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Written by: Coralee Bechteler
Coralee is a business writer with experience in administrative services, education, and software testing.
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 New York, 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 New York? 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 New York.
Best Overall
Best Registered Agent Service
Best Turnaround Time
Best for Small Budget
Best for Legal Services
Best Support for Small Business Owners
Best for Speedy Processing
For those aiming to establish a New York LLC, ZenBusiness has a variety of plans.
Their Starter plan, at $0 plus New York state fees, ensures a thorough search for business name availability in New York and assists in the formation process with comprehensive support.
The Pro plan, priced at $199 plus New York state fees, builds on the Starter offering with an operating agreement template suitable for New York, an EIN, annual compliance service aligned with New York requirements, and a priority rush filing service.
Their Premium plan, coming in at $349 plus New York state fees, takes everything in the Pro and supplements it with a diverse business document template library, domain name, website, and email services.
In the competitive arena of LLC filing companies for New York, ZenBusiness emerges as our top pick due to its cost-effective foundational service, which includes filing an LLC in New York with a 100% accuracy guarantee at the starting price of $0 plus state fees.
It’s also worth noting that ZenBusiness functions as a Public Benefit Corporation, signifying its dual commitment to profit generation and upholding community-focused goals akin to nonprofits.
Beyond the establishment of a New York LLC, ZenBusiness offers a slew of additional services, ranging from registered agent services to a suite of business tools. While these can increase the overall cost, the consistent positive feedback from their clientele speaks to their efficacy and reliability in the market.
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, priced at $39 plus New York state fees, offers comprehensive services for forming a New York LLC, including complimentary registered agent services for the first year, a business address within New York, an operating agreement tailored to New York regulations, and several other beneficial extras.
For businesses establishing a New York LLC, this package presents notable value, especially with the incorporation of crucial elements like the registered agent services and a New York-specific operating agreement.
However, it’s essential to understand that if you decide against the registered agent services, the entire plan cost is still applicable. Particularly in New York, Northwest Registered Agent stands out prominently for its registered agent services. They provide an enhanced level of personalized customer support and prompt correspondence notifications, which are vital for any New York LLC.
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 only New York state fees, Swyft Filings’ Basic package provides verification of your company name within New York, preparation of the articles of organization in compliance with New York regulations, and the essential document filing with the state of New York. Additionally, clients benefit from online access to their documents and a commitment to lifetime customer support.
Opting for the Standard package at $199 plus New York state fees affords you all the conveniences of the Basic Package, complemented by a custom operating agreement suitable for New York LLCs, as well as a federal tax ID or EIN. You also receive access to custom banking resolution services and tailored organizational minutes, aiding in the setup of your inaugural New York LLC meeting.
The Premium package encompasses all offerings in the Standard package but with the bonus of expedited filing in New York. It further adds a robust business document library, timely compliance notifications, a business domain name, and a dedicated website. Unique to this package is a digital LLC kit, which boasts a digital company “seal”, a specialized ledger for tracking ownership transfers, and New York-specific ownership certificates. This comprehensive package can be acquired for $299 plus New York state filing fees.
Throughout New York, Swyft Filings is renowned for its outstanding customer support, a reputation solidified by consistently positive 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.
For only New York state fees, the Silver package includes the drafting and submission of the articles of organization specific to New York regulations and unlimited company name searches within the state. This package also comes with a bonus: free registered agent services in New York for one year.
The Gold package, priced at $199, encompasses all offerings in the Silver package. Additionally, it includes an operating agreement tailored for New York LLCs, lifetime company alerts ensuring you’re reminded of reporting deadlines specific to New York’s regulations, and a dedicated business tax consultation.
Moreover, Incfile’s Gold package furnishes clients with an EIN tax ID number, assistance in the submission of IRS Form 2553, allowing New York LLCs to maximize the tax benefits of an S corporation, and support in setting up a business bank account. A crucial element of this package is the personalized online dashboard for New York LLCs and the guarantee of limitless phone and email support.
Priced at $299, the Platinum package contains all the features of the Gold package and boasts the perk of expedited filing in New York. Furthermore, it offers a domain name, business email, and a library of business contract templates, all tailored for the unique requirements of new business owners in New York. There are over 20 different contracts, all created and reviewed by attorneys.
Incfile provides substantial value, especially with their Silver package that costs only state fees and includes a year of registered agent service. For first-time entrepreneurs looking to save, Incfile stands out in the competition.
Rocket Lawyer doesn’t offer specific packages for New York LLC business formation. The standard fee for forming a New York LLC through them is $99, but it’s waived if you subscribe to their $39.99 membership.
For New York LLCs opting for a membership, Rocket Lawyer offers a discounted registered agent service at $111.99, a reduction from the regular New York rate of $149.99.
Moreover, membership provides New York LLC owners with access to a plethora of business document templates tailored to New York’s regulations, including a bespoke operating agreement suitable for New York LLCs.
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.
MyCorporation’s Basic plan, priced at $99 plus New York state fees, encompasses New York LLC business formation, a name availability search within New York, and online document storage tailored for New York businesses.
The Standard plan, set at $124 (plus New York state fees) annually, offers an added advantage of annual report filing catered specifically for New York LLCs.
Their Deluxe plan, at $224 (plus New York state fees) annually, further provides annual report filing and registered agent services for New York LLCs.
The Premium plan, priced at $324 (plus New York state fees) annually, incorporates a specialized service named MaintainMyBiz.
For instance, we initiated an Ohio LLC formation process on their platform. While the actual state fee in Ohio is $99, MyCorporation charges $110. This markup isn’t explicitly disclosed, so for those unfamiliar with Ohio’s specific fees, this discrepancy might go unnoticed.
Beyond this, MyCorporation offers a diverse range of additional services for extra charges, encompassing unique offerings not found with many other business formation services — like unemployment insurance and tax withholding registration tailored for New York LLCs.
We put MyCorporation on the list because of the extensive list of services they offer, although we are not a fan of the marked-up state fees that are not disclosed. They have, however, been in business for a long time and have a good Trustpilot rating.
Filenow presents a Starter plan tailored for New York LLCs at just $49, covering company compliance alerts specific to New York, a tax consultation, and assistance with setting up a business bank account in New York.
Their Premium plan, priced at $199, adds more value for New York businesses by including a free year of registered agent services, a custom operating agreement for New York LLCs, an EIN, a banking resolution, business contract templates suited for the New York market, and a promise of 24-hour processing.
Filenow sets itself apart by offering rapid processing times, which is especially beneficial for those eager to set up their New York LLC swiftly. Their commitment to customer satisfaction is evident with a money-back guarantee. Moreover, their premium plan stands out as an exceptional value for New York entrepreneurs.
Filenow’s Premium plan is an exceptional value based on what you get for the price. It’s less expensive than similar plans offered by competitors. They also offer fast turnaround times, and a money back guarantee.
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 feel 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 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 should 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.
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