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Written by: Carolyn Young
Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.
Edited by: David Lepeska
David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.
Updated on October 2, 2023
If you’re starting an LLC in Kentucky, the business entity formation process is one of the first and most important hurdles. This step can be terribly complex and time-consuming, which is why many entrepreneurs turn to professional formation services.
But which are the best LLC formation services in Kentucky? This article takes a closer look, stepping into an entrepreneur’s shoes, to help you choose the service that puts you on the road to success.
Here we summarize our top picks of business formation services in Kentucky.
Best Value
Best Registered Agent Service
Best Turnaround Time
Best for Legal Services
Best for Ensuring Compliance
ZenBusiness offers various plans for prospective business owners in Kentucky.
The Starter plan is $0 plus Kentucky filing fees, covering business name availability search and formation with full support.
The Pro plan, at $199 plus state fees, encompasses the Starter plan services, a Kentucky LLC operating agreement template, an EIN, annual compliance service, and rush filing.
Their Premium plan at $349 plus state fees provides all Pro services, a business document template library, domain name, website, and email.
ZenBusiness is our winner as the best overall LLC filing company in Kentucky due to its low-cost base service, including LLC filing and a 100% accuracy guarantee starting at $0 plus state fees.
In addition, ZenBusiness is a Public Benefit Corporation, meaning it’s a for-profit company with a community goal similar to a nonprofit.
In addition to LLC formation, they provide various add-on services, from registered agents to business tools, although these can raise costs. Historically, ZenBusiness has garnered positive feedback from its customers.
ZenBusiness offers valuable services for budding entrepreneurs. While registered agent services are an add-on, their excellent customer support, user-friendly site, and positive reviews make them a top choice.
Northwest’s plan, at $39 plus state fees, includes business formation in Kentucky, free registered agent services for a year, a business address, a Kentucky LLC operating agreement, and a few extras.
This plan is an excellent value since registered agent services and an operating agreement, which are very important, are included.
But if you do not choose the registered agent services, you’re still charged the full plan price.
Northwest Registered Agent, as the name implies, is best known for their registered agent services. As a registered agent, they offer more personalized customer support and fast correspondence notification.
We recommend Northwest Registered Agent because of their transparent pricing, outstanding customer service, and a commitment to maintaining your privacy. They pride themselves on personalizing their approach to meeting your registered agent needs, which are their specialty.
For Kentucky state fees only, Swyft Filings’ Basic package includes verification of your company name, preparation of the articles of organization, and document filing with the Kentucky state. You’ll also get online access to your documents and lifetime customer support.
You can purchase the Standard package for $199 plus state fees. This includes all the services included in the Basic package, but with the addition of a custom Kentucky LLC operating agreement and a federal tax ID, or EIN. You will also get access to custom banking resolution services and custom organizational minutes, which is a form that helps you set up your very first meeting as an LLC.
Swyft Filings’ Premium package includes everything in the Standard package with the advantage of expedited filing, as well as a business document library, compliance notifications, and a business domain name and website. You also get a digital LLC kit, which includes a digital company “seal”, a ledger for tracking transfers of ownership, and customized ownership certificates. The Premium package is available for purchase for $299 plus Kentucky filing fees.
Swyft Filings offers excellent customer support and has a good track record in customer reviews.
Swyft Filings offers fast processing but doesn’t include registered agent services in their packages, making additions somewhat costly. However, they provide good value overall and strong customer support.
Rocket Lawyer does not have business formation service packages. Their fee for business formation is $99, or it’s free if you get a $39.99 membership. With a membership you can also get discounted registered agent services for $111.99, rather than the normal price of $149.99.
With a membership you’ll also have access to business document templates, including a Kentucky LLC operating agreement.
Rocket Lawyer simplifies business start-up, though it lacks some services offered by competitors. Their membership stands out, providing ongoing legal assistance and offering the best value.
Harbor Compliance does not offer business formation service packages, only a la carte services.
Business formation costs $99 plus Kentucky filing fees, and you can add services, including registered agent, annual report filing, and EIN.
Registered agent service for Kentucky LLCs is $99 annually ($50 off if you pay for five years upfront, $100 off if you pay for 10).
For Kentucky businesses keen on streamlining compliance, annual report filing services are available at a rate of $175 plus any associated state filing fees annually (you’ll get $250 off if you purchase ten years’ worth of annual report filing).
Furthermore, if an EIN is required for your business, Harbor Compliance can facilitate this for $99.
They also offer business license management tools and many other services.
Harbor Compliance offers quick processing and more services than many competitors, as well as well-priced registered agent services.
Harbor Compliance provides extensive services, including comprehensive annual compliance and business license guidance, surpassing competitors. Though on the pricier side, they cater to most needs of new business owners.
A business formation service handles the business formation process for you, making it nearly seamless while offering additional services that can make life easier for a new business owner. Whether you’re forming a limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation, a business formation service takes care of all the red tape, freeing you up to focus on growing your business.
With so many business formation services to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which is best for you. There are four essential elements that can help you make your decision.
Each service offers various products and services, and their plans are all designed differently. You may need some services but not others, so you need to choose the service that offers everything you need. For example, only some of the providers offer annual report filing.
If it’s important to you to get that task off your plate, you’ll want a service that offers that feature. Another feature you might need is a digital dashboard where you can always access your business formation documents.
You’ll want to choose a service that has everything you need to make starting and running your business as easy as possible.
Of course, you’ll want to get the best value for your money!
Compare the cost of each service for everything you need. The price can really add up when you start adding extras, so be careful not to go too far. You also want to get good value and great customer service, so if you’re considering the cheapest service, check the reviews to see how people felt about it.
Business formation turnaround times vary with each service, so if you’re in a hurry to get your business up and running, you’ll want to look for the quickest service. You don’t want your order to sit in an office for too long before your paperwork gets filed with the state. Some services differentiate themselves with fast turnaround times, so if they also offer good value, that might be your best choice.
One good way to learn about the quality of anything you’re buying is to listen to what people are saying about it. When we review services we look at Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot ratings and reviews. It’s wise to look at both positive and negative reviews to find out what people love about the service and about issues customers have encountered.
Remember that fake reviews are common, so you’ll have to take some of the reviews with a grain of salt.
As an entrepreneurial advisory site, we take our responsibilities seriously. We understand that countless entrepreneurs, and potential entrepreneurs, rely on our judgments and insights, particularly when it comes to creating their business.
As a result, our writers do their utmost to gain a comprehensive understanding of the services offered and the actual customer experience. In nearly every case, we:
Thanks to this full immersion in the actual customer experience, our reviewers are able to provide the most complete and insightful analysis of various LLC formation services.
Published on July 15, 2022
In Kentucky, your limited liability company (LLC) is not required to have an operating agreement in place. But it’s highly recommended, as aneffec ...
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