes a business name availability search through your state and the business formation service. The Basic Plan provides registered agent services for six months, which is something most competitors do not offer. It also offers a 24/7 business monitoring tool and a library of common business documents.
You can purchase BizFilings’ Standard Plan for $229 plus state fees. You will receive all services included in the Basic Plan with the addition of an LLC kit and seal, an operating agreement and other form templates, and expedited processing.
For $359 plus state fees, BizFilings’ offers a Complete Plan that includes everything in the Standard Plan with several added benefits, such as:
Most of the BizFilings plans and services are a good value. Their site is easy to use, and they offer a great customer service experience. They don’t offer as many services as some competitors, but if you’re just looking for a business formation service, they are a good option. If you’re looking for more services, LegalZoom might be a better choice.
As an entrepreneurial advisory site, we take our responsibilities seriously. We understand that countless entrepreneurs, and potential entrepreneurs, rely on our judgments and insights, particularly when it comes to creating their business.
As a result, our writers do their utmost to gain a comprehensive understanding of the services offered and the actual customer experience. In nearly every case, we:
Thanks to this full immersion in the actual customer experience, our reviewers are able to provide the most complete and insightful analysis of various LLC formation services.
Using a business formation service to start your Alaska LLC frees you up to focus on growing your business. These services handle the filing process for you and offer additional services that can make life easier for a new business owner.
When assessing whether or not a business formation service is right for you, it’s important to dive into the following four categories: included features, customer service, pricing, and turnaround time.
Incfile is great for entrepreneurs on a budget, as their Silver Package covers the basics and includes a free year of their registered agent service. Competitors like LegalZoom and Swyft Filings have a more robust suite of services, but can be more expensive.
To learn more about the customer experience at a particular business formation service, check out the reviews and ratings on the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot websites.
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