Registered Agents In Florida: The Latest List of Providers

The following seasonally-adjusted business application and formation statistics were released by the US Census Bureau for October 2021: Adjusted for seasonal variance, projected Business Formations (within 4 quarters) for October 2021 were 31,831, up 1.9% from September 2021. 

The anticipated business formations are forward-looking, predicting the number of new business beginnings that will emerge from a given month’s cohort of business applications. One of the aspects that new businesses need to attend to is hiring a registered agent or an organizer.

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing between an organizer vs registered agent for LLCs such as cost, representation, and responsibilities. In this article, we will highlight the significance of going to a registered agent for your business’ status and legal compliance.

A Florida registered agent might be a company or an individual who agrees to take service of process and official mail on behalf of Florida corporations, LLCs, and other entities. A Florida registered agent is required by law to have a physical street address in the state, known as a registered office, where certified mail may be delivered reliably during regular business hours.

When documents are accepted, a Florida registered agent is responsible for contacting the customer and promptly forwarding the document to them. This assures that state courts and the Florida Division of Corporations can contact a business entity with confidence.

The Role Of A Florida Registered Agent

Florida registered agents must have physical addresses in Florida, be open during business hours, take documents on your behalf, and deliver them to you, according to Florida Statute Section 607.0501.

To put it another way, your registered agent’s address serves as the official address for any service of process and official mail for your Florida LLC, Florida company, or Florida nonprofit. A good registered agent service, on the other hand, may do a lot more.

On behalf of the company, your registered agent should accept tax and legal paperwork. This is critical for staying in compliance with tax payments, lawsuits, and judgments against the company. Simply explained, a registered agent is a person or entity tasked with receiving vital legal documents on your LLC’s behalf.

Because your LLC’s registered agent will be the primary point of contact, it must have a physical address in the state where you do business.

Registered Agent Benefits

In the state of Florida, being a registered agent is a legal requirement. This is because receiving letters and serving the process requires a physical presence in the state. Despite the fact that this may appear to be a nuisance, there are a number of advantages to using a registered agent.

■ Maintain your anonymity: Using a registered agent to form an LLC or corporation allows you to avoid disclosing your personal or business address online.

■ Avoid embarrassment: Having a registered agent can help avoid you from being served with a lawsuit at your place of business. It’s humiliating to be served at work, especially if it’s in front of relatives and friends, or even clients.

■ Additional services: Excellent registered agents will also assist you with additional services. This might relieve you of some of the work and stress, allowing you to concentrate on building your firm. The services provided by a good registered agent are extremely valuable.

There are a few qualities to look for when selecting a registered agent. First and foremost, you’ll want to choose a seasoned specialist. This will allow you to let them drive and take care of you, ensuring that you receive your money’s worth.

You should also think about value rather than pricing. Although certain registered agent services are less expensive, this does not necessarily imply that they are of lower quality.

Especially if you want to form in more than just Florida and are seeking a nationwide provider. Finally, you should search for additional service options. If you want to get the most out of your money, this is critical.

Below we will discuss the different registered agent service providers available in Florida:

Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest is the only major national registered agent service that scans every document they receive as your agent locally for a fee of $125 per year. They also provide personalized customer service by assigning each client to a dedicated account representative. If you utilize Northwest for more than ten states or as the registered agent for more than ten enterprises, you can save $100 per year per business.

They pledge to never sell your personal information and to adhere to their Privacy by Default policy. If you opt to use Northwest’s business formation package, you’ll pay a service cost of $295/125 plus the Florida filing price of $295/125.

Zen Business

Zen Business has a lower $99 fee than Northwest, and it places a greater emphasis on making the process less stressful and providing an easier-to-use website. You’ll get their excellent customer service as well as access to useful software for tracking and filing your company’s annual reports. Zen Businesses’ smaller size allows for more personalized service than larger corporations.

For $39 plus state taxes, you can get registered agent service for the first year when you form your firm with Zen Business (this yearly bundle usually costs $119). They also offer one of the most affordable à-la-carte registered agent options, at $99 per year.

Incfile

With costs starting at just $119 per year, they are one of the most well-known LLC and registered agent services accessible. In addition, if you haven’t started a business yet and would like a free registered agent service, they offer a fantastic free LLC formation service. They’re the only company that provides free business formation services, as well as a free year of registered agent service. Customer opinion on Incfile is overwhelmingly excellent, with a 4.8 satisfaction rating across 13,500+ reviews.

LegalZoom

LegalZoom is another popular choice that provides essentially the same thing as the other services but costs $299 per year. The above budget registered agent services, in our opinion, are considerably better deals and less than half the price. While LegalZoom isn’t the cheapest service, it does have certain advantages.

LegalZoom is the nation’s largest business service network. They provide a wide range of legal services, making them a one-stop shop for both company and personal legal requirements. The cost of their basic business formation service, plus state costs, is $79 (a fair value).

Final Thought

The importance of a Florida registered agent to your company’s compliance and legal status cannot be overstated. While you may always alter your registered agent later, we believe it’s critical to choose the correct registered agent for your company from the outset. Keep an eye on your compliance status to ensure that nothing goes wrong along the road.

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