Jacqi is a seasoned legal professional committed to simplifying complex legal issues. With her in-depth knowledge of tax laws, she thrives on helping individuals and businesses navigate the maze of financial obligations. Clients trust Jacqi to provid.
Jacqueline Nguyen, Esq. Small Business and Tax Expert WriterJacqi is a seasoned legal professional committed to simplifying complex legal issues. With her in-depth knowledge of tax laws, she thrives on helping individuals and businesses navigate the maze of financial obligations. Clients trust Jacqi to provid.
Written By Jacqueline Nguyen, Esq. Small Business and Tax Expert WriterJacqi is a seasoned legal professional committed to simplifying complex legal issues. With her in-depth knowledge of tax laws, she thrives on helping individuals and businesses navigate the maze of financial obligations. Clients trust Jacqi to provid.
Jacqueline Nguyen, Esq. Small Business and Tax Expert WriterJacqi is a seasoned legal professional committed to simplifying complex legal issues. With her in-depth knowledge of tax laws, she thrives on helping individuals and businesses navigate the maze of financial obligations. Clients trust Jacqi to provid.
Small Business and Tax Expert Writer Brette Sember, J.D. contributorBrette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.
Brette Sember, J.D. contributorBrette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.
Brette Sember, J.D. contributorBrette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.
Brette Sember, J.D. contributorBrette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that.
Updated: Jul 30, 2024, 10:35am
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Northwest Registered Agent offers registered agent and limited liability company (LLC) formation services nationwide, in addition to other legal services geared toward businesses. The company provides top-notch customer support from agents across the United States at an affordable rate. Read our comprehensive Northwest Registered Agent review to help you decide if this popular service is right for your business.
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
LLC Pricing from $39 plus state fees (with Forbes promotion) Registered agent included Yes, one year. Annual report service Costs an additional $100Northwest Registered Agent is a service provider offering registered agent services, business formation and more. It prides itself on being a family-owned and -operated business that’s neither a startup nor a legacy company. It focuses on the human aspect of its operation, so it ensures you will always speak to a live person who can help. Even if you have to leave a voicemail, you should get a call back in two hours, tops.
Northwest Registered Agent’s no-nonsense approach to business carries over to a single paid plan. If you choose the “Pay In Full” option, Northwest charges $39 to file for your LLC in your state, plus state fees, and then an additional fee for either one- or seven-day processing. This fee varies by state.
This isn’t a plan, per se, but it is an option on Northwest Registered Agent’s website. The DIY plan provides you, through a free account, access to documentation that can help you file your LLC on your own. No one at the company will help you through the process but they are available if you need registered agent services.
AdvertisementClick on the state below to get started.
Most of the add-ons Northwest offers aren’t necessary for those who are just starting a business. You may need an EIN, but it’s free to file for your tax ID number. It could be worth the $50 cost if you don’t have time to hunt for the applications and file yourself, though. As with any other business formation service, you’re paying for convenience.
Northwest only works with third-party services necessary for filing legal documents, such as couriers and attorneys. Otherwise, the services Northwest provides are by Northwest, so your info isn’t shared or sold to any other company. The $39 fee is somewhat higher than the low-priced plans from other business formation companies, and you can purchase add-ons during the checkout process. Those add-ons aren’t hard sells, and most of them are opt-in, so you shouldn’t be surprised when any of them renew in a year.
Here are the add-ons you may want to consider from Northwest Registered Agent:
It’s extremely easy to get started with LLC formation services at Northwest Registered Agent. You simply go to its website and elect for the company to complete the process for you. Then you’ll select the type of business you want to form (LLC, corporation or nonprofit).
From there, you’ll select your state and whether you would like to pay for a seven-day processing period or a one-day period. After that, you’ll only have to pay and submit basic documentation about you and your business, then the company will take it from there to get your business registered.
Northwest provides its services primarily within the United States. Its registered agent and business formation services are available in all 50 U.S. states plus D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam.
Northwest Registered Agent has very positive reviews of its customer support services online. Support is quick to respond whenever you chat with someone online, send an email or call. When you read through Northwest’s terms of service, you’ll see the company tries to uphold its trademarked slogan “We’re just not annoying” by never charging a late fee or hounding its customers.
You can contact support by submitting an online form, via email, or by calling its support number at any time. The team gets excellent marks from its customers for having a quick response time and providing knowledgeable answers.
Northwest takes great pride in prioritizing privacy and security to protect its customers’ sensitive information. Here are some general principles and measures it employs in protecting customers’ details:
In addition to the measures Northwest takes to secure your data, it also has a privacy policy outlining how customer data is collected, used and protected. Customers should read this to understand how their personal information will be handled.
Northwest provides all of its services through a secure online platform. It also educates its customers on best practices for protecting sensitive business information, such as using strong passwords and activating two-factor authentication.
ZenBusiness is our number one ranked business formation service provider and it offers more services than Northwest Registered Agent. However, Northwest Registered Agent does prevail in the area the company is named after—registered agent services. The business was founded on offering this service option and does it well while also keeping the costs lower than ZenBusiness.
Bizee offers one-day processing of your business formation documentation without charging you an extra fee as Northwest Registered Agent does. However, Northwest Registered Agent provides a 90-day money-back guarantee that Bizee doesn’t match and can offer a more trusted registered agent service option.
Northwest Registered Agent is likely more affordable than LegalZoom, depending on the services you select. While LegalZoom offers a myriad of legal services for businesses that have more complex situations, Northwest Registered Agent offers high customer ratings and an easy, straightforward process to register your business and start managing it. Learn more about Northwest Registered Agent vs LegalZoom.
Advertisement Service TimeVaries By State & Package
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Northwest Registered Agent
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$0 + state fee + up to $50 Amazon gift card
Service timeVaries by State & Package
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If Northwest’s principles resonate with you, or you prefer to choose business services in an à la carte style, it could be a good choice for you. Its customer support gets excellent marks, so that could be worth the extra cost. For a more affordable option, you would be better off choosing Bizee’s free plan or ZenBusiness’s lowest-priced plan.
It’s important to note that the right service option for you is going to depend on not just cost but also on the types of services that you need when launching your business. For most businesses, Northwest Registered Agent can be a great option, especially if you’re in need of someone managing the state relationship and dealing with all legal documentation.
Forbes Advisor small business expert Jeff White contributed to this article.
While you don’t need to hire someone to act as a registered agent, having a registered agent is a requirement to operate corporations, LLCs and partnerships. With that said, there are plenty of benefits of using registered agent services, such as the ability to operate in multiple states.
It depends on which services you need. If you’re looking to form an LLC alone, the price is $39. There are a number of other services and products ranging from $9 to $125.
A registered agent provides a publicly available address for sending lawsuits and other legal documents to your business. This provides privacy and ensures you don’t miss any legal notifications. Registered agent services typically cost $100 to $300 per year. Whether privacy and guaranteed legal notifications are worth the price is subjective.
The processing time for forming an LLC can vary from state to state. Some states have streamlined online filing systems, allowing quicker processing, while others may have more extensive paperwork and longer processing times. Northwest offers standard, expedited and even same-day processing in some cases.
Northwest Registered Agent typically sends you important legal and business documents as part of its services. If you have the registered agent service, you will receive five to 10 free mail forwarded documents a year, depending on your state. You can hire Northwest Registered Agent for $20 a month for unlimited documents if you need more than that.
Technically, yes and no. All LLCs must have a business address and a registered agent address. Your business address can be a virtual address, but whoever you list as your registered agent must have a physical address and has to be available to accept mail during business hours.
There are consequences for not having a registered agent: You won’t receive important government and tax documentation and could risk missing important notices about any lawsuits against your company. Not having a registered agent could result in the state suspending your company’s right to conduct business.
To cancel any service with Northwest Registered Agent, you should log in to your account on its website and cancel there.
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