Northwest Registered Agent Review (2024)
Northwest will guide you through the process of getting your business formed while satisfying all state, federal, and local requirements. This review covers features, pricing, and everything you need to know about this popular service.
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At a glance
Northwest Registered Agent is an online platform that provides business formation services. As the name suggests, it started as a Registered Agent service and has evolved into offering a broader selection of tools.
With Northwest, you can form a new corporation (C-corp or S-corp), limited liability company (LLC), or nonprofit. Pricing is simple and transparent; a flat $100 fee covers Northwest’s filing fees, and there are no fancy bundles or packages.
The process is quick and easy, as Northwest guides you through with one-on-one help from a personal Corporate Guide. You’ll be assigned a personal guide when you sign up, who will help you complete the registration process and be your personal support agent for future issues.
Northwest prioritizes transparency, privacy, and developing relationships with its clients. That means they won’t sell your data, and they put a lot of effort into ensuring that your data is safe and your personal information is kept private.
Who Northwest Registered Agent is best for
Northwest is best for anyone who wants to start a new business or nonprofit and who would like some help with the process. More specifically, it’s ideal for those who want more personalized service and those who are concerned about privacy and data security.
While many competing services offer basic business formation services, few offer the attention to detail and personalized service that Northwest brings to the table. They are truly a company that puts its customers first.
Northwest Registered Agent features & services
Northwest Registered Agent’s main offering is helping to make it easier to form a new LLC or corporation. The service is, first and foremost, a Registered Agent service. This means that they can help handle correspondence between you and state agencies; having a Registered Agent is a requirement in many states.
Northwest offers all the services and features business owners need to form a new business accurately and efficiently. They’re also useful on an ongoing basis, thanks to services like Registered Agent and Annual Report filing.
Additional services are available, but Northwest is not aggressive with its upsells, preferring to focus on its core offerings. That said, this means that their selection of specialty services is less diverse than some competitors.
But now, Northwest has expanded to offer much more: They can help you file all the required forms in order to incorporate, help you keep up with ongoing compliance requirements, and more. Here’s an overview of some key features.
Northwest helps you form a new business by…
- Making it simple to register a new business
- Giving you your choice of LLC, corporation, or nonprofit
- Providing the option to elect S corporation (S-corp) status
- Serving as your Registered Agent
- Helping you draft all relevant documents for new business formation
- Working directly with state agencies in all US states
- Ensuring an efficient and accurate filing experience
- Storing your documents in an online account
Northwest helps you grow your business by…
- Helping with the yearly requirement to file an Annual Report
- Helping existing companies register operations in new states
- Ensuring ongoing compliance with state and federal requirements
- Providing privacy-boosting and convenient tools, like virtual office and mail forwarding, including a business address to keep your contact information private
- Offering VoIP business phone numbers to help keep your personal number private
- Helping you obtain various extras, such as permits, employer identification numbers (EIN), Certified Copy, Certificates of Good Standing, and more
- Providing free legal forms and templates, including LLC operating agreements, articles of organization, meeting minutes, corporate bylaws, articles of incorporation, and more
Northwest Registered Agent pricing
How much does Northwest Registered Agent cost, and is it worth it? For new business formation, the cost is a flat fee of $100 + state fees. Northwest Registered Agent LLC fees are the same as corporation fees, so it’s a flat $100 regardless of company structure. Northwest has a straightforward pricing structure, with each service priced individually.
They don’t really offer “bundles” but instead choose to give customers more flexibility in selecting the features that are most important in their formation package – and the price point that fits their budget. This also means that there’s no sneaky “first-year” pricing or misleading marketing.
This is a list of the most popular business services that Northwest offers. As an example, a typical individual looking to start a new business with Northwest might expect to spend $100 for the filing fee, $125/year for Registered Agent services (if needed), and $50-$250+ for state filing fees.
- This is a list of the most popular business services that Northwest offers.
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- Business Formation (LLC, corporation, or nonprofit) – $100 + state fees
- Registered Agent – $125/year
- Annual Report – $100/year
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) tax ID application – $50
- S-Corp Election – $50
- Virtual Office – $49/month
- Mail Forwarding – $40/month
- Business Phone Number (VoIP) – $9/month
- Certificate of Good Standing – $50-$70+, depending on the state
As an example, a typical individual looking to start a new business with Northwest might expect to spend $100 for the filing fee, $125 per year for Registered Agent services (if needed), and $50-$250+ for state filing fees.
State fees
You’ll notice that Northwest charges state filing fees separately. This is standard in the industry, so you’ll see this with competing filing services like Bizee, LegalZoom, ZenBusiness, etc.
State fees go directly to the state in which you register your new business. They vary depending on the state and also by the type of business entity you are forming. In general, expect to spend around $80 to $300 or more on these state fees.
During the checkout process with Northwest, you’ll be shown an estimated total cost, including state fees. And remember, these fees go 100% to your state’s business agency, so you’ll have to pay the fees whether you use a service like Northwest or register completely on your own.
LLC filing speeds also vary by state. Some may be as fast as a few business days, while others may take several weeks.
Value
Northwest offers good value for business founders. Their flat-fee pricing structure is attractive to fans of simplicity. Most competing incorporation services offer huge “bundles” instead. Sometimes these bundles are a good deal, but often, you wind up paying for features that you don’t actually need. Northwest takes the opposite approach, giving you the basics and then allowing you to add on services as needed.
Plus, Northwest offers significant value by working hard to ensure your privacy and data security. Unlike many competitors, they don’t have special “partnerships” with service providers, so they won’t recommend dozens of products to you or sell your information as leads. Their simple pricing, combined with superior customer service and authenticity, make Northwest a great value overall.
Northwest Registered Agent customer support
Northwest Registered Agent prides itself on offering excellent customer service. Their business model aims to prioritize relationships over profit, meaning that they work hard to develop real relationships with their clients.
They achieve this by pairing you with your own “Corporate Guide”, who helps you through the entire formation process. Your guide will serve as your own personal support agent, so you’ll have an opportunity to work with them on an ongoing basis.
Northwest customer support agents are based in-house, and support is never outsourced. You can contact email support at any time or call phone agents during normal business hours.
If you read customer reviews on Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and others, you’ll likely find that most customers have very good experiences with support reps at Northwest. Indeed, superior service is one of the main selling points of the service.
Final thoughts
Northwest is among the best LLC formation services out there. They take a somewhat different approach than competitors, focusing on one-on-one service, enhanced privacy, and a simple flat-fee pricing structure. They are passionate about protecting the privacy and data security of their clients, which in this day and age, is more important than ever.
If you’re looking for great prices and personalized service from a trusted partner, Northwest is an excellent company to choose. If you’re looking for dozens of bells-and-whistles, or a broader selection of legal services, some competitors certainly offer more variety.
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