The 4 Best LLC Services in New York 2023
Looking for the best LLC service in New York to start your business? If you're launching a company online, you can lower the startup costs by using a professional service provider. Plus, affordable features such as an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and registered agent services are available with the top filing service.
Discover the best LLC formation services of 2023 in this review where we will give you a side-by-side comparison of the most important features you should care about when starting an LLC in New York.
Recommended New York LLC Service: Northwest
Best New York LLC Formation Services
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Best LLC Services |
|---|---|
Northwest 4.7/5 |
HIGHEST CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
|
TailorBrands 4.5/5 |
BEST PREMIUM, ALL-IN-ONE PACKAGE
|
ZenBusiness 4.2/5 |
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Incfile 4.0/5 |
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By using the top formation service, you can focus more on managing and growing your enterprise. There are many online formation services that will easily start your LLC for a fee. We formed separate limited liability companies with the four best New York company formation services to rank and review each.
Determining the best LLC service to help you form your venture relies on these three things:
- The type of business you have
- The needs of your company
- Any additional services you may want for your LLC in New York
This business formation services review will walk you through the best New York LLC services in 2023, breakdown what makes them the top choices, and help you determine the right formation company for your venture’s needs.
Best LLC Services in New York:
Best New York LLC Service: Northwest
We chose Northwest Registered Agent as the overall best online business formation service because of its affordability and knowledgeable customer support.
($29 + State Fees)
1. Northwest
Northwest offers essential services for online business formation. Their incorporation service is $29 plus state fees, which includes LLC filing, premium registered agent services, customer privacy protection, an online account to access important company documents, and more.
Northwest Pros
- Positive customer reviews
- User-friendly online ordering process
- No hidden fees or “free trials” that cost money later on
- Professional US-based customer service representatives
Northwest Cons
- For important company formation features, such as an EIN, you'll need to pay extra fees. Alternatively, you can get an EIN for free on your own.
Northwest Pricing and Features
Northwest offers one formation plan. For only $29 plus state fees, you'll receive the following features:
- LLC formation
- Registered agent service
- Business address
- Mail forwarding
- “Privacy by Default”
- “Corporate Guide” service
Want to learn more about Northwest? Read our full Northwest Registered Agent review.
Northwest
Northwest provides personalized, knowledgeable customer service at an affordable price.
($29 plus state fees)
2. Tailor Brands
Tailor Brands is an automated platform with services for company formation, branding, and website building. Their mission is to empower entrepreneurs to launch their ventures with ease by offering their services in one convenient location.
What really sets Tailor Brands apart is their premium Elite Plan ($199 + state fees). Businesses that want more than just basic formation services — such as assistance establishing an online presence — the Elite Plan offers a great selection of brand-building features. These include logo creation, digital business cards, graphic design tools for social media, and more.
Tailor Brands Pros
- You can form a company, build your website, and start developing your social media marketing strategy in less than 10 minutes
- Ultra personalized service so you can get the right tools for your unique entrepreneurial journey
- Exceptional customer support to answer any of your questions or concerns
Tailor Brands Cons
- Not ideal for businesses with a strict budget that only require basic company formation services
Tailor Brands Pricing and Features
Tailor Brands offers three plans, however, we're going to highlight their all-in-one Elite package. You get a good deal for the premium price of the Elite Plan. Created for entrepreneurs that are ready to carve out their place online, it includes a variety of features and tools.
Elite Plan Features:
- LLC formation
- Annual compliance
- Expedited processing
- Operating agreement
- Free domain for a year
- Logo maker
- Website builder
- Digital business cards
- Social media post maker
Ready to learn more about Tailor Brands? Read our full Tailor Brands review.
Tailor Brands
Tailor Brands offers the best premium, all-in-one package for small business owners to launch a new company and build their online presence.
($199 + state fees)
3. ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness formation packages start at only $0 per year (plus the state fee). ZenBusiness makes formation simple so you have more time to spend on focusing on scaling your venture.
ZenBusiness Pros
- Easy-to-navigate company formation packages
- Responsive and knowledgeable customer support
- Positive customer feedback from online ZenBusiness reviews
- Quality registered agent services for your LLC in New York
ZenBusiness Cons
- You can get an EIN through ZenBusiness, but you will have to pay an additional $99 if you opt for the ZenBusiness basic plan.
ZenBusiness Pricing and Features
Each of ZenBusiness's three packages offer the following services and more when forming a New York LLC:
- Preparing and filing the articles of organization
- Unlimited name availability searches
- Free accounting consultation
- Online dashboard to track important documents
- Worry Free Compliance Guarantee (Included for the first year): receive annual report filing alerts to help you stay compliant.
If you upgrade to the ZenBusiness Pro package, you'll find other helpful features, such as:
- Operating Agreement: An operating agreement helps define the terms of New York LLC formation. In our research, we identified that few competing formation companies included an operating agreement template in their basic packages.
ZenBusiness' Premium package ($299 + New York state fee) includes extra add-on features:
- Business domain name, website email address, and domain privacy: Get your business online to connect with more customers and increase credibility, as well as further protect your privacy online.
- Rush filing: This feature reduces the formation processing time, which can be beneficial for entrepreneurs looking for speedier and more comprehensive services.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness provides essential services to help start your venture.
($0 + state fees)
4. Incfile
Similar to Northwest and ZenBusiness, Incfile offers great value in its basic pricing plan for New York LLC formation services.
Incfile Pros
- One year of free registered agent service with all packages, costing just $119 each year afterward — a lower price compared to other popular registered agent services.
- Real-time order tracking and excellent customer support
- Easy-to-use online dashboard that makes tracking important deadlines and compliance reminders simple
Incfile Cons
- Important features, such as an operating agreement and EIN, require extra fees.
Incfile Pricing and Features
The free Silver package, with the exception of the state fee, includes:
- LLC formation: Set up your enterprise to operate independently of your personal finances.
- One year of free registered agent service: Incfile pays the cost of your New York registered agent fees for the first year.
- Lifetime company compliance alerts: Get notified when it's time to file your annual report.
Incfile Gold ($149 + state filing fee) includes:
- Operating agreement: Incfile will create your operating agreement for you.
- Banking resolution: Incfile will write your banking resolution authorizing someone to open a bank account and provide a signature for the company.
- EIN registration: Get a nine-digit EIN to open a bank account allowing you to hire employees and maintain the separation between your business and personal transactions.
The Platinum package ($249 + New York state filing fee) provides even more, such as:
- Website and domain name
- Business contract templates
- Priority expedited filing
With their free premium services, Incfile's company formation services offer the best deal for small businesses. Incfile offers essential features in its basic formation package that make it ideal for a low-budget startup.
Incfile
Incfile is one of the best LLC services for entrepreneurs working with a limited budget, without sacrificing added features.
($0 + State Fees)
Honorable Mentions
Although the following services didn’t make the list above, their offerings are still worth mentioning briefly.
Rocket Lawyer
We’ve rated Rocket Lawyer as the best LLC service for businesses that require ongoing legal support. The legal services provided include access to documents and contracts, fast answers from on-call attorneys, and discounts on future legal services. We’ve actually partnered with Rocket Lawyer to offer our users a New Business Bundle — complete with free incorporation service, one year of included registered agent services, and legal advice.
Inc Authority
On the other end of the pricing spectrum is Inc Authority — a company that offers a free formation package. However, it is important to note that even with this free plan, you will still be required to pay state filing fees. You will also have to pay extra for additional Inc Authority services and features such as an EIN and registered agent service.
Swyft Filings
Another popular choice for New York entrepreneurs, Swyft Filings offers three different formation packages to choose from starting at just $0 plus state fees. Depending on which one you choose, these plans offer additional upgrades such as customized banking resolution, electronic document delivery, and a free business website/website hosting.
MyCompanyWorks
MyCompanyWorks offers formation packages that range in price from $59-$259 (plus state fees), and each one of these packages is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Along with this satisfaction guarantee, another big benefit of choosing MyCompanyWorks to form your company is that the platform has received excellent reviews for its customer support quality.
LegalZoom
Although LegalZoom is more expensive than other providers on the market, this platform is worth mentioning due to its quality legal services and experience in the formation industry. If you value brand recognition and need ongoing legal support, LegalZoom may be the perfect choice for your company.
Our Review Methodology
The TRUiC team evaluates each formation service based on the following:
Pricing
Pricing can range dramatically from one formation service to another. While it is certainly important to make sure you are hiring a high-quality service, it’s also important to make sure you are getting a good deal. We only recommend platforms with transparent pricing and no hidden fees so our users receive the best value.
Features
From registered agent service to an operating agreement, LLC services can offer a wide range of features depending on the exact platform and package that you choose. These features are often valuable to new entrepreneurs and are a key factor to evaluate when choosing a formation service.
User Reviews
One of the most effective ways to find the best LLC formation service in New York is to research user reviews from past clients. At TRUiC, researching user reviews provides us insight on the benefits of each platform, as well as potential issues to look out for.
Customer Support
A great company formation service is made even better when it is backed by high-quality customer support to address any concerns or questions new founders may have. By sourcing data from user reviews, we were able to evaluate the quality of customer support offered by each of the services we considered.
Accessibility & User Experience
It’s essential that a service’s checkout process is easy to use and streamlined to help entrepreneurs save time. Additionally, most platforms provide an online dashboard for tracking your filing status and managing your company, and it is important that this platform is convenient and user-friendly. It is also important for company formation services to offer accessibility features to make their platforms accessible to users with disabilities.
How to Form an LLC in New York
You can start an LLC in New York on your own in six easy steps:
1. Name Your LLC
You won't be able to form your company until you actually name it. Make sure to follow the LLC naming rules that are detailed in the New York naming requirements.
Then, make sure the name you want isn't already taken by doing a name search on the State of New York website.
We also recommend using our LLC Name Generator tool to help secure a domain name for your company.
2. Choose a Registered Agent
In New York, the Secretary of State acts as the statutory agent for service of process (registered agent) by default for LLCs. However, electing your own registered agent is also an option. A registered agent can be an individual or business entity tasked with receiving legal documents, government correspondence, and more on behalf of your company. For more information, read our guide on New York registered agents.
3. File the Articles of Organization
To register your company, you'll need to file Form DOS 1336-f: Articles of Organization with the New York Department of State. You can apply online, by mail, by fax, or in person.
Learn more with our New York Articles of Organization guide.
4. Submit New York's Publication Requirement
New York requires newly formed companies to publish a Notice of LLC Formation for six consecutive weeks in two approved newspapers in the county of the LLC's principal office. For complete details, read our New York Publication Requirements guide.
5. Create an Operating Agreement
An operating agreement is a legal document that details the ownership structure of the business and operating procedures of your venture.
According to New York Consolidated Laws Section 417(a), every LLC is required to have a written operating agreement in place to govern the internal affairs of the company.
You can read more about New York LLC operating agreements in our full guide.
6. Get an EIN
You can think of an Employer Identification Number as a Social Security number for your venture. Get one for free through the IRS website.
Final Thoughts
It’s possible to file your New York LLC on your own, but the process is made much smoother and less stressful when you hire a high-quality formation service. Overall, our top recommendation is the service provided by Northwest Registered Agent. Northwest has earned this top ranking thanks to affordable pricing, swift turnaround time, and high-quality customer support.
FAQs
How much does it cost to start a New York LLC?
It costs $200 to start an LLC in New York.
How do I file a New York LLC Biennial Statement?
You can file your biennial statement through the Department of State website. You must input your business name and DOS ID number in order to file, which you can find using the business database search.