Went to file my LLC this morning and by the time I checked out, I had added registered agent service, a business address, a domain name, a logo maker, and some "compliance dashboard" thing. The base filing was like $50. Somehow my total was $380. Am I an idiot or is this normal? What add-ons do people actually use?
LLC add-ons
I didn't realize llc formation services could have so many optional add-ons
You're not an idiot, they just design the flow so you click through before you realize the total. Registered agent is the only one that's genuinely hard to skip if you don't want your home address public.
lol the logo maker. I fell for that one too. It was basically a glorified Canva template and I still use the free ver sion.
Honest answer: most of them are convenience upsells. Business address address sounds nice until you realize you can't receive mail there in some states, or your bank flags it as a virtual address. I'd cancel that one unless you specifically need it.
Yeah, I'm in a state where the registered agent thing felt mandatory because I don't want my apartment on a public filing. The "compliance dashboard" is the one I feel dumbest about — it literally just reminds you to file your annual report, right?
Not always just a reminder. Some of them bundle in a registered agent or do the annual report filing for you. If it's literally just calendar notifications, cancel it and put a reminder in your phone.
You can also be your own registered agent if you're okay with your address being searchable. A lot of folks don't know that. I paid for two years before figuring it out.
I use the virtual address because I run everything from my house and didn't want clients showing up unannounced. Worth it for me, but it depends on the type of business. Tutoring from home? Maybe not.
Separate thought: the domain and hosting bundles are almost always overpriced. You can get the same thing cheaper and with fewer headaches by keeping your web services separate from your formation company.
I don't think the dashboard is totally useless — mine flags deadlines I didn't know about. But I'm in California, which is its own circus. What state are you in?
Oregon. The annual report is pretty cheap and once every two years, so the dashboard is definitely overkill. I'm gonna cancel that and keep the basic registered agent. Appreciate everyone!
Good call. One last thing — check the cancellation terms before you assume it's done. Some of these services auto-renew and make you call in to cancel.
the fact that "call in to cancel" is still a thing in this economy