Which Route Fits? | Express LLC Filing

Six questions about your situation. The answer is a route, not a provider: whether filing the paperwork yourself fits, whether a formation service earns its fee, or whether your situation needs a professional.

The questions

1. Do you have a street address in the state where you are forming, where someone can accept legal papers during business hours? Yes No

2. Have you filed anything with a state agency online before, such as a business license or a tax registration? Yes, it went fine Once or twice No

3. How much time can you give the setup in the next two weeks? A few hours is fine An hour at most

4. Would you keep track of the annual report and other state deadlines yourself? Yes, I keep a calendar I would rather be reminded

5. Does it matter to you that your home address could appear on public state records? Not really Yes, I would rather it did not

6. Is anything about the business unusual: outside investors, owners in different states, or a licensed or regulated activity? No Yes

What each answer means

Filing it yourself fits: You have an in-state address, the time, and a way to track deadlines. The state's own forms are built for this, and the filing fee is the main cost.
A formation service may earn its fee: Your answers point at the things a service actually provides: a registered agent address, deadline reminders, and less of your time. Compare what each package includes against the state fees you would pay either way.
Talk to an attorney or accountant first: Investors, multi-state owners and regulated activities raise questions that neither a self-filing nor a standard formation package is built to answer. Get advice on the structure before you file.
Either route works: Your answers do not lean either way. The state fees are the same on both routes, so the question is whether the time a service saves you is worth its package price.

The limits of six questions

It does not name, score or rank any company, and it is not legal or tax advice. It points at a route; the costs of each route are the state fees plus, on a service, the package price.