IncFile remains the Vault50 best-budget pick LLC formation service going into 2022. This is because their zero-fee (+ state fee) offers unprecedented value for money with a good range of professional services.
Furthermore, their 1-year free registered agent service even on this zero-fee package is one of the best deals on the LLC formation market.
That being said, as we move into the new year, the industry has definitely picked up in terms of competition. New offers from the likes of Inc Authority and the up and coming Zen Business give the new business owner a wide range of options.
To walk you through IncFile’s services for 2022, we have asked one of our readers who recently used the basic, no-fee package, to give us the lowdown…
Table of Contents
IncFile Review Summary
PRICING: Silver: FREE / Gold: $149 / Platinum: $299 (State fees apply on each)
The $0 plus state fee is an amazing deal- The website is really easy to use and pricing is transparent
- Order processing time is 24hours.
- Legally authorized to organize 10 types of LLCs
- Initial 12months of registered agent services are free of charge.
Adding premium services to the Silver package quickly adds up- The platinum package is expensive
Overall I loved my experience forming my LLC with IncFile. I was on a budget and they delivered what I needed at an amazing price. The process was easy because of their great website, and the application part is very streamlined. For those wanting all the frills, the price can add up. However, if you know what you need (and their learning center makes that possible), you can buy accordingly and get a great price. You will not be disappointed.
Introduction
Hello all, my name is Mia and I recently started an LLC based in Illinois. It’s for my new Interior Design Company. (Woo Hoo!).
Anyway, I opted for IncFile because of their free package plus state fee.
I will admit that I knew nothing about forming an LLC before starting this process, and it was the review on Vault50 that swayed me towards using them.
I got in touch with the V50 editorial team with a couple of questions and the next thing you know, I’m a contributing writer.
Let’s get on with the review though shall we?
Who are IncFile?
I know this has been covered in greater detail elsewhere, but in brief, IncFile is an LLC formation service based in Houston. Using their website you can access their services wherever you live in the USA however.
They’ve been around for a number of years (over 15 I think) and specializes in providing registered agent services and business formation services for people like you and me – the small business owner.
Their website states that their staff that deals with each application has at least 6-year experience of providing formation services, (another little plus point that made me want to use them).
Also, the IncFile website is really easy to use. The online ordering process of LLC formation is streamlined and you can monitor how things are going along the way.
- Related Content: CorpNet Reviews: What our readers have to say…
The 10 types of LLCs that IncFile can Form
I only needed a domestic LLC, as I am not in a position to travel around the country working with clients too far from home. (A domestic LLC only allows you to work in your registered state; I would need a Foreign LLC if I was to be offering services further afield.)
If you are looking into using IncFile, here’s a list of the types of LLC they are licensed to form.
- Domestic LLC,
- Foreign LLC,
- Anonymous LLC,
- Restricted LLC,
- Member-Managed LLC,
- Single-Member LLC (allows for the conversion of sole proprietorships into LLCs),
- Manager-managed LLC,
- Series LLC, and L3C
- Series LLC is a special type of LLC whereby a master LLC presides over separate legal entities, and this option is available in the 8 states: Delaware, Texas, Illinois, Utah, Nevada, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
IncFile 3 main LLC Formation Packages
IncFile LLC formation packages are bundled into the following three types (levels of price tiers); the Silver package, the Gold package, and the Platinum package.
As explained by David in the introduction, I opted for the $0 + state fee (which was $154) to form my LLC.
I will talk about my experience using that basic package below.
First, I’ll list the services you can expect with each package.
The silver package ($0 + State Fee)
- verification of the availability of company name,
- registered agent services, online tracking of the order status (normal order turnaround [completion] is 24hours),
- lifetime company alerts,
- lifetime customer support,
- Next Business Day Processing
- Online Order Status Tracking
- business website offer
- Statement and Resignation of the Organizer
- tax consultation, and drafting, preparation, and filing of articles of organization;
- as well as opening up an LLC bank account with the Bank of America.
- Registered Agent Service for 1 Full Year
The premium services that can be added to the Silver Package are:
- EIN/FTIN obtainment,
- preparation of an operating agreement and company by-laws,
- provision of business contract templates,
- banking resolution, and corporation organizational meeting minutes,
- preparation and submission of IRS Form 2553 that qualifies the special categories of organized business entity as an LLC.
All the above premium services are included within Gold Package.
The Platinum package features everything I have listed so far, however Business Contract Templates and a free business domain name and email service (for a year) are included too.
Easy Customization of services
If you head to the signup page on the Incfile website you will see how easy it is to customize your package.
For example, after choosing the Silver package I was able to scroll down the page and tick any of the premium services that I wanted and the fee would automatically be added to the overall price.
Essentially, it allows you to easily select the most appropriate services for your specific needs.
Using IncFile’s LLC Services
This sort of brings me nicely to my overall experience using IncFile.
As I have already mentioned, I had no idea what to expect coming into this.
To start with I was overwhelmed by the range of companies providing LLC formation, the different price plans, even the different types of company you can form. It made my head spin if I am honest.
It helped a lot coming across Vault50’s top 5 LLC services review. This narrowed down the options.
After checking out IncFile, their price and easy to use website really did sway me.
- Related Content: MyCompanyWorks Review: Would I recommend their LLC Services?
Learning resources
I loved the fact they had a lot of resources accessible without the need to signup for anything.
I spent a good deal of time on the site looking through the Learning Center. This had a ton of useful information that helped reassure me as to what type of LLC I needed, (I’d never heard of things such as Foreign or Domestic LLCs before that).
Choosing a Package
With the knowledge gained from the site I was then able to move onto the officially applying for my LLC.
Again, the website made this a breeze, even for a novice like me.
You can’t miss the two tabs at the top which ask for your entity type and then the state of formation.
Click get started on that, and everything else follows very intuitively indeed. The price was completely transparent; as was the level of service I was going to get.
It is all there, clear as day.
- Related Content: Swyft Filings Reviews – My experience using their LLC services
The application process
After selecting a package, it was on to providing contact information, the details needed for Incfile to handle my LLC formation, and of course payment.
Again, this was a far simpler process than I was expecting. In all, it took me about 10 minutes.
After providing my details I was given login details and then had access to the IncFile tracking dashboard so I could see how the process was going.
Tracking Formation & Receiving Documents
I had no need to opt for the fastest formation turnaround and next day delivery of documents.
However, the process from filling in the details online and receiving my formation documents in the post was less than a week.
In that time I was able to see exactly when the documents had been sent to the state for filing, (this took less than 24hrs) and then when the state and completed whatever bureaucracy was required their end.
I was then notified once the delivery of the docs was underway.
My Experience using IncFile: Any Complaints?
It is hard to fault a service if you have had no problems with it. Admittedly I have no frame of reference; this is the only LLC service I have ever used.
Furthermore, I only used their Silver package. This basic option had everything I could possibly need to get started.
For those that wish to employ people, they would be advised to opt for the Gold Package as this features the premium options related to dealings with the IRS, (I opted to take care of this as and when myself).
If I was to complain, its that the addons do add up if you go for the silver package and wish to customize with some premium features.
In fact, as you experiment with extras it soon becomes worthwhile to opt for the Gold deal instead. I guess that’s how IncFile aims to make money; lure you with the free Silver option and then dangle the carrot of more.
This is where things can get expensive however if you want them to take care of everything.
That being said, all prices and related services are very transparent so there is no question of being duped.
- Related Content: Inc Authority Review – Should you use their LLC formation service?
Incfile vs The Competition
BEST VALUE INC FILE | BEST PRO PLAN ZEN BUSINESS | BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE NORTHWEST | CORPNET | SWIFT | MY COMPANY WORKS | |
 |  |  |  |  |  | |
PROCESSING TIME | 1 Business Day | 1 Week | 1-3 Business Days | 1 Week | 1 Week | 1 Week |
REGISTERED AGENT | 1st Year Free, | 1st Year Free, | $125/year | 60 Day Free, | $149/year | $99/year |
OPERATING AGREEMENT | $40 Extra | Included | Included | $69 Extra (Free on Top Plan) | $35 Extra (Free on Mid Plan) | No |
EIN REGISTRY | $70 Extra | Included on Mid (Pro) Plan | No | $69 Extra | $70 Extra | No |
ADVISORY SERVICES | Free 1hr Tax Consultation | No | No | No | 30mins Tax Consultation | Free LLC Handbook |
HOSTING & DOMAIN | Optional: $20p/mo | Included on Top Plan | No | No | Free Domain | No |
ANNUAL COMPLIANCE | Free Lifetime Annual Alerts | Free Lifetime Annual Alerts | Included with Registered Agents | Free Lifetime Annual Alerts | Free Lifetime Annual Alerts | Free Lifetime Annual Alerts |
CPA ASSESSMENT | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
PLAN/PRICES | Basic: $0 | Basic: $49 | $100 + State Fee | Basic: $79 | Basic: $49 | Basic: $79 |
You can read the Vault50 in-depth review and comparison of leading online LLC formation services here.
As you can see from the table above, IncFile was the top budget choice. As I can wholeheartedly recommend, the value for money being offered on their zero filing fee plan is exceptional. (I am informed that Inc Authority also provides a similar no processing fee package should you wish to check them out too).
Zen Business is also rated highly. Here, the team was impressed by the excellent user interface and what comes offered on the Pro Plan. I didn’t really have the budget for this, so Incfile remained a better choice for me.
The customer service over at Northwest Registered Agent is said to be very good. The editorial team chose them as the best choice in terms of customer support for 2022.
Pros & Cons of using Incfile
- Professional and legal provider of registered agent services.
- The $0 plus state fee is an amazing deal
- The website is really easy to use and pricing is transparent
- Order processing time is 24hours.
- Legally authorized to organize 10 types of LLCs
- Initial 12months of registered agent services are free of charge.
- Adding premium services to the Silver package quickly adds up
- The platinum package is expensive.
Bottom Line
Overall I loved my experience forming my LLC with IncFile. I was on a budget and they delivered everything I needed at an amazing price.
The process was easy because of their great website, and the application part is very streamlined.
For those wanting all the frills, the price can quickly add up. However, if you know what you need (and their learning center makes that possible), you will not be disappointed. These guys are pros.
Ah, and to answer the question posed in the title, in my opinion, IncFile is the one to use in 2022. 🙂
