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Thursday, April 17th
Since 2015, Swyft Filings has helped more than 300,000 businesses to do what they love while this service handles the paperwork - for non-profits, S- and C-Corporations, and yes, LLC formation.
No final pricing until the end
As you walk through the question-and-answer to create your LLC, Swyft Filings will ask if you want to include several a la carte features. They do a good job of explaining each one, but we don't really love the approach of not telling you pricing until the very end. Rival services show you the package pricing upfront instead of making you pick and choose "extras” as you go. Such extras include registered agent services and a Business Licenses and Compliance Package ($99).
$49 for basic LLC formation
But, at the end, you will get to see Swyft Filings' three packages. Every service comes with name availability verification, preparation of articles or organization, filing of your documents with the Secretary of State for your business, Statement of the Organizer, lifetime customer support via phone and email, and a free domain name. With Swyft Filings' Basic package, you'd only spend $49 plus state filing fees to get all of those services: an extremely competitive price compared with rival providers.
$149 for Standard, $299 for Premium
Jump up to the Standard plan ($149) and your LLC formation service will include obtaining an EIN, a customized banking resolution, organizational minutes, and LLC operating agreement. At $299, Swyft Filings' Premium plan gives you all the bells and whistles: everything in Basic and Standard, plus a customized digital LLC kit, expedited filing time, and FedEx delivery.
Clients are glad they chose this company
Swyft Filings has a pretty impressive reputation, for the most part. On Trustpilot alone, almost 6000 clients had left ratings at the time of our evaluation, averaging 4.8 out of 5 stars. When we sorted out just the reviews that mentioned LLCs, even the most recent comments were almost uniformly positive. Customers praised the quick and helpful service they received, the reps' ability to answer questions and resolve problems, and the overall streamlined nature of the LLC creation process.
An "F” from the BBB?!
Notice we said "for the most part”? When we looked at the Better Business Bureau's listing for Swyft Filings, expecting it to line up with the thousands of happy client reviews found elsewhere, we were surprised (and not in a good way) to see an "F” rating. The BBB cited 165 complaints filed, 4 of which had gone unresolved and 7 that had received no response at all. If you're seriously thinking of using Swyft Filings for your LLC creation, we'd suggest reading through the complaints at the BBB and deciding if they're cause for concern in your specific circumstances. We found detailed responses to just about all of them, and many issues were obvious failures on the part of the client in understanding how the service worked, what they signed up for, and what their subsequent emails and updates meant for their billing.
Watch out for automatic billing and higher costs
Then again, Swyft Filings isn't doing clients any favors with their $99 quarterly subscription for registered agent service. You'll find LLC formation options in our review that charge that much for an annual plan. You may want to click on "appoint someone else to handle all of this” if you decide to use Swyft and don't want to overspend on that aspect of your business. You'll also find yourself subscribed to their ComplianceGuard service: you get a 14-day free trial with any LLC formation service you choose here, but it will automatically renew at $149/year unless you opt out during the checkout process.
High in satisfaction but pay attention to billing details
At the end of the day, we feel compelled enough by the thousands of five-star ratings from satisfied Swyft Filings clients to give this LLC formation service our own four-star review. You get a lot for your money here, and most people come away completely satisfied with their experience. But, balance that positivity out by remembering that you could easily wind up with auto-renewing charges and make sure to deselect those during your sign-up process if needed.
LLC formation is a common way for small business owners to limit their personal liability while operating their company. A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a hybrid business entity that combines the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the liability protection of a corporation. LLCs are a popular structure for many small businesses because they offer many of the benefits of a corporation without the same level of complexity and formality.
Forming an LLC typically involves filing articles of organization with the state in which the business will operate. Your specific process and requirements for forming an LLC may vary depending on the state where you're doing business, but it generally requires selecting a unique business name, designating a registered agent, and paying a fee. Some states may have additional requirements such as issuing an operating agreement or publishing a notice of formation in a local newspaper.
There are many services that can help with LLC formation for small businesses. Many of these services offer a range of options for businesses at various price points, from basic do-it-yourself kits to more comprehensive packages that may include assistance with obtaining tax identification numbers, preparing and filing annual reports, and ongoing compliance support.
Which of these services should you choose? You want to get it right the first time, and forming an LLC can be complicated. Here are some of the most important criteria you should keep in mind as you choose how to take that next step for your business:
Because forming an LLC can be an important step to protect your personal assets and limit your liability as a business owner, Top Consumer Reviews has evaluated and ranked today's most popular services. We're confident that our comprehensive reviews will help you choose the right provider to help you navigate the process.
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