IncFile is a business incorporation service that helps small business owners form and grow their businesses. They started operations in 2004 and have helped over 500,000 clients since then.
The company offers an end-to-end formation service refined through decades of experience coupled with a $0 formation fee and a knowledgeable support team.
IncFile is also one of the few business formation services that include a free registered agent service for your business’s first year.
A Short Overview of What IncFile Provides
IncFile offers an affordable LLC formation service that you can trust.
Note that while you don’t pay for any formation fees, you still need to pay for the features you’re getting in your pricing package plus state filing fees. You’ll notice each package’s price change according to the state you’re forming your Limited Liability Company in.
Here’s a breakdown of what IncFile offers:
- Non-salesy knowledgeable support: IncFile’s customer service team is composed of experienced personnel focused on solving your problem rather than selling you something.
- Free Registered Agent for 1 year: Many states require a registered agent to receive letters and notices addressed to your business entity. IncFile is one of the few business formation services that includes a one-year free registered agent service.
- $0 formation fees: IncFile offers the most affordable LLC formation service at $0 + package and state fees.
- End-to-end LLC formation: Unlike other LLC formation services that simply prepare your documents and mail them to you, IncFile promises to take care of your formation from document preparation to filing with the proper office.
- Business banking account: Bank of America provides IncFile’s customers an exclusive opportunity to set up a business bank account that separates their personal and business expenses.
IncFile LLC Formation Packages
IncFile offers three (3) LLC formation packages that will vary in pricing depending on your state:
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
Here’s a concise breakdown of each pricing plan:
Silver Package
The Silver package covers just the basics that your LLC needs.
These include the following:
- Preparing & Filing Your Articles of Organization: IncFile handles the entire process of preparing and filing your incorporation documents.
- Unlimited Name Searches: If the state rejects your business name, you don’t need to pay and go through the whole prep and filing process again.
- Free Registered Agent Service for a year: Most states require your business entity to have a registered agent to accept letters and notices. IncFile provides this service for free for a year after which you have to pay a separate fee.
Summary: The Silver package is best for small business owners just looking to form an LLC for their new business. IncFile saves you from all the hassle by preparing and filing your formation documents and by including a free 1-year registered agent service.
Gold Package
The Gold package is IncFile’s best-selling price package. It includes all the features that the Silver package offers + a lot more.
Here’s what you’re getting:
- EIN Business Tax Number: Most banks require an EIN before they let you open a separate business account. This package saves you the hassle of needing to get an EIN yourself.
- IRS Form 2553: You’ll need this legal form if you want to convert your LLC into an S corporation which enjoys significant tax benefits come tax season.
- Operating Agreement: An operating agreement acts as your business’s rules of procedure and provides how your LLC does business. This package provides your business an operating agreement template so you don’t have to make one from scratch.
- Banking Resolution: This document simply states who’s authorized to open a company bank account for your LLC. Having this available upon creation lets you set up your business bank account as soon as possible.
- Lifetime Company Alerts: IncFile will send you email notifications throughout your LLC’s life cycle to inform you of upcoming filing deadlines for legal documents like annual reports and business licenses.
- Online Access Dashboard: This lets you access all your documents, keep them saved in one place, stay on top of renewals, etc.
- Unlimited Phone and Email Support: You can feel confident knowing that IncFile’s customer support is available 24/7 to help you with any problem relating to your business formation, purchased services, etc.
- Business Banking Account: A business bank account helps your business in several ways like staying legal and compliant with federal and state finance and tax rules, tracking your business money and costs, maintaining liability separation between your business and personal money, etc.
- Business Tax Consultation: This consultation informs you of important tax deductions to manage your business and potentially save your business money.
Summary: The Gold package offers the greatest number of useful features and is perfect for any business looking to establish itself.
Platinum Package
The Platinum package includes all the features offered in the Silver and Gold packages plus three (3) more.
Here is a list of the additional features you’re getting:
- Business Contract Templates: These business contract templates give you peace of mind by not needing to search or draft important business contracts yourself.
- Expedited Filing: This feature cuts down your usual state filing time from weeks to just a few business days (depending on which state you’re filling in).
- Domain Name + Business Email: Skip the hassle of having to separately register a domain name for your business website and a business email name for your LLC.
Summary: The Platinum package is perfect for business owners who want to form their LLC as soon as possible and with the least amount of hassle.
IncFile Customer Reviews
So, how exactly does IncFile stack up according to some of their actual customers?
Well, 86 IncFile reviews on Trustpilot give them 2.9 stars out of 5 for an “average” rating.
Those who’ve rated IncFile highly say that it’s the best, fastest, and most affordable LLC formation service with great customer support.
On the other end; Those who’ve rated it badly mostly complain about the lack of customer support (which you’ll notice is only available 24/7 if you get the Gold Package).
Should You Start an LLC with IncFile
IncFile offers one of the most affordable and fastest LLC formation services today. They take care of the whole formation process from preparation to filing and even provide all their customers with a free registered agent service for one year. Getting their Gold package nets you the best bang for your buck offering more than double the features you get from their basic Silver package.
So, if you’re looking for an affordable, convenient, and fast LLC formation service, go ahead and sign up with IncFile.
On the other hand; You may prefer a company with more positive reviews. While IncFile reviews on Trustpilot give it an average rating, some competitors received “very good” and even “excellent” ratings. This is despite IncFile having a lot more years of experience compared to its younger competitors.
For a side-by-side comparison of IncFile with other popular LLC formation services, have a look at our best LLC service comparison guide.
Final Verdict – Is IncFile Good for LLC Formation
IncFile pricing is affordable, they’re experienced, and fast but poor customer reviews bring its rating down a couple of notches — despite being around several years earlier than its competitors.
It’s for this reason that IncFile ranks 2 in our list of recommendations.
Our top recommendation and alternative for businesses looking to form an LLC are ZenBusiness.
Check out our full ZenBusiness review here.
FAQ
IncFile vs ZenBusiness: which one is better?
In our opinion, ZenBusiness.
While both offer similar features in their basic packages, ZenBusiness includes something extra in the form of an operating agreement template which IncFile only includes in its Gold package.
Also, while ZenBusiness is a younger company, almost all its Trustpilot reviews are positive with an excellent rating compared to IncFile’s average rating.
What Are IncFile’s Biggest pros and cons?
IncFile’s biggest pros are its $0 formation fee, knowledgeable customer support, and free registered agent service for one year.
Its biggest cons are its average Trustpilot reviews stemming from its customer support not being as fast or available for non-Gold customers.
If I sign up with IncFile, which features should I get?
If you aren’t signing up for IncFile’s Gold package, you may want to get their Operation Agreement Template add-on to save you the hassle of drafting one yourself.
You may also want to get their Expedited Filing Time add-on if you’re in a rush to get your LLC formed asap.
Does IncFile Offer Publication Service?
No. IncFile does not assist you with your publication compliance.
Does IncFile Help With Ongoing Compliance Requirements?
No. IncFile does not assist you with your ongoing compliance requirements.
Does IncFile have a Refund Policy?
Yes. IncFile will refund your order as long as you cancel it before payment is forwarded to the government (typically within 24 hours after you placed your order).
Note that IncFile imposes a $30.00 cancellation fee + any other fees incurred due to processing your order.
No refunds, cancellations, or changes to your order once payment has been forwarded to the government.
Why Do I Need to Use a Business Formation Service?
Forming an LLC can be time-consuming, confusing, and costly — especially if you’re just starting a business. A business formation service saves you from all of these problems (for a price) so you can focus more on growing your business.