If you’re starting a business, the business entity formation process is one of the first and most significant hurdles. This step can be terribly complex and time-consuming, which is why many entrepreneurs turn to a professional formation service.
One of the top options is Inc Authority. But is it the best service? And is it the right choice for you? This review takes a closer look — putting ourselves in the shoes of an entrepreneur — to help you choose the formation service that will put your business on the road to success.
The Inc Authority free option is a great value, but the prices for their service packages are quite high. With that in mind, as well as the poor customer service, we are hesitant to give Inc Authority a strong recommendation.
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What to Expect from Inc Authority
Inc Authority 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, Inc Authority takes care of all the red tape so you can focus on building a successful business.
Features and Services
Inc Authority offers several service bundles. We explored all of the options and have broken down the services and pricing here.
Services overview
| Services | Entry Package | Starter Business Bundle | Business Executive Bundle | Tycoon Business Bundle |
| Price | $0 | $399 | $499 | $799 |
| Business Name Search | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Business Formation | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Registered Agent Service | 1 year free then $99 annually | 1 year free then $99 annually | 1 year free then $99 annually | 1 year free then $99 annually |
| S Election Form | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Tax Consultation | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Business Credit and Funding Analysis | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Digital Document Storage | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Full Customer Support | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Operating Agreement | | √ | √ | √ |
| Record Book and Company Seal | | √ | √ | √ |
| Meeting Minutes and Resolution | | √ | √ | √ |
| Ownership Certificate | | √ | √ | √ |
| EIN | | √ | √ | √ |
| Annual Compliance | | √ | √ | √ |
| Website Domain + 5 email addresses | | √ | √ | √ |
| INC Success Advisor | | √ | √ | √ |
| Business Credit and Evaluation | | | √ | √ |
| Business License Report | | | √ | √ |
| INC Successor Advisor | | | √ | √ |
| Express Processing | | | | √ |
| BizCredit Express | | | | √ |
Note that state filing fees still apply with all these plans. Fees vary by state, which we list below.
When we went through the business formation process, a pop-up window appeared that offered a 20% discount on our order.
*Registered agent service price may vary depending on your state
The free business formation service with a free year of registered agent service for one year is a great deal and hard to beat. The add-on services are fairly well priced as well overall, though other services like ZenBusiness offer an operating agreement for less.
Entry Level Plan
The Free Entry Package includes a business name availability search and the business formation service. It also included registered agent services for one year.
Explore Plan
The entry-level plan is free except for state fees and includes a business name availability search through your state and the business formation service, with full customer support. It also offers a few extras, including an S Election form and a tax consultation. You’ll also have access to your formation documents online and get free registered agent services for a year.
This plan is a great value and appropriate for entrepreneurs with a limited budget that just want to get their business up and running and plan to handle things like the operating agreement and EIN themselves.
This plan also may be appropriate for established businesses that are forming a new business structure or changing their business structure.
Starter Business Bundle
The $399 Starter Business Bundle is similar to most competitors’ top-tier plans and includes many extras.
Explore Plan
The Starter Business Bundle offers what most top-tier plans from other LLC formation services offer, but is a bit more expensive than those plans.
The Starter Business Bundle includes everything in the entry package with the addition of:
- 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 (access to a business questions help line)
This plan is appropriate for businesses willing to pay extra for a full suite of services.
Business Executive Bundle
The $499 Business Executive Bundle has the added benefits of a business credit evaluation and a business license report.
Explore Plan
The Business Executive Bundle includes all the services listed above with the additional advantages of business credit and a credit evaluation, a business license report, and INC successor advisor.
This plan is expensive compared to competitors. Inc Authority charges more because they are offering more business advice than other business formation services.
This plan would be beneficial for a business owner that wants to have a one-stop shop for their business services and advice.
Tycoon Business Bundle
The $799 Tycoon Business Bundle has the added benefits of express filing and Business Credit Express.
Explore Plan
At $799, the Tycoon Business Bundle offers all the services in the other plans, with the addition of express filing and Business Credit Express. The Business Credit Express feature will help you to establish business credit faster so that you’ll have a better chance of getting funding from a bank or a business credit card.
This plan seems outrageously expensive, and is far above the prices of the competition. It does offer more than competitor plans, so if you’re looking for a company with a plan that provides you with business advice and business credit advice, it may be for you.
A la carte
| Services | Price |
| EIN | $49 |
| Operating Agreement | $89 |
| Documents package and ownership certificate | $99 |
| Minutes and Resolution | $99 |
| 24 hour express processing | $49 |
| Online business bundle | $10 |
| INC Success Advisor | $197 |
**Expedited filing often incurs additional state costs. Initial state filing fees are detailed below.
State fees for forming an LLC
When you form your LLC, depending on the state where you want to register your business, there will likely be an added state fee. Below we have listed the fees for each state so you can calculate the overall expenses for creating your LLC.
Please note that the state fees are costs that you will pay in addition to the Inc Authority formation service costs, or any other formation service you choose.
Calculate your LLC formation expenses
Use our dropdown calculator to check how much LLC formation will cost using Inc Authority. Simply choose a plan, your a la carte services, and the state where you want to form an LLC to calculate the exact cost based on your needs and preferences.
Business formation
Your LLC must be formed with your state by filing articles of organization, sometimes called a certificate of organization or a certificate of formation. This can be done online or by mail. Inc Authority handles the filing for you online, and the LLC approval time varies by state.
This can be a time-consuming and difficult process for an entrepreneur and getting customer support from your state government office is often a challenge. With Inc Authority, you have access to customer support during normal business hours.
Once your LLC is approved and official, you can access your formation documents on the Inc Authority website at any time.
Registered Agent Service
In most states, when you form an LLC you need a registered agent. A registered agent is a person or business authorized to accept and respond to legal, tax, and financial documents on behalf of your business.
For $99 per year (first year free), Inc Authority can act as your registered agent and ensure that all official correspondence is handled on time and properly filed. They also keep track of deadlines and send reminders of things you need to file, such as tax forms and annual reports.
A registered agent service will help keep you in compliance with the law and save you time by keeping track of key documents and filing deadlines. The agency will also provide support if any issues arise.
Inc Authority’s registered agent services will enable you to have flexible hours. If you are your own registered agent, you must be personally available from 8 AM to 5 PM at your registered agent address. If you use an agency, they are available during those hours so you can focus on growing your business.
If you use a national agency like Inc Authority, you can also form an LLC or corporation in another state or multiple states where you do not have residency.
Using Inc Authority also offers you a level of privacy, as you would never be served with a summons at your business in front of customers or employees.
Operating Agreement Service
Inc Authority offers an operating agreement template customized for your state. An operating agreement for an LLC is an important legal document that details who owns the business and also provides essential information pertaining to member duties.
An LLC operating agreement establishes the financial relationship between business owners (“members”) and the basics of the working relationships between those owners and the managers who oversee daily operations.
By using the Inc Authority template, you can just fill in the blanks, rather than having an attorney draw up the agreement for you from scratch. At an ala carte price of $89 with the starter plan it’s a good value compared to the attorney fees you would otherwise pay.
Only a handful of states require an operating agreement, but having one is highly recommended.
Customer Service
We tested the IncAuthority customer service experience from every angle. Here’s what we found.
User Experience – What to Expect
The Inc Authority site offers very little product information. On their homepage, they emphasize that their business formation service is free, and tell you what’s included with their free entry-level option. No other product information can be found.
You’re prompted to go ahead and get started by entering your business name.
How Is the formation process?
Once you enter your business name, you’re prompted to enter all your business information.
The questions were simple and quick, but most people might find it preferable to be able to see the service packages and products before going through the process.
After you enter your business information, you’re offered all of the a la carte products as add-ons to your free business formation. You can choose or reject any of the products.
Then you’re taken to the page with your total cost including state fees and are prompted to complete the payment process.
Note that the bundles of services that we’ve described are NEVER offered, which seemed odd. We only found their package information in other reviews of Inc Authority. We could not even get the information through their customer support channels.
Turnaround Time
Turnaround times are advertised on the site as follows:
- Standard – 10 to 14 business days, depending on state.
- Express – 2 to 3 days.
In Summary
Overall, the site is easy to use if you’re ready to go and just want to complete the process. Otherwise, information is hard to find on the website. It seems that they really want you to call them with questions so they can upsell you products.
Quick and Easy Cancellation?
Inc Authority’s cancellation policy for registered agent services is as follows:
“In the event that (a) your business entity voluntarily or involuntarily discontinues business operations in a jurisdiction where Inc Authority provides Registered Agent services; (b) you wish to abandon your business entity; or (c) you wish to discontinue Inc Authority’s Registered Agent services, you agree to satisfy at least one of the following cancellation conditions (collectively, “Cancellation Conditions”):
The business entity must be properly and legally dissolved, withdrawn, cancelled or otherwise terminated in that jurisdiction either through Inc Authority independently or through another service provider; or
The business entity must assign another registered agent in said jurisdiction; or
The business entity must resign Inc Authority as registered agent in said jurisdiction and pay any document preparation fees as well as all filing fees related to same.
You hereby acknowledge and agree that if you do not satisfy at least one of the Cancellation Conditions before the date your annual registered agent service fee is due, Inc Authority shall continue to act as registered agent in connection with that business entity, and you will continue to incur fees and late penalties (if any) in connection with such services. If, thereafter, you satisfy one of the Cancellation Conditions, you will not be entitled to a pro-rata refund.”
Once you’ve satisfied the conditions, you can call Inc Authority at 877-462-6366
Customer Support
We tested all three forms of Inc Authority customer support, and here’s what we found.
Chat support
The chat option seems to be available only sporadically. When we tested the customer service response time through the online chat option, we received a response immediately.
We asked for information about their various service packages and were told that our best bet was to call for information so they could help us choose the right option for us.
It seemed odd that we were not given the requested information.
Chat Support Rating:
Response time:
Phone support
We called the customer support line to ask what the registered agent services fee is after the first year. The customer support person would not answer the question and said they had to transfer us to a sales representative. Very disappointing!
Phone Support Rating:
Response time:
Email support
There are two different email options on the Inc Authority site. There is a direct email address and an information request form.
Through the direct email, we asked about the annual cost of registered agent services after the free first year.
Through the form, we asked for detailed information about their service packages.
After five days, we received no response to either request. We were, however, bombarded with multiple sales emails.
Email Support Rating:
Response time:
Customer Reviews
To understand how real Inc Authority customers feel about the service, we examined countless customer reviews at the Better Business Bureau and Trust Pilot.
Better Business Bureau
We were not able to locate Inc Authority on the BBB website.
Trustpilot
Inc Authority has a very high trust score rating on Trustpilot.
- Good customer service
- Ease of purchase
- Helpful advice from representatives
The Trustpilot score for Inc Authority is 4.8/5 stars.
Inc Authority reviews at Trustpilot break down as follows:
- Excellent 92%
- Great 4%
- Average ˃ 1%
- Poor ˃1%
- Bad 3%
Many positive Trustpilot reviews revolve around great customer service and mention their INC Authority representative by name.
“Super happy with the smooth service I am receiving from INC Authority, my account manager Mia gave me all the advice I needed and I am looking forward to learn more about the full service advice I’ll get for the next year.”
Some of the less favorable reviews revolve around their aggressive sales tactics, both by email and phone.
“My experience online was quick and easy. What dropped the rating was how they tried to sell me on additional optional items. First by sending me an email and leaving a voicemail that there were ‘red flags’ and need to discuss ASAP. I set a phone call for 315 and TJ promptly called. I have to say, no one has bombed a sales call like TJ did.”
Many of the reviews mentioned that Inc Authority made the “red flag” comment as well and wanted to have a phone call to discuss. Then on the call the representative tried to sell them additional services.
Other customers complained of being double charged.
You can read reviews on the TrustPilot website.
Pros and Cons
Overall, Inc Authority’s services offer advantages and drawbacks, as detailed below.
Pros
- Free option is a great value
- Quick and easy purchase process
- Good rating with Trustpilot
Cons
- Information not disclosed on site
- Expensive service packages
- Aggressive sales tactics
- Poor customer service
Company Background
Inc Authority has been in business for over 30 years. They claim the following:
“Inc Authority was created to take the fear, confusion and high cost out of business formation. We offer round-the-clock expert support to help you make the best decisions for your business.”
No other information about the company can be found.
Alternatives to Inc Authority
We explored several services similar to Inc Authority to see how they stack up.
Inc Authority compared to competitors
The Inc Authority free option is hard to beat, but beyond that, most competitors offer better prices.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has three packages of services as well.
- Economy – $79
- Standard – $329
- Express Gold – $349
None of the LegalZoom plans come with an operating agreement service. It costs $99 extra for the service. Visit LegalZoom site.
Swyft Filings
Swyft Filings charges a one-time fee for business formation services of $49, and other ongoing services can be added. The differentiating factor for Swyft Filings is their speed. Their signup process is quick, and they have faster business formation turnaround times. Visit Swyft Filings site.
Incfile
Incfile has very competitive pricing. Their basic package, called the Silver Package, is free and includes registered agent services for a year. Their Gold Package is only $149 and includes the operating agreement as well as a banking resolution. Their Premium Package is $299 and includes some additional services. Visit Incfile site.
Step By Step’s Verdict
Overall, Inc Authority provides valuable services for aspiring business owners and can ensure your new business gets off on the right foot. Their service is easy to use, but their customer service is lacking, and they use aggressive sales tactics.
Their free option is a great value, but the prices for their service packages are quite high. With that in mind, as well as the poor customer service, we are hesitant to give Inc Authority a strong recommendation.
Our Approach
As a leading 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 this case, we:
- Examined every page of the Inc Authority website
- Reviewed all of their offerings, from a la carte products to packages
- Put ourselves in the customer’s shoes, creating an account
- Communicated with customer service via chat, email and phone
- Gained a full understanding of the customer experience and service value
Thanks to this full immersion in the actual customer experience, our reviewer and team are able to provide the most complete and insightful review of Inc Authority LLC formation services.
FAQs
Why should I use a business formation service like Inc Authority?
A service like Inc Authority can make the business formation process easy for you and ensure that it’s done correctly. They provide customer support and additional services to support your business.
What can Inc Authority do for me?
Inc Authority offers business formation services to handle the paperwork and cut through the red tape with your state, so you don’t have to. They also offer additional services, including registered agent services and annual compliance.
What do I get with the Inc Authority free business formation option?
The entry-level plan is free except for state fees and includes a business name availability search through your state and the business formation service, with full customer support. It also offers a few extras, including an S Election form and a tax consultation. You’ll also have access to your formation documents online.
What do I get with the Inc Authority Starter Business Bundle?
The Starter Business Bundle includes everything in the entry package with the addition of:
- 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 (access to a business questions help line)
What do I get with the Inc Authority Business Executive Bundle?
The Business Executive Bundle includes all the services in the Starter Business Bundle with the additional advantages of business credit and a credit evaluation, a business license report, and INC successor advisor.
Is the Inc Authority free plan really free?
You’ll still have to pay state fees, and after the first year, you’ll be charged $99 annually for registered agent services unless you cancel.
What are registered agent services from Inc Authority?
The Inc Authority registered agent service will ensure that all official correspondence is handled on time and keep copies of documents for you. They’ll keep track of deadlines for you and send reminders of things you may have to file, such as tax forms or annual reports.
How much do registered agent services cost from Inc Authority?
Registered agent services from Inc Authority are free for the first year and then $99 annually.
What’s the Better Business Bureau rating for Inc Authority?
We were unable to find Inc Authority on the BBB website.
How do I cancel my Inc Authority registered agent services?
Once you’ve satisfied the conditions, you can call Inc Authority at 877-462-6366. The terms are that you must file a change of registered agent form with your state.
What does it cost to cancel my Inc Authority registered agent services?
There are no fees or penalties to cancel your services with Inc Authority. Once you’ve satisfied the conditions, you can call Inc Authority at 877-462-6366. The terms are that you must file a change of registered agent form with your state.
What is the turnaround time to form my business with the free entry level plan?
Turnaround times for business formation with the entry level plan are 10 to 14 days, according to Inc Authority. You can pay an additional fee for expedited filing.
Is Inc Authority a good value?
It’s hard to beat their free business formation service. However, their services bundles are quite expensive.
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