Northwest LLC Review - Are They The Fastest LLC Service in 2024?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2024
- Northwest Registered Agent, while despite the name sounding like they only provide registered agent services, is my favorite paid formation service because of how fast you can form your LLC, turn around time, and the privacy benefits that no other formation service offers.
We were able to negotiate a discounted price from the normal $100 plus state fees to $39 plus state fees. - startup101.com/nw
Or, if you would rather file on your own without a formation service or attorney, check out my state guides to forming an LLC - startup101.com/how-to-form-an...
If you have questions about LLCs or anything related to starting a business, please ask in the comments.
In this video:
0:00 - Intro
0:29 - Northwest Overview
1:27 - Northwest Pricing
2:14 - What is a Registered Agent? startup101.com/what-is-a-registered-agent-and-when-do-i-need-one/
4:21 - Forming an LLC with Northwest
8:00 - Upsells
8:34 - Common Upsell 1 - Employer Identification Number (EIN) - $50. Learn how to apply for an EIN at no cost with the IRS - startup101.com/how-to-apply-for-an-ein/
9:24 - Common Upsell 2 - S Corporation Election $50. Learn how to fill out the S Corp election at no cost - startup101.com/how-to-fill-out-file-irs-form-2553-s-corp-election-instructions/
11:05 - Why go with Northwest?
11:13 - Reason #1 - Privacy
11:36 - Reason #2 - Northwest doesn't sell your information
12:03 - Reason #3 - Turnaround times (For example, the processing time in Tennessee - Northwest 5 days, ZenBusiness 2-3 weeks, Incfile 3 weeks)
13:26 - Reason #4 - Fewest and least annoying upsells (and they are better priced than most services)
Discounted link to register your LLC with Northwest for only $39 - startup101.com/nw
My list of top entity formation companies and links to written reviews:
Northwest - Best paid service (only $39) due to their included privacy features and turnaround time - startup101.com/northwest-registered-agent-review/
Zenbusiness - Best free service for someone unsure about the entity formation process. startup101.com/zenbusiness-ll...
Incfile - Best free service with high customer satisfaction and great (but no weekend hours) customer service - startup101.com/incfile-review/
DISCLAIMER: While I have over 21 years of experience helping people start their businesses, please note that I'm not an attorney or accountant. Also, this channel is supported by affiliate links, which means that if you click one of these links, I may receive a commission. Commissions don't influence my reviews, but they do support my channel so I can continue creating honest and accurate information to help people get their businesses started right.
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Thank you for being so straight forward and making this concise and easy to understand. Finding a reliable and informative review is not easy these days. You have saved me so much time! Will definitely be bookmarking your website as well. All the best!
Awesome! Thanks for the kind words!
Can I just say thank you because this review was much more than just a review of Northwest. You actually were really helpful and explained everything in a way I could understand!
I am happy this video helped! If you have any questions, please let me know!
Greg
I just registered though northwest using your code! Thank you so much for all the informative videos, they have been very helpful.
Awesome! Good luck with your new business and if you have any questions, please let me know!
You provided a fine service here Sir, thank you for taking the time to do this and do it so well.
Thanks for the kind words! Glad this was helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Greg
Went down the rabbit hole to find this thanks!
Thank you for the link. Saved money. Excellent advice.
Glad it was helpful. If you have any other questions, please ask!
Thank you for the video
I have been searching for a while until I found this one
Hope it helped. If you have any questions about starting your business, let me know!
I’m having an issue finding videos about insurance companies reviews so I can pick the right company and the right pricing. Thank you for your videos they are great 👍👌🏼
Thank you. You sold me on using Northwest and I have been very happy with them. I am even opening up a second llc through them.
That's awesome! Congrats on starting a second business!
Discounted link for the $39 (plus state fee) LLC registration (normally $100) - startup101.com/nw
If you have any questions about starting a business, please ask!
Can I add the registered agent after I create the LLC?
With the link it doesnt let you add it
It's super easy to add a registered agent after creating the LLC. To do so:
1. Log into your account at northwestregisteredagent.com
2. At the menu bar at the top, click on "Services"
3. On the next page, click on the "Add Services" button
4. Choose your company from the dropdown, or add a new company if you want Northwest to handle the registered agent services.
5. Pick "Registered Agent Services" (at the top of the list) and answer the questions.
Hope this helped. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Greg
That's gems 💎
Also based on the research I have been doing, if you are opening an LLC in New York, they are one of the few formation services to provide the NY State Publication Requirement, and they do that at a reasonable price ($375) since they are based in Albany and not in NYC. ZenBusiness charges $200 for dealing with the process + the cost of the Publication in New York County (~$1,300), totally insane since they could have a Registered Agent service in Albany like NWRA. Incfile doesn't provide the service. The only other is New York Registered Agent, which however is more targeted to NY-only business owners, so in case you want to open an LLC elsewhere you'll still need to use another service.
It still boggles my mind that NY still requires the publication and allows the papers to charge as much do. It's a big deterrent to starting a business in the state, but the newspapers must love it
...
Thank you! Should you do the virtual office?
Hi Stephanie - That decision will vary depending on your business. If you are looking to have a physical address to help make your business look legitimate, or so you don't use your home address, most virtual offices are going to be beneficial. To go the extra step, I would do a search what this new address will be, as I have seen some of the less expensive virtual office services use a home address and if a customer were to look that up, it would defeat the purpose.
The only downside I see with the NW virtual office for some people is that you can't verify their address with Google. NW is up front in that they can't verify a Google business address (www.northwestregisteredagent.com/business-address/virtual-office), as Google requires the address to be a physical location that is staffed during normal business hours - support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en.
The virtual office spaces that have addresses that qualify with Google typically come with a lease, but expect to spend $100+ per month for those.
Hope I answered your question. If not, or you have more questions, please let me know!
Greg
Great video!!! But being a total noob is sometimes a bit confusing, especially at the time frame - 10:32 "being able to change the tax election whenever we want..." Upon signing up if I select the S-Corp button, I'm actually forming an S-Corp instead, and not an LLC(or I'm wrong), or simply have it on stand-by in our NW account as an already paid option that we can utilize down the road once we surpass the $40-$60K profit? And does that election happens to be an automatic process or we have to notify a CPA to do it for us. Thanks.
This is super confusing because the IRS didn't give a tax election to LLCs like they have for other types of entities. Instead, the LLC can choose between different ways of being taxed, which is a great benefit for the LLC. So, by selecting the S-Corp button, you aren't changing the entity, just how the LLC is taxed.
The S Corp election isn't an automatic process and only happens once sending in IRS Form 2553. Before doing so, I would check with a CPA, who can run the numbers and advise you when it is best to do so. Taking the S Corp election does make things a little more complicated because you are required to become an employee and pay unemployment and payroll taxes. The upside is some of your profits can be taken as distributions, which aren't taxed as salary or self-employment income.
I wouldn't prepay for the filing with NW, because the paperwork is going to be filed right away, and you may find out that the default tax election is better anyway. When you are ready, you can log back into NW to file, have your CPA do it, or do it yourself at no cost - www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2553.
I hope this helped. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Greg
Thank you so much for sharing this! So if I use Northwest and opt to use their registered agent address for the business address. Does this mean that this address will also be my billing address on my bank and invoices? Thanks again!
You won't want to use the registered agent adderss for anything other than LLC paperwork, as they aren't going to forward this mail. If you want a different address for your billing, invoices, etc, you would want to go with an address you could frequetly check, like a PO Box or virtual address.
Hope this helped. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Greg
I like that they offer to use their address so that people running a business from home can keep their address hidden, however, if someone plans on filing a trademark for their business, they will have to use their home address, so when someone looks up a trademark on the USPTO report website, it will show the address of the person who filed it, which makes trying to hide the address of the LLC kind of a moot point. That TM address will stay there visible forever too, regardless if the business is currently active or ended decades ago.
I'll first state that I'm not an IP attorney, but as I've been advised, you can use a PO Box or other virtual mailbox service for the mailing address with the USPTO, but this is an excellent point to note that when filing a trademark you have to use a physical street address for the domicile address.
The good news is that you can keep this address private. Per the USPTO, "To keep your domicile address private, provide it in the initial application forms and the “Change of Address or Representation” form, using the dedicated field in the “Owner Information” section. Providing your domicile address in other fields or on other forms will make it public." www.uspto.gov/trademarks/laws/mandatory-electronic-filing#:~:text=To%20keep%20your%20domicile%20address%20private%2C%20provide%20it,or%20on%20other%20forms%20will%20make%20it%20public.
If the trademark form has already been filed, you can submit a Change Address or Representation (CAR) form to make your address private - www.uspto.gov/trademarks-application-process/filing-online/correspondence-and-attorneydomestic-representative and include your domicile address and separate mailing address.
Thanks for bringing this up!
Greg
Brother, thank you for the information; it's extremely clear. I have a question: I live in Mexico but want to open an LLC in the United States to do e-commerce with Amazon. I will definitely use your coupon. Do you know if the address provided by the registered agent can be used to open an account on the Amazon platform in the United States? Should I also look for a US phone service to open that account?"
Thanks for the feedback! By registering with Northwest, you get 5 free forwards each year (10 if you form in certain states), which may be enough for since you won't get much, if any mail. (www.northwestregisteredagent.com/business-address).
I could be wrong on this, but I think you only have to have your address validated if you are an Amazon seller since they send a postcard, but not as an affiliate. Either way, the free forwarding should be sufficient.
Unless there is another reason, as an affiliate, I don't know that I see a need for a virtual phone number, but if you foresee getting more mail, I could see going for an inexpensive US-based virtual address. Northwest has their premium mail forwarding that is only available in certain states for $20, and is a month which is ok, but there are many other services that you can choose from online.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Greg
@@_StartUp101 thenks bro
Great video ! I have some few questions as I tried to call them but no answer. Many thanks for any insight.
-does the member name become public?
-contact info is private correct?
-If you apply directly in NY the state will email you confirmation details. Is it possible to also receive all this communication? Do they apply online or by mail with the state?
-If you want to cancel after the first year what is the process?
-how do they provide legal docs (operating agreement etc) if they are not lawyers?
-can you add services like annual report after you file later in the year?
-how is the customer service?
I assume they may have answered back already, but I'll give you some answers.
-does the member name become public? This depends on the state. Some states required the names and addresses of the members in the filing, but I believe this is optional in NY. In NY, the name and address of the registered agent shows on the name database, and you can use their agent's name and address instead. Regardless of the state thought, by using Northwest you can use their address for the initial filing, which keeps your home address off of the database.
-contact info is private correct? Contact info is private with them or when doing the LLC filing through the state.
-If you apply directly in NY the state will email you confirmation details. Is it possible to also receive all this communication? Do they apply online or by mail with the state? That I'm not sure of.
-If you want to cancel after the first year what is the process? It's super easy to cancel services in the Northwest dashboard. One of the things I really like about NW is they send an invoice 90 days before it is due, so you have a lot of time to cancel, unlike many other services that use auto renew and don't notify you of the upcoming charge.
-how do they provide legal docs (operating agreement etc) if they are not lawyers? Every entity formation service has a disclaimer saying they are not lawyers (for liability reasons I would guess). The legal docs are all boilerplate templates and can't cover everyone's situation. Unlike other services, Northwest gives the operating agreement for free, but I always caution people to use an attorney for legal docs, especially if there are outside investors or members as they really need the guidance of a legal professional.
-can you add services like annual report after you file later in the year? The NW dashboard (or any entity formation service) lets you add on additional services.
-how is the customer service? I was happy with them when I sent test questions to them when doing my review and they have responded within 24 hours (weekdays) for me. Northwest is also the one I used when forming two other companies. One of those businesses didn't work out and I had forgotten to cancel the registered agent (despite their notification). When the bill hit, I emailed customer service and they reversed the charges. Some charges aren't going to be reversable such as hard costs like LLC renewals that are paid to the state, but many of their services should be.
Hope this helps some! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Greg
@@_StartUp101 thank you! I was able to speak to them after your message came through.
Do they list themselves as the Organizer on the paperwork they submit? Do they allow delayed filings if your state permits it? In Florida, for example, your LLC’s effective date can be several months after your filing date.
Hi there!
Northwest will listed as the organizer if you select the option when registering the LLC. Here is a picture of the initial filing paperwork for an LLC I did with them a couple of months ago - startingyourbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Northwest-Organizer1.jpg
Unfortunately, you can't delay the start date of the LLC with Northwest. ZenBusiness is the only formation company that comes to mind that does the delayed effective filing.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Greg
@@_StartUp101 Very nice, thanks!
If you are creating an LLC, do you have to physically type "LLC" at the end of your companies name or does NW add this for you when filing the documents?
Hi there! Yes, you should type one of the allowed entity designators when choosing the name of the LLC. If you don't, it's no biggie as after Northwest does the name check, they will come back and ask you to choose one.
Thanks!
Greg
@@_StartUp101 Thanks
So I went with Northwest because of your video! Spoke with them too.. Very polite and friendly.... and I now have them as a Registered Agent and can put down their address for the R.A. AWESOME! but, for the business address they offer.. its in Raleigh NC and the problem is I live in Charlotte NC. Would it be better to get a virtual business address in Charlotte or use their place in Raleigh? Thanks, in advance for your feedback.
Congrats! Regarding the virtual business address, does your business primarily focus on clients in the Charlotte area? If not, I can't think of another reason the city would matter much. If you do, a Charlotte address would be beneficial, to both be seen by customers as a local business and also for claiming a Google business listing, Yelp, etc.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Great video, any input on the voip phone service?
The pricing and features seem reasonable at $9/month, but I have not used it so honestly can't comment. There is a 60 day trial so if the service doesn't work for you, there is a lot of competition for voip providers.
Sorry I can't help more!
Greg
Should I omit or list members with the state? Im only asking because I would like to open up a business account with my current bank (a credit union) and I see that it says it may be difficult.
There are a few states that allow members to be anonymous (Delaware, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming), but most states require member's names to be listed. Which state are you looking for?
i have a question to add to this- it asks to list the members and it asks for the members address. what address do i use? the registered agent address? or do i need a virtual office? im assuming i wouldnt want to put my home address here? @@_StartUp101
To keep the you and any member's personal address private, you will use the registered agent address.
Thanks for the questions! Let me know if you have any others!
What my research is telling me is, if I want “guaranteed” privacy. Due to my business not having a physical building nor having a need for a physical building, I need a registered agent and virtual office. Does this sound right or logical.
I like that you had guaranteed in quotes, because some states are going to list the names of the members. But using Northwest, you can opt to use their registered agent address for the business address when filling out the formation paperwork. This doesn't require paying for the virtual office.
The virtual office can be used to maybe give your business more perceived legitimacy by customers as it is a real address, but if that isn't important, a PO Box is usually a cheaper and more convenient option.
Hope this helps!
Greg
I thought you mentioned that a P.O. Box was not acceptable?
Sorry, I should have explained better. You can't use a PO Box when filling out the paperwork to form the LLC with the state, but you can use a PO Box for general mail. This is usually a lower cost option than the having a virtual address if all you need is a place for mail to be sent and a real address isn't needed.
is using their adress for my llc is a good approach to open a bank with mercury? i heard some people have been rejected for this. thank you
I don't know if it's a good approach, but I opened a new LLC with Northwest and banking with Mercury earlier this year. This was an out-of-state LLC, so I used Northwest's address and didn't have any issues setting up the bank account.
Hope that helps!
Greg
@@_StartUp101 hello i emailed them this was their response "Thanks for reaching out and great question!
There will be no issue listing your registered agent's address as your legal address and your actual residential address as your physical address barring that you are not located in a prohibited country.
Hope that helps clear that up! Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Best"
Can you tell me When entering the payment details what should be put on the billing address?
This should be the address of the credit card you are using. This address isn't going to be published anywhere.
Hi, I have a TH-cam channel, and when I originally set up my AdSense account I chose organization, rather than individual. So, now I need to create an organization. I thought it would be a good opportunity to create an LLC. I live in California. But, I want everything to be totally anonymous in terms of my name being connected to the entity. I was thinking the best thing to do based upon your video would be to use Northwest to form an anonymous LLC in Delaware. Is this the right thing to do? Should I do it with my social security number, or would that identify me to the public? How much should I expect to pay to do all of this via Northwest? Thank you and be well
Is the code expired? Not letting me proceed with payment
No code needed as the link automatically applies it - startingyourbusiness.com/go/northwest-llc/. Hope this helps!
i am not sure if Northwest gives your bussiness address as additional per month or per year cost.
When registering an LLC with Northwest, you can choose to use their address as the filing address. You are required to use a physical address when registering the LLC, and the Northwest address is only good for the initial LLC.
The benefit here is that you don't have to use your home address because it would then be listed on the Secretary of State's website.
You will not want to use the NorthWest address as the business address. You are able to set up a separate mailing address for future correspondence with the Secretary of State. If you want, you can use the $29 a month virtual mailbox, any virtual mailbox or PO Box, or your home address. It's only the LLC filing that requires a physical address to be used.
I hope that answered your question, but if not, let me know!
Greg
im confused i feel a few posts up u said u can use northwests address as the business address to avoid having a virtual office to avoid that fee? im really confused now.@@_StartUp101
Using the Northwest address allows you to use that address for the initial paperwork that files the entity with the state. By using this address, you would be able to keep your personal address off of the state's database. I wouldn't recommend using their address for your normal mail, because you are limited to 5 free forward per year.
The virtual address is an address specifically for your business, and the one of the other benefits is that this is a real address and suite number which you can use to verify the address with Google or Amazon.
Hope this answers your question, but if not, please let me know!
I have read that after people have signed up, is that they charge for mail. As much as $50 per piece of mail. Apparently in the fine print. Have you seen any of this?
With the registered agent servic, depending on the state you are in, there is a limit to 5-10 pieces per year - www.northwestregisteredagent.com/business-address. This is more than what the Secretary of State is going to send, but if you want, they offer a virtual mailbox service. For what it's worth, I have 2 LLC's filed through them and have never been charged a mail fee.
Thanks!
Greg
how soon before they send you docs
The turnaround for Northwest is minimal, but a majority of the wait time comes from waiting for the state to send back the approved formation paperwork, which will vary from a few days to over a month.
Thanks for the video! You didn’t mention anything about operating agreement for the LLC. Do you know if Northwest offer this service?
Also, my business will be in Florida, does the registered agent address offers by Northwest has to be in Florida?
This was something I didn't cover in the video, but you get a free operating agreement from Northwest. This free document will work for a lot of people, especially if the primary reason for one is to open a bank account. There are only a few fields that you can fill out, so if you need something more custom, working with an attorney will be the best option. Most of the other LLC formation services charge $99+ for a similar template that offers little customization and is another reason I like Northwest.
If your LLC is formed in Florida, then you will need a Florida registered agent. You can use their service, which is free for the first year, but is then $125 each year after that.
Thanks for watching! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Greg
You did not discuss the organizer..
When forming an LLC or corporation, the organizer is the person filling out the formation paperwork. In the case of an entity formation service, an agent of the company signs as the organizer, while if you were to do it yourself, you would be organizer, or an attorney can be an organizer too.
The organizer may or may not be a member or owner of the company.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Greg
Are these people lawyers
As far as I know, none of the entity formation companies are attorneys. It's not required to have an attorney file the formation paperwork with the state.
Most people can figure out how to file the paperwork themselves, while some like the convenience of having an entity formation company make sure it was done right.
I still recommend that if you have a complex business or several members/investors that an attorney should be used to at least create custom operating agreements/bylaws to make sure the owners are protected the best they can be.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Greg
@_StartUp101 could you please explain to me what is the purpose of having a registered agent for a limited liability company (LLC) (besides getting your mail on your behalf) if you have to list yourself as one of its members anyway? For example I am going to be selling products online from my home and I don’t want my address to be public, I would prefer my name to not be public as well but if possible I’d be willing to put my name but with the registered agents address instead of mine. The issue is banks don’t seem to allow anonymous llcs to open bank accounts. I was thinking of using northwest registered agent for privacy reasons but if my info is still gonna appear online on the Secretary of State (most importantly my address) then I don’t see much of a benefit in my situation since I don’t mind getting my own mail. Btw I want to get my llc in the state of Georgia, Thanks in advance I loved your video you deserve way more subs and likes!
In a nutshell, the only function of the registered agent is to get mail on behalf of the company. In some LLCs (and corporations too) where there are multiple owners, it makes sense to have a single point of contact.
You're right that several states list the contact information for both the registered agent and members. Northwest does let you select their address for each of the members, though the member's name would still be listed with the Secretary of State.
That's a great point about banking and anonymous LLCs. You will have to use a bank that operates in that state. I actually learned this the hard way when setting up a Wyoming LLC as there were a lot of hoops to jump through to use my Illinois bank. There are several options, but I used Mercury Bank which was pretty easy to get set up.
Thanks for the great questions! If you have any more, please let me know.
Greg