Some incorporation services see unwitting entrepreneurs as cash cows. They charge a premium for simple things business owners can do themselves. Those fees add up quickly. Here are 5 ways to keep from getting gouged.
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Five Ways Some Incorporation Services Overcharge
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The best services build your business infrastructure and keep you compliant year after year.
| THE OFFER | THE CATCH |
|---|---|
| We'll incorporate your business or register your LLC. And that's it. | Paying a service to form a corporation or LLC is a waste. You can do it yourself and pay only the filing fee on most state government websites. The best services build your business infrastructure and keep you compliant year after year: Cap tables, bylaws, operating agreements, meeting notices, minutes, registering to do business in other states, assumed names, report filings, etc. |
| We'll get your EIN! | For as much as $180.00! That's insane. Applying for and receiving an Employer Identification Number on the IRS website for free takes about five minutes. Never pay an upcharge for an EIN. |
| We'll be your registered agent! | For $140.00+ per year. To sit around and wait for you to be sued. If an owner won't act as registered agent, use the lowest-cost provider (like the ones we use). |
| We'll register your trademark. | LegalZoom charges $699.00 plus the USPTO filing fee for a trademark application. Giving you basic information about trademarks - you can get that anywhere - and filling out a form isn't exactly a premium service. The best services let you (and your lawyer, if you need one) work through the entire trademark process together. |
| We'll do literally anything. | LegalZoom also offers family law, wills and estates, personal real estate transactions . . . and pretty much anything that sounds like an attorney does it. The best providers do one thing - help entrepreneurs create and run compliant businesses. |
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