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Specification

Every formation package is the same filing. The difference is what else is in the box.

The state charges what it charges and files what it files. What a formation service sells on top of that — the registered agent year, the operating agreement, the EIN, the compliance reminders — is where the packages actually differ, and where the price does.

The matrix

What a package contains

Nothing is published here yet. These are the columns the write-ups will be built on — the things a package either includes or leaves to you. Marks below are illustrative of the format, not findings.

Included in the package Entry tier Middle tier Top tier
State filing fee Whether the advertised price includes what the state charges, or adds it at checkout. varies varies varies
Registered agent Usually a free first year, then an annual charge that is the real cost of the package. to check typical typical
Operating agreement A template in most cases. Worth knowing whether it is drafted or generated. to check typical typical
EIN application Free direct from the IRS. Priced as an add-on by most services. add-on add-on typical
Annual report reminders What happens in year two, which is where most of the renewal cost sits. to check to check typical

The columns above describe tiers as the market generally structures them. Named providers, their prices and what each tier actually contains are the subject of the write-ups, and are not on this page.

How this reads

What this site will and will not do

Nothing is scored

No ratings, no stars, no tier boards. Where one package suits a situation better, the write-up argues it in words with the reasoning on the page.

Prices are quoted and dated

Pricing moves. Anything specific is taken from the provider and dated, or described in words rather than numbers.

The filing is the same either way

A service does not get a different or faster filing from the state. What you are buying is the paperwork being handled, not a better outcome.

Affiliate links are disclosed

Some links earn a commission. That never decides which package a write-up recommends, and it is stated on every page it applies to.