Short answer: those “free” extras usually aren't worth much — and we'd rather be honest about it. When another service bundles a “website builder,” “logo maker,” or “email domain,” they're almost always just routing you to a separate third-party tool anyway (which any formation company does). With AI, free logo and website builders are everywhere now and do a better job than a thrown-in generic template. And when a company builds those in-house, it's a side feature — rarely as good as the specialists who do only that. We focus on getting your legal formation done right by an attorney. Want a website, logo, or email? Just email us and we'll point you to the best current tool for your situation, free.

Same honest answer: when a service says a phone number is “included,” they're usually just sending you to a separate provider. We do the same — except we tell you upfront and recommend one or two of the best options instead of a random default. Email us anytime and we'll share our current pick for a business phone, address, website, or email. We keep an eye on what's actually good.

Generally, no. Register in the state where you live and operate. Forming in Wyoming or Delaware sounds appealing but if you live somewhere else, you'll need to foreign-qualify in your home state anyway — that's an extra $297 + state filing fees, plus a second annual fee. And simply registering in a no-income-tax state doesn't mean you avoid paying income tax to your home state. You still owe taxes where you live and work. The main exceptions: (1) you're international with no US home state, (2) you specifically need Wyoming's privacy protections, or (3) you're forming a C-Corp to raise venture capital (Delaware is the standard). For everyone else, your home state is the right call.

An anonymous LLC is formed in a state that doesn't require member names on the Articles of Organization — meaning your name doesn't appear in public records. States like Wyoming, New Mexico, and a few others allow this. However, if your home state requires member names on filings and you form in Wyoming instead, you'll need to foreign-qualify at home — and your name may appear on that state's records anyway. In that case, the only option for true anonymity is a double-LLC structure (a Wyoming holding company that owns your home-state LLC), and even that has limits depending on where you live. If privacy is critical and your state isn't anonymous-friendly, use our Smart Guide chatbot to discuss your options — the right approach depends on your specific state and situation.

The $149 Starter package covers your Articles of Organization filing, business name availability search, digital document delivery, bank account setup assistance, and email support. For a complete setup with EIN, operating agreement, and registered agent, the Professional package is $399. Every package includes attorney oversight on your filing.

Foreign qualification is registering your business in a state other than the one where it was originally formed. You need it when you have a physical presence — employees, an office, or inventory — in another state. Simply selling to customers in another state online usually doesn't trigger it. If you form in Wyoming for privacy but live in California, you'll need to foreign-qualify in California. That means two sets of state fees, two annual reports, and a registered agent in both states. Our intake helps you figure out if this applies to you.

It depends on your revenue. An S-Corp election lets you pay yourself a salary and take remaining profits as distributions, which aren't subject to self-employment tax (15.3%). The math typically works at $60K+ in annual net profit — below that, the payroll costs and extra tax filings eat up the savings. At $100K+, you could save $5,000–$10,000 per year. We'll help you decide during the intake process and file Form 2553 with the IRS if it makes sense.

If you're in a community property state (Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, or Wisconsin), a spousal LLC can be treated as a 'disregarded entity' for tax purposes — meaning simpler filing on your joint return instead of a separate partnership return. In non-community-property states, adding your spouse makes it a multi-member LLC taxed as a partnership, which requires a separate return (Form 1065). We'll walk you through the best option based on your state.

Form in the state where the business primarily operates — usually where the main office or most activity is. Your partners being in other states doesn't change where you form, but it may affect whether you need to foreign-qualify in their states later (if you have employees or physical operations there). The key is your operating agreement — it needs to clearly define each member's ownership, responsibilities, and what happens if someone leaves. That's more important than which state you pick.

We submit most filings within 1–2 business days, and your filing gets attorney review within 1 business day. After that, state processing times vary — some states approve in 24 hours, others take 2–3 weeks. That part is outside our control, but we'll give you an accurate timeline based on your state at checkout.

Yes — every state requires a registered agent for your LLC or corporation. They receive legal and tax documents on your behalf at a physical address during business hours. Using a registered agent service means your home address stays off public filings and you don't have to be available at a fixed location during business hours. Ours is $99/year, included free the first year with Professional and Premium packages.

Three big differences: (1) We're attorney-founded — Robert personally oversees operations, not a call center. (2) Our pricing is transparent — a flat formation fee with no surprise subscriptions or hidden upsells, and any optional recurring services (like registered agent) are disclosed upfront. A '$0' LLC usually isn't free once you add the essentials — registered agent, operating agreement, EIN — which are often paid add-ons. (3) Every filing gets attorney review. If something looks off, we call you — regardless of your package.

Our formation packages are limited-scope filing and document-preparation services, and some packages include attorney review of your filing. General formation guidance may include discussion of common entity, state, and filing considerations. We may explain common tax-election concepts, such as S-corp election availability, but that is not the same as tax advice or tax planning for your specific situation. For complex needs — multi-state operations, unusual ownership structures, asset-protection or tax planning — we'll point you to independent counsel or a CPA. An attorney-client relationship is formed only with a signed engagement agreement.

It's complicated. You can form in Wyoming (anonymous) and foreign-qualify in your home state, but your name may still appear on the foreign registration. The most common workaround is a double-LLC: a Wyoming holding company (anonymous) owns your home-state operating LLC. This keeps your name off the Wyoming filing, and the home-state filing shows the Wyoming LLC as the member — not you personally. But this doesn't work equally well in every state, and it adds complexity and cost. If anonymity is critical, use our Smart Guide chatbot to discuss your situation — the right strategy depends entirely on which state you're in.

By default, even in anonymous states, we may include your name on the Articles because it makes opening a bank account easier — banks like to see who owns the LLC on the formation documents. However, if you specifically want your name left off, just let us know during the intake (there's an option for this) and we'll file without it. You can always provide the bank with your operating agreement separately to verify ownership.