Swyft Filings Review

Swyft Filings is a business formation platform seeking to help small businesses get their company up and running in the easiest, most efficient, and most affordable way possible. 

Founded in 2015, this company has helped tens of thousands of small business owners and consumers in all 50 states. 

Swyft Filings is owned by an experienced lawyer who saw automation of the business formation process as a way to better reach small business owners. The company has a staff consisting of knowledgeable business incorporation specialists who help clients at every step of the formation process. 

We’ll cover all of Swyft Filings’ ins and outs in this review, so keep reading to find out if this business formation company is the right one for you.

Swyft Filings Pros and Cons

Pros

Affordable Price: Swyft Filings seeks to provide small business owners with more affordable business formation services. This is evident in their pricing packages that range from just $49 to $299 plus an installment plan that lets you pay in two installments.

ComplianceGuard Company Alerts: ComplianceGuard Company Alerts is the company’s free corporate compliance tool. It alerts you of important due dates for state filings such as Annual Reports, Initial Reports, Publication requirements, and other important filing deadlines so that you never miss a required filing for your business.

Direct Customer Service Line: Swyft Filings assigns you a personal business specialist to contact directly through phone or email. This means you’ll usually get quick responses to your questions. 

Excellent Customer Reviews: The company is pretty popular with its customers. It has mostly positive customer reviews on Trustpilot.

Money-back Guarantee: Swyft Filings wants you to be fully satisfied with their service. If you aren’t 100% satisfied with their service, they offer a full refund of all Swyft Filing fees you’ve paid (not including the fees you’ve paid to the state).

Cons

No Registered Agent Service by Default:  A registered agent is a person who receives legal documents and correspondence on behalf of your company in the state it’s situated in. Swyft Filings does not include this service in any of their pricing packages and the standalone registered agent service they do offer is a bit pricier than other service providers. 

Starting Package is Lacking: Swyft Filings does not include an operating agreement, a Federal Tax ID, or electronic delivery of state documents in its basic plan. However, it does include a free 30-minute business tax consultation, ComplianceGuard company alerts, and a free domain name.

Outsourcing to Third-party Services: This company outsources many of its services to third-party providers. You may need to do some research of your own if you want to know exactly who they’re partnered with.  

Swyft Filings LLC Formation Packages

Swyft Filings offers three pricing packages to choose from which are the following:

• Basic – $49 (does not include state fees)
• Standard – $149 (does not include state fees)
• Premium – $299 (does not include state fees)

Here’s a brief breakdown of each pricing plan and the features they include.  

1. Basic Package

The Basic Package includes all you need to form your LLC or corporation. This package lets you name your LLC, prepare the required documents, and file them with the Secretary of State.

This Basic Plan costs $49 as well as state fees that will vary based on your location. Fees are billed annually, so you pay once a year, and you’re good to go.

Some of this package’s unique features include the following:

Verify Company Name Availability

Imagine yourself:

You’ve just come up with the perfect business name after several days of brainstorming. You smile as you start visualizing how it’s going to be the next big name brand talked about in the entire state and across the internet. Excitedly, you start taking action to prepare the necessary documents to make your dream business a reality.

You eventually pay the fees and file your papers with the Secretary of State in the place you plan to start. Then a few months later — the Secretary of State informs you that your chosen business name is already taken. 

Thankfully:

Swyft Filings helps you prevent this frustrating situation from ever happening by first verifying that your chosen business name is available in the state before filing your documents.

Preparation and Filing of Articles of Organization

Articles of Organization a.k.a Articles of Incorporation outline the duties, rights, liabilities, and much more of every member in your LLC. This document is required for you to form your LLC with your chosen state.

While you usually need to file this document with your state government, keep in mind that many cities and counties have specific zoning and licensing requirements. These requirements can vary based on your industry, location, and much more. 

Swyft Filings helps you create Articles of Organization for your business. This is done through the answers you provide on its forms while signing up. 

Note that this service is included in all pricing packages.

Free 30 Minute Business Tax Consultation

Starting a business from scratch can be confusing, difficult, and frustrating. There are so many factors to keep track of, not the least of which are business taxes. You’d have to go see a tax specialist help you understand the ins and outs of business taxes.

Fortunately:

Swyft Filings gives you the option of getting a 30-minute business tax consultation with a partner national accounting firm. This consultation will be focused on vital information regarding your business tax requirements as well as how to reduce business taxes.

Here’s what you can expect during this consultation:

• How your business is taxed
• Commonly missed deductions
• How to pay yourself the correct way
• Using business bank accounts
• What to do when your business has a loss or profit
• How to stay in compliance with IRS tax requirements
• And much more

ComplianceGuard Company Alerts

Other factors to remember include compliance requirements. Each state has different compliance requirements that you’ll need to file if you want your business to keep operating legally. Because each state has different requirements, keeping track of all of these can be difficult.

This is where ComplianceGuard comes in. This tool alerts you of important due dates for state filings. 

These include the following:

• Annual Reports
• Initial Reports
• Publication requirements
• Other important filing deadlines 

This feature ensures that you never miss an important filing and that your business keeps operating legally within its state. 

Free Domain Name

In the age of the internet, most, if not all, businesses are going online. Going online lets your business reach and connect with a wider customer base around the globe. To do this, one thing you’ll need is a domain name, email, and website.

Swyft Filings helps you set up all of these. You can use your domain name for free for one year.

Good for: Small business owners.

Summary: This package is best if you’re just starting your small business and lack the funding or the size to choose the pricier options. 

2. Standard Package

The Standard package costs $149 + state fees (billed annually) and includes all the services from the Basic package plus four more, which we detail below:

Obtain Federal Tax ID (EIN) 

Also known as a Tax ID Number or Employer ID Number, a Federal Tax ID is a nine-digit unique figure you get from the IRS. This number lets the agency identify your business (like your Social Security number identifies you), and it lets your company access several benefits – including a bank account, seamless hiring processes, financing help, and much more. 

One of the many unique LLC characteristics is the separation of business funds from your personal holdings. With an EIN, you can do just that. The number ensures that your company’s finances are entirely separate from yours, and you can reduce your personal liability on that end. 

The Swyft Filings Standard Package lets you obtain an EIN. Note that while the company will prepare and digitally file your EIN with the IRS, you’ll have to personally mail or fax in your completed forms to receive your EIN if you do not have a social security number or taxpayer ID number.

Custom LLC Operating Agreement

An LLC Operating Agreement is a document that outlines the terms of an LLC according to the business owner. It’s similar to the Articles of Incorporation, which explain how companies expect to function moving forward. 

With this document, you lay out your operational and financial decision-making process, the company’s operational and governance structure, and everything that has to do with its leadership. It also explains the business’s acceptable actions and creates a succession plan if you have to leave the company for some reason. While an Operating Agreement isn’t a requirement in most states, it is seen as a mandatory document you must have when setting up your LLC. 

Swyft Filings provides you with an up-to-date, easy-to-understand, and custom-built Operating Agreement template. All you need to do is fill it in with your company’s details and make sure that it matches your firm’s information.

Remember that YOU have to fill in your operating agreement and keep it up to date over time. 

Custom Banking Resolution

It goes without saying that every business requires banking services. You want your business to be able to open a bank account, access loans, get proper financing, and do much more on its own. This will require several documents, one of which a banking resolution.  

With a banking resolution, you can authorize a party to open a bank account and sign on behalf of your business. It makes financial transactions much easier and can significantly help set your business up once and for all. 

Swyft Filings provides you with a custom-built banking resolution template. This lets you complete the resolution and set up your financial structure quickly. 

Custom Organizational Minutes

Once your LLC is formed, your members are going to have their first meeting. This first Member meeting is known as the “Organizational Meeting”. You’ll need your filed articles of organization and your operating agreement in order to conduct this meeting.

Swyft Filings provides your company with a custom-built organizational minutes template. This template covers the most commonly needed options and will be customized according to your company’s information.

Good for: Small to medium-sized businesses.

Summary: This package is best if you’re starting a medium-sized business or your business is beginning to expand. 

3. Premium Package

The Premium Package comes in at $299 + state fees. It includes all the features and services you get from the first two packages plus three more, which we detail below:

Electronic Delivery of State Documents

If you want to set up your LLC quickly, you’ll want to get your incorporation documents at the soonest possible opportunity. This can be a problem if you need to wait a few days to personally fetch them from your formation service provider or for the documents to arrive in the mail. The beauty of online business formation platforms is that you can get your documents wherever you are.

Upon receipt of your incorporation documents from the state, Swyft Filings will immediately make them available to you for download via your online Swyft Filings account.

Customized Digital Corporate Kit

Swyft Filings provides your business with a digital corporate kit that lets your company stay compliant and gives your company a sheen of professionalism and reliability. 

The kit includes:

Company Seal – Customized digital seal with your company’s name, year formed, and state. This lets you properly mark all of your company’s documents.

20 Customized Stock Certificates – These let you distribute formal ownership documents to your company’s initial owners/shareholders.

Ownership ledger – A dedicated and specifically designed ownership ledger lets you properly document all of your company’s ownership transfers.

FedEx Shipping and Tracking

Another way Swyft Filings lets you set up your LLC quicker is by partnering with FedEx.

Upon receipt of your incorporation documents, the company ships your chosen package to you via FedEx with a tracking number. The average delivery time is about 1 – 2 business days.

Additional Services

Swyft Filings offers the following additional services beyond what is available in the service packages:

Express Filing Time

Swyft Filings delivers your approved incorporation documents to you quicker than usual. The speed of this additional service depends on your chosen state. 

Registered Agent Service and Change of Registered Agent

This package gets you a registered agent to represent your business. A registered agent is a person that receives legal notices – including lawsuits and summons from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – and other documents on behalf of your company. If you want to ensure that your LLC operates smoothly, a registered agent is a necessity. 

Most states require you get a registered agent before forming your business. Your agent will be the one to file your formation papers, and you will most likely miss essential documents that need filing if you don’t have a registered agent representing you. 

This service is billed separately and will bump up your renewal fees by $149 a year.

Annual Reports

Most states require you to file reports annually confirming your business’s continued existence. Annual reports usually consist of your corporate information, ownership information, cap tables, and sometimes require sales or revenue information. 

Swyft Filings has filed thousands of annual reports in each state and can help you take care of your annual report filing, too. The company knows exactly what information is needed and what to do with it. 

This service comes in at $99 + state fees. 

Initial Report

Some states require you to file an Initial Report or a Statement of Information. These reports consist of owner or director information, the registered agent, and require you to pay small fees. This report is often due within the first few months of operation and varies from state to state. 

This service comes in at $55 + state fees.

Business Licenses and Permits

Opening a business is more than just putting up a “we’re open” sign. You have to go through a lot of red tapes to obtain the required business permits and licenses. Swyft Filings can help you determine which permits or licenses your business needs and help you with the applications for each one at the federal, state, and local levels. 

This service comes in at $99.

Amendments and Name Change

The only constant thing is change. Sometimes, you just need to change your business name to something more appropriate. Or you may need to amend your filing. 

Swyft Filings has assisted thousands of customers with just this, and they’re ready to help you, too. 

This service comes in at $99 + state fees.

Conversion

Speaking of change, there may come a time when you want to convert your LP to either a Corp or LLC, your LLC to a C-Corp, or vice-versa. Swyft Filings is experienced in this procedure and they can help you make your conversion as seamless and easy as possible.

This service comes in at $199 + state fees.

Seller’s Permit

If you plan to sell a product or service, you may need to collect sales tax in your state. To do that, you’re usually going to need a seller’s permit (also known as a state sales tax ID). 

A Seller’s permit lets you collect sales taxes each time you make a sale. You get this permit from your state. 

Swyft Filings can help you obtain your permit (or help you apply for exemptions) for $129.

Foreign Qualification

When transacting business in a state other than where you originally incorporated, you’ll likely need to foreign qualify. There are several factors but if you have employees, assets, or significant revenues from another state, you will have to file the required paperwork to authorize you to do business in that state. 

Swyft Filings can help you with this requirement for $199 + state fees.

Apostille Certificate

Another document you may need if doing business in another country is an Apostille Certificate. This is required for you to use the business documents that you filed with a U.S. State in another country. 

This service comes in at $75 + state fees.

Business Withdrawal from Other States

Speaking of foreign states, if you’re done doing business in a foreign jurisdiction, you’ll usually need to file some necessary paperwork to terminate your reporting and tax obligations for that state. 

Swyft Filings can help you with your paperwork for $99 + state fees.

501(c)(3) Applications

Nonprofits, and their donors, enjoy tax benefits and exemptions available to organizations who file for and receive tax-exempt status. However, you may find that the 501(c)(3) application process with the IRS can be difficult. 

Swyft Filings can help you with your paperwork for $495 + IRS fee.

Dissolving or Ending Your Business

Sometimes a business has to close for any number of reasons. Whatever the reason, certain steps have to be taken to ensure all your business affairs are in order. 

Swyft Filings can help you with your paperwork for $149 + state fees.

Swyft Filings Alternatives

Swyft Filings seems good so far. They combine an affordable price with personal customer support, ComplianceGuard, and excellent customer reviews (more on this below). 

However, you may feel like their basic package is a bit lacking. You may want a similarly-priced service that includes a registered agent service as part of their package by default. 

If you’re looking for such a service, one alternative is ZenBusiness.

ZenBusiness is our top-rated LLC formation service for a reason. They’re affordable, they have excellent (slightly better) customer reviews than Swyft Filings, their basic package includes a one-year free registered agent service, operating agreement, and they have one of the best customer support teams in the industry.

Swyft Filings Customer Reviews

One step in the reviewing process that we always emphasize is checking out customer reviews. These reviews are written by real-life customers who have firsthand experience signing up and using a company’s LLC formation services. 

For this review, we headed over to Trustpilot.

As you can see:

Over 3,300 customers give Swyft Filings an excellent review with 4.6 stars out of 5. Most customers who loved their experience mentioned the company’s quick turnaround times and prompt, helpful customer support. 

Should You Start an LLC with Swyft Filings?

So:

With all of that said, should you start an LLC with Swyft Filings?

While forming an LLC with Swyft Filings is easy, fast, and affordable, there are better alternatives out there, especially the ones at the top of our list of 11 Best LLC Services. 

Pros of forming an LLC with Swyft Filings

• Affordable Price
• ComplianceGuard Company Alerts
• Helpful and Prompt Customer Service
• Excellent Customer Reviews

Cons of starting an LLC with Swyft Filings

• No Registered Agent Service by Default 
• Starting Package is Lacking
• Outsourcing to Third-party Services 

Final Verdict

Swyft Filings is no lightweight in the LLC formation industry, though. Its affordable prices, assistance in keeping your company compliant, great customer support team, and highly rated customer reviews certainly give it a place among the best in the business. 

However, the lack of a registered agent service in any of its packages plus the somewhat wanting starter package features do hurt its rating in our book. 

That said:

We still recommend Swyft Filings as an LLC formation service.

Let us know if you agree with our Swyft Filings LLC Service review by leaving us a message on our contact page or leaving a review at the bottom of this article.

Frequently Asked Questions