Business Formation, Reporting & Licensing
From writing the plan through forming the entity and keeping it in good standing afterward — including the annual filings that quietly lapse and cost businesses their status.
Formation & planning
- Business plan writing (lender- and SBA-ready)
- LLC and corporation formation
- EIN registration
- Registered agent setup
- State & local business licensing
Staying in good standing
- Annual report filing
- Compliance deadline tracking
- Registered agent maintenance
- Federal reporting obligations, where they apply
Formation is the easy part
Filing articles of organization takes a day. Staying compliant takes years, and it's where most small businesses quietly run into trouble. An annual report goes unfiled. A registered agent resigns and the notice goes to an old address. A license lapses. Nothing appears to happen — until a bank, a lender, or a contracting officer runs a status check and finds the entity administratively dissolved. Reinstatement costs more than compliance would have, and in the meantime deals stall.
A note on BOI reporting
If you've been told you need to file a beneficial ownership report, check the date on that advice. FinCEN issued a final rule effective August 14, 2026 that permanently exempts companies formed in the United States, and their beneficial owners, from BOI reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act. The requirement now reaches only entities formed under foreign law that have registered to do business in a U.S. state. A great deal of outdated guidance is still circulating, including from services still charging for these filings.
From idea to operating business
Decide the structure
LLC, S-corp, C-corp. This is a tax and liability question for a CPA or attorney — get it right before filing, because changing later is costly.
Form the entity
Articles filed with the state, registered agent designated, operating agreement drafted.
Federal and banking setup
EIN from the IRS, then a business bank account. Most banks want formation documents and the EIN letter.
Licensing
State, county, and city requirements vary widely by industry and location. Missing a local license is a common oversight.
Annual compliance
Annual or biennial reports, registered agent maintenance, license renewals. This is what we track so it doesn't lapse.
Which structure to choose depends on your tax picture, liability exposure, and ownership plans — a CPA or attorney should answer it. Once you've decided, we handle the filing, EIN, registered agent, and licensing.
Pricing
Starting rate for this service. See the full pricing page for everything else.
Business Formation, Reporting & Licensing
- Plus state filing fee (Florida: $125)
- Business plan writing quoted separately
- Annual report filing from $89
Questions about this service.
For most U.S. businesses, no — and this changed recently enough that a lot of outdated advice is still circulating. FinCEN issued a final rule effective August 14, 2026 that permanently exempts companies formed in the United States, and their beneficial owners, from beneficial ownership reporting under the Corporate Transparency Act. The requirement now applies only to entities formed under foreign law that have registered to do business in a U.S. state. If your company was formed abroad and registered here, the obligation may still apply and we can help you assess it.
Almost always a missed annual or biennial report, or a lapsed registered agent. Neither feels urgent until you discover it — usually when a bank, a lender, or a contracting officer runs a status check and finds the entity administratively dissolved. Reinstating costs more than filing on time, which is why we track the dates rather than leaving them to memory.
Not strictly, but the exercise is worth more than the document. Lenders and SBA programs require one; beyond that, writing it forces decisions about pricing, market, and staffing that are easier to make deliberately than under pressure later.
That depends on your tax situation, liability exposure, and ownership structure, and it's a question for a CPA or an attorney rather than a filing service. Once you've decided, we handle the formation, EIN, registered agent, and licensing.
Related services
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