IncFile Review

IncFile Review Summary 

IncFile offers affordable business registration plans and other filing services for starting an LLC, with fees as low as $0. If you can avoid their unnecessary add-ons and upgrades, you can enjoy the best of their services for the lowest price in the industry. 

However, if you’re a busy entrepreneur or business owner and you need responsive and efficient customer support, you might want to check out other LLC services, such as ZenBusiness or Northwest Registered Agent. 

IncFile Pros

There's a lot to like about IncFile.

Affordability

IncFile is undoubtedly the most affordable LLC formation service compared with other providers like LegalZoom, whose packages start at $79. IncFile charges only the state fee, which varies by state, to form an LLC, S corporation, or nonprofit with their Silver Package, which includes preparing and filing the Articles of Organization and offering FREE registered agent service for the initial year, along with unlimited name searches.

Easy to Use Interface

IncFile has a clean, online interface that allows you to buy their services without any confusion. Guided snippets appear on the screen during form filling, and you can chat with an agent using a live chatbox.

Online Storage, Tracking Tool, Useful Reminders

IncFile has convenient features for their customers, such as an online tracking tool that most high-end options don’t offer. You can track your order and filing status online. This is a useful tool for those who want to stay informed and involved in this process. Plus, it offers storage space to save documents online, enhancing the overall user experience.

Complimentary One-hour Business Tax Consultation

Let’s confess, the majority of us do not have any knowledge about finances and taxes, let alone forming an LLC.

After you sign up with IncFile LLC formation services, you get an exclusive one-hour consultation from a tax expert who answers your questions without charging a penny. 

IncFile Cons

Loads of Add-ons and Upgrades

IncFile earns its revenue from add-ons and upgrades. That's why their able to charge $0 for their basic plan. If you do not read or understand the purpose of the add-on services, you might end up buying an unnecessary service and spending more than you'd like.

Being vigilant during the registration process is crucial. Also, some add-on prices don’t make any sense. For example, getting an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for your business for a $70 add-on is absurd when you can get it for free.

Customer Service Hiccups

Most negative reviews about IncFile are about the poor customer service and lack of satisfactory solutions to complaints, as posted on Trustpilot and other online review services. They also have limited customer support times (9 a.m.–6 p.m.) only on weekends, which can be problematic in urgent matters. The normal response time to your queries via email is usually 24 hours.

Better Business Bureau Accreditation Revoked

Despite 500,000 clients and thousands of positive reviews and customer feedback, their Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating and accreditation were revoked on 9/25/2020 due to not addressing the disputes properly. Even though they have resolved all the complaints (read the list here), it could still be a matter of concern.

No Assistance Publishing Articles of Organization

For an annual report, you must publish a notice of the filing of your Articles of Organization or you may publish the Articles of Organization in their entirety. Each state has publication rules. The LLC may be subject to administrative dissolution if it fails to publish. IncFile doesn’t assist you with this procedure.

Who Should Use IncFile?

IncFile is a good choice for those business owners who are registering their first LLC, S corporation, or nonprofit business in the United States and want to do it for the lowest price possible and don't need many comprehensive extras.

Their easy-to-use platform with an interactive interface and $0 plan that includes a few complimentary services, like unlimited name search, make them a reasonable choice for your business formation. With 15,000 positive reviews and more than 20 years of experience, they are a credible option to consider. 

Who Should NOT Use IncFile?

After reviewing almost all their negative feedback and customer outcries, I do not recommend signing up for IncFile without at least a basic knowledge of the terminologies and the role of registered agent service providers.

Many have paid unnecessary dollars for the services they later realized were unecessary for their business. So, prior familiarity with certain concepts before signing up is necessary. Again, they earn from add-ons and upgrades so you need to be vigilant about buying their services. 

All Things Considered . . .

If you need an easy-to-use and affordable option for your business formation and want to save some extra bucks, go for their Silver plan starting from $0, pay the state fee, only select add-ons if you need them and you are good to go. Track your registration process on your IncFile dashboard.

You should have a basic knowledge of the registration process and know the technical jargon. Even though IncFile offers snippets of guidance at every step during the registration process, e.g., what it means, how the live chat box works, your knowledge can save you from any further misunderstanding and costs. 

To sign up for IncFile, click here.

Incfile Basics Review

Here is a breakdown of all the basics of IncFile.

What Is IncFile?

IncFile is an LLC formation company and registered agent service that helps you launch your business by providing registration services along with state and IRS filings and advice on compliance with the state’s regulations. What makes them unique in the market is that they offer cost-effective business formation plans starting for, surprisingly, $0 plus state fees including a year of registered agent service for free. 

What Does IncFile Do for Business Owners? 

Incfile supports novice entrepreneurs with a wide array of business formation services, including starting a business from scratch to growing and managing one. These services include mainly:

Preparation and Filing of Company Registration Paperwork

One of the primary services that Incfile offers is preparing and filing company formation paperwork, for an LLC or any other business structure. They complete all the papers for you and file the documents to related authorities in the state office.

Registered Agent Services

A registered agent accepts Service of Process and receives mail and legal documents on behalf of businesses, which protects business owners' legal standing and data. Every LLC or corporation must have a registered agent in the state where it does business. If you hire Incfile for LLC formation, you will receive a free year of registered agent service.

Doing Business As (DBA)

There are many benefits to filing a DBA, including protecting a business owner's legal name or introducing a new business without establishing a new legal entity. Incfile can help you choose amd file a DBA name for your company that is different from its legal name. You can file a DBA on your own, but hiring Incfile for this task is more convenient than doing it yourself.

Dissolutions

A business dissolution is the formal termination of a business. To fully terminate a business, a corporation or LLC must file articles of dissolution with the state. Since it can be a challenging experience for many entrepreneurs or business owners, they can hire a service provider like Incfile to do this job.

Foriegn Qualification

When your business is located or operates in a state other than the state of incorporation, you must obtain a Certificate of Authority to legally continue or expand your business within the US. Incfile provides foreign qualification services as well.

Annual Reports

When you form an LLC or corporation, you must submit an annual report of your company within a certain period determined by the laws and regulations in your particular state. Incfile will remind you of this every year and assist you with filing your annual report.

EIN (Employer Identification Number)

An EIN is like a social security number for your business. It’s required to open bank accounts, hire employees, obtain financing, and many other aspects of business operation. You can get your business's EIN by applying to the IRS yourself, or you can also save yourself the hassle by hiring Incfile to get one on your behalf.

Business License Research Package

As a company owner, you are responsible for ensuring that your organization has all the required federal, state, and local permits and licenses to operate legally. A business licence guarantees that you are legally conducting business in a specific location.

Each state has different licensing requirements based on the type of business you've formed, its location, and local government restrictions. Incfile works with a reputable licensing company to give you a complete bundle of all the licenses, permits, and tax registrations you'll need for your business, as well as the application forms you'll need to submit to the right licensing authorities.

How Much Is IncFile? 

IncFile offers three different LLC formation plans: Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Silver Plan: $0 plus state fees (varies by state)

• Prepare and file Articles of Organization
• Unlimited name searches
• Free year of registered agent service

Gold Plan: $149 plus state fees

• Everything in the Silver Plan
• Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• IRS Form 2553
• Operating Agreement
• Banking Resolution
• Compliance Alerts
• Online platform
• Customer support
• Business banking account
• Business tax consultation

Platinum Plan: $299 plus state fees

• Everything in the first two packages
• Expedited filing
• Domain name and business email

My Assessment

This is how I rated IncFile in comparison to its competitors.

Value—8/10

IncFile provides solid value in comparison to its competitors. All of IncFile's packages include setup of a business banking account, next-day processing and online tracking, registered agent service for a year, online access and electronic delivery, and a certified copy of your Articles of Organization.

Product/Service Offerings—8/10

IncFile offers a full range of basic registration services. No-cost formation and a free year of registered agent service make IncFile stand out from other providers. Immediate filing, when others take 2–5 business days to start the filing process, and progress tracking are other features of IncFile that make them worth considering. 

Customer Support—5/10

I have rated IncFile a 5 in customer support. They do not offer customer support on the weekends, which is a major drawback for many business owners who work full time and may need urgent consultation or support regarding LLC formation on the weekends. Apart from that, positive comments talk about the exceptional email support from IncFile that explains and answers all you want to know. 

Ease of Use—8/10

It takes less than 10 minutes to sign up for IncFile on its official website. The website itself has a sleek user interface. While registering, the process contains how-to guides, interactive pop-ups, and a live-chat option to make the whole process seamless. After registration is complete, you can track your filing status on the IncFile online dashboard. With IncFile, business formation is not rocket science.

My Overall Rating—7.25/10

Despite the fact that IncFile is one of the oldest and cheapest business formation service providers in the US, with hundreds and thousands of positive reviews and satisfied customers, they’re still struggling with their customer support. The fact that the customer support is not available over the weekend further adds to client woes.

If you'd like to know more about IncFile, visit their website here.

What Others Are Saying

Here are summaries of IncFile reviews from past customers around the web.

Trust Pilot

IncFile has received 104 customer reviews on Trustpilot, 46% of which are positive and 48% negative. Most negative reviews complain about poor customer service and the positive feedback applauds the price. Overall, the rating is an unimpressive 2.5 /5. 

Google Business

IncFile’s Google Business profile has only one customer review and it's negative.

Facebook

Unfortunately, IncFile doesn’t have a Facebook page, unlike other LLC formation or registered agent services.

Yelp

After reading 75 customer reviews of IncFile on Yelp, the majority of the negative feedback was about customer service issues and confusion regarding upsells and upgrades during package purchases. Out of five, IncFile has two stars on Yelp reviews, though the profile is not claimed.

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau recently revoked IncFile's accreditation, even though they resolved all the complaints. The majority of the comments were about poor customer service, a constant complaint from their customers. Overall, IncFile rating is 3.92/5.

Overall

IncFile offers several advantages:

• Competitively priced packages are attractive enough to appeal to new customers.
• First year of registered agent service is free.
• Filing services are initiated immediately, whereas others take 2–5 working days to start the process.

Downsides to all these IncFile LLC services that could irk customers include: 

• Their customer service leaves a lot to be desired.
• They upsell their services if you buy the lowest-priced LLC package.
• Their customer services aren’t available on weekends.

If you want to take a chance on their erratic customer service and save some bucks, IncFile could be the best LLC service for you. Otherwise you might want to consider alternatives such as LegalZoom, ZenBusiness or Northwest Registered Agent.

Frequently Asked Questions