You can go the DIY route if you want to, but this is such an important document filing that we strongly prefer leaving it up to a professional. On the other hand, you could hire an attorney to draft and file your Certificate of Authority application, but this can be very expensive.
Incfile is one of the most popular foreign qualification services due to its positive customer reviews and reasonable pricing model. But is Incfile the best service for your company’s unique needs and circumstances?
The foreign qualification process is quite similar to the business formation process in many states, although the fact that each state creates its own rules and regulations can complicate things a bit. Essentially, foreign qualification is obtained by filing a form usually known as the Certificate of Authority, which grants your business the right to operate in an additional state.
With a foreign qualification service like Incfile, all you have to do is provide them with some basic info and they’ll take care of the rest. You won’t need to worry about filling out any forms or filing them with the Secretary of State. Instead, you can pay Incfile a reasonable fee and spend that time growing your business.
Let’s quickly review its pros and cons before we dig into the details.
Positive customer reviews
Strong pricing model
Free business formation service
Hit-or-miss customer support
Lots of add-ons and upsells
Incfile’s foreign qualification service costs $149 plus your state’s fee. It includes a preliminary name search of your state’s business database, along with the preparation and filing of your Certificate of Authority (or similarly named document).
However, that’s all you get with Incfile, as well as most of its competitors. While domestic business formation services almost always have some additional features and perks, the foreign qualification services offered by the same companies typically do not.
At $149, Incfile’s price point for foreign qualification is not the lowest price point we’ve seen. That distinction goes to MyCompanyWorks, with a $99 rate. However, Incfile’s pricing is the next-best option we’ve found.
For domestic business formations, it’s tough to top what Incfile can offer. That’s because this company actually offers to form a new LLC or corporation for free — all you have to pay is your state fee. Making this bargain even better is the fact that Incfile throws in a full year of registered agent service at no extra charge. If you need to form a business instead of foreign qualifying one, Incfile is an appealing option.
Incfile has plenty of experience, as it has formed more than 800,000 business entities and currently serves as the registered agent for 250,000 companies. Even more impressive is its customer feedback reputation. Incfile has tens of thousands of customer reviews available online, and nearly all of them are positive in nature.
Incfile customers seem to really appreciate its free business formation package and also compliment the company’s ease of use.
We are of two minds when it comes to Incfile’s customer support network. On one hand, Incfile’s phone support is rock-solid, with quick response times and helpful associates. On the other hand, its email support is less impressive, as they sometimes do not respond. When Incfile has responded to our emails, it’s almost always with a templated form response that doesn’t actually address our problem.
The entire point of using a foreign qualification service is to make this part of your business run seamlessly with little-to-no effort on your part. Incfile certainly fits the bill, as it’s simple to place orders, renew services, and navigate its website.
The process of ordering foreign qualification service from Incfile couldn’t be much simpler. Here’s an overview of what you can expect when you click the “Order Now” button on the Incfile foreign qualification service page. Keep in mind that the process for foreign qualification can vary from state to state, but in most states, it will look something like this:
Incfile excels in this category, as it has a large quantity of high-quality customer reviews. There are more than 30,000 reviews available on reputable third-party review websites for Incfile, and it still manages to maintain an impressive 4.8 out of 5 average score.
Obviously, it’s borderline impossible to read through all 30,000+ reviews but we were able to glean some general trends from this feedback. In short, Incfile’s customers appreciate the free business formation package, and also frequently praise the company’s ease of use.
Incfile’s foreign qualification pricing is competitive, and it has thousands of positive customer reviews. In addition, its offer of free business formation service is an appealing bargain.
While we realize that each business has its own unique needs and characteristics, we think Incfile is always a good option for foreign qualification service.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
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