Planning to start an LLC but don’t know where to begin? For beginners out there, it can be difficult to choose an LLC company with the most reliable services for your kind of business.
But there are lots of online LLC service providers, with BizFilings being one of the best. In this review, our team of experts will help you to determine if the company offers reliable LLC services.
Pros
- Free six months of registered agent services with all packages
- Over 20 years of experience and A+ BBB rating
- Provides tracking tool to track compliance deadlines and filing dates
- Provides useful resources and information on ongoing business management
- Uses Norton Web Security to encrypt data and provide data protection
Cons
- A bit pricey compared to other competitors
- Slightly confusing pricing information as basic business filing fee varies per state
- No attorney or legal services provided
History and Experience
BizFilings was established in 1996 by two entrepreneurs who later sold the company to Wolters Kluwer, a massive global information services company. The company remains a subsidiary of Wolters Kluwer and is one of the oldest online LLC formation service. To date, BizFilings has formed over 500,000 LLCs.
Bizfilings Features
BizFilings offers several features to help business owners form an LLC, or select or change the registered agent for their business. Here is a brief of the incorporating services and more the company offers from our experts:
Bizfilings Pricing and Packages
BizFilings offers three packages which are Basic, Standard, and Complete package. All three packages include business name check, incorporation document preparation and filing, and full BizComply access which give value to your money.
The Basic package costs $99 plus the state fees. Aside from the basic 99 dollar services, this 99 state fee package includes 6 months of free registered agent service Bizfilings has a big advantage in this area, access to incorporation document library with operating agreement, LLC forms, bylaws, and more.
The Standard package has a starting price of $229 plus the state fee. This plan includes everything in the Basic package like six months free registered agent service in addition to LLC kit and seal, sample operating agreements, and other customizable forms if you require more value to services in addition to basic formation services. The Standard package also includes expedited processing service, which will work to expedite your order with the state filing.
The Complete plan has a starting price of $349 plus the state fees. This plan includes everything in the Standard package in addition to overnight shipping, an employee identification number (EIN), a certified copy of state-filed forms, and a compliance DVD titled “Now That You’re Formed.”
In our Bizfilings review, the prices for the Standard and Complete packages vary greatly from state to state, even before factoring in the state fees. For instance, in some states, the Complete package costs $199 but costs about $434 in other states which is a big value of money, and then you’ll add your state fee to that.
Bizfilings Registered Agent Service
This company provides its registered agent services as a standalone feature for $164 per year. This service includes annual report listing alerts, franchise tax, and access to BizComply online compliance monitoring tool. However, these registered agent services are offered by BizFilings free for 6 months when you purchase any of Basic, Standard, and Complete packages. Bizfilings does not provide attorney support or legal advice.
With their registered agent services, BizFilings will use its address as your mailing address to reduce junk mail and sharing of personal information.
Business Name Availability Search
BizFilings conducts a preliminary business name check to make sure that your chosen business name is available and hasn’t been taken by another incorporated business in the state you’re filing in. This service is featured in all BizFilings’ LLC formation packages.
EIN/Tax Identification Number
BizFilings will help you acquire your Federal tax ID (EIN), which is needed to hire employees, pay business taxes, open business bank accounts, among others. Although you can obtain your EIN [1] yourself from the office of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for free, BizFilings offers help to remove any hassle. You will only enjoy to use BizFilings service when you purchase the Complete package.
Turnaround Time
While most other LLC formation service providers like InCorp formation company base their turnaround times on the average processing times of each state, BizFilings base its turnaround time on the LLC formation package you subscribe to.
For instance, the Basic package has a turnaround time of four to six weeks, the Standard package has seven to 10 business days, and the Complete package has 10 business days. BizFilings also offers expedited processing services, which costs $60 and will work to speed up the processing of your incorporation documents by the state.
For fast turnaround time, you can also check our Northwest Registered Agent review here.
Bizfilings Guide and Resources
As stated above, BizFilings has on its website lots of useful resources and guides on LLC formation services, ongoing compliance issues, tax management, licenses and permits and many more. These resources are available for free and are in place to make sure that both customers and non-customers are as educated as possible
Ease of Use
Moving on in our Bizfilings review, let’s discuss how easy or difficult it is to use this platform.
The essence of using an wired LLC company is to save time and make the LLC formation easier and faster. Nevertheless, with some LLC companies, the experience can feel like you’re filing your business on your own.
However, with BizFilings, the business formation process is easy, straightforward, and streamlined. The company also has a wizard that’ll help you with business formation.
The entire process from selecting your LLC formation package through to the final payment step requires you to navigate through seven pages. Although there are upsells along the way, our experts found that these upsells are not obtrusive or pushy.
However, there are a lot of third-party offers throughout the order form, which can slow down the entire business formation process.
Additional Services
BizFilings has several additional services which is a big value to your money, this include operating agreement, incorporation documents, initial report, a state federal tax ID form, free 6 months of registered agent service, BizComply online compliance dashboard tool, EIN acquisition, kit and seal, and foreign qualifications.
BizFilings LLC also offers a free 30-day trial of QuickBooks, two complimentary months of a business mail address, $50 off a toll-free phone number, and more.
Bizfilings Customer Support
BizFilings has great customer support the same with Active Filings formation service, which is available via phone call, email, and online chat options Monday through Friday. Customers can access support only on weekdays from 8 am to 7 pm CT.
Based on BizFilings reviews and testimonies, the company’s support agents are very helpful and courteous.
To better serve its customers, BizFilings has a refund policy in place. BizFilings provides warranties on all its services against any listing defects that may crop up and this warranty lasts for a very long time, and can be as long as the life of your business. However, if for any reason you’re not satisfied with the service you receive, you can take advantage of the refund policy and get a refund.
Nevertheless, BizFilings charges processing fees for refund requests. The company charges a $50 fee if you request the refund before the business listing is initiated, and $75 if it has already completed your preliminary name availability check.
For excellent customer support, Legal Zoom LLC formation service is also a good choice.
Customer Reviews
Despite being in business for over 20 years and consider one of the top LLC formation services, BizFilings has very few customer reviews on third-party websites and most of these reviews are quite old. Oddly enough, our team was able to find just five online reviews–one on BBB and four on Yelp. This is a small sample size and we aren’t able to use it to analyze its customer service.
Bizfilings Alternatives
Although BizFilings is considered one of the best LLC formation providers, you may not find their filing services reliable for your kind of business. If that is the case, our team recommends the following few alternatives to BizFilings like Zenbusiness, IncFile, LegalZoom and more :
ZenBusiness: ZenBusiness is one of the best LLC service providers to choose from just like LegalZoom if you want to form an LLC on a budget but are still looking for all the essential features. ZenBusiness’s Basic plan costs $39 plus state fees including incorporation documents.
IncFile: IncFile offers very similar filing services like BizFilings but at more affordable costs. IncFile advertises its LLC formation for as little as $0 plus state fees. LegalZoom just like IncFile also offers lifetime support, online access to incorporation documents, and free registered agent service for one year instead of six months.
For more alternatives, you can also check our review of LegalZoom and Noro here.
FAQ
Is Bizfilings legit?
Yes, BizFilings is legit as we state specific evidence. The company has been operating for over 20 years and has helped thousands of business owners to form their businesses. BizFilings has a verified website and an A+ rating on Better Business Bureau (BBB). Hence, BizFilings is a legitimate and well-respected LLC service provider. However, it may sound odd that despite operating for many years, the company has fewer reviews and track reports.
Bizfilings Review Conclusion
As seen in our team of experts’ review of BizFilings, the company has many years of experience and strong customer support. The company is a steady provider of LLC formation services. While there are cheaper competitors out there with for lower price points, BizFilings is reputable and trustworthy compared to others in the industry.
