Northwest Registered Agent Review (2024)
Northwest Registered Agent, also known as just “Northwest”, is an online provider of business services. As the name suggests, Northwest is primarily a registered agent service. Entrepreneurs can select Northwest as their company’s registered agent, which means that they will handle legal correspondence and other important documents.
In many states, having a registered agent is a requirement for forming certain business structures. Some states allow you to be your own registered agent, but many entrepreneurs choose to hire a company in order to simplify things.
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Pros
- An easy way to start a business online
- Start a new LLC, corporation, or nonprofit
- Compatible with requirements in all states
- Competitive price-point with few upsells
- Simple and transparent fee structure
- Virtual office services, business VoIP phone plans, and more
- Customized support from 1:1 Corporate Guide
- Excellent security and privacy protocols
- Northwest does not share or sell customer data
- Excellent customer service
Cons
- State fees are charged separately
- Smaller selection of add-on features compared to some competitors
What does Northwest Registered Agent offer?
Northwest has valuable services designed to help you start a new business, help you grow a business, and protect your privacy and data.
Northwest makes it easy to start a new company in the state of your choosing. Customers can form new LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits with ease, through a 100% online system. Instead of relying on the outdated systems of state agencies, Northwest customers can experience a streamlined business formation process.
Northwest also offers some ongoing services that can help entrepreneurs grow and manage their companies. They also offer many tools and services that help business owners to protect their privacy and data security.
Starting a business
- Simple process to form a new business through an online account
- Choice of C-corp, S-corp, LLC, or nonprofit
- Help applying for an EIN
- Help finding an available business name
- Help filing Articles of Organization, Articles of Incorporation, LLC operating agreements, and more
- Clear, transparent pricing
Growing a business
- Ongoing compliance filing, including Annual Reports
- Virtual phone numbers (business VoIP)
- Virtual office service
- Mail forwarding (protects the privacy of your business address or home address)
- Free legal forms and templates
- Help to register in new states (business expansion)
How much does Northwest Registered Agent cost?
Northwest Registered Agent has a concise, clear pricing structure. Unlike most competitors, they don’t really offer “bundles” of services. Instead, there is a $39 fee to start a company plus state fees for Registered Agent service, and then you can add on various services from there. Here’s a breakdown of their costs:
New business formation – $39 + state fees
Northwest Registered Agent LLC, corporation, or nonprofit formation services costs $39 plus state fees. This covers the basics that you’ll need to start a new company.
- Form a new limited liability company, corporation, or nonprofit
- Works for entrepreneurs in any state
- State fees charged separately (vary by state)
- Help with all necessary filings
Registered agent service – First year is free (plus state fees), then $39/year (plus state fees)
Northwest’s Registered Agent service costs $39/year (plus state fees) and provides all the benefits of a professional registered agent.
- Accepts legal documents for the business, such as service of process, lawsuits, liens, subpoenas
- Registered Agent is required in most states; although you may be able to serve as your own
- Cancel at any time
Optional add-ons – $0 + state fees
Northwest offers a variety of optional add-ons, each priced separately.
- Filing of Annual Report – $100/year (additional state fees may be charged)
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) Tax ID Application – $50
- S-Corp Election – $50
- Mail Forwarding Service – $40/month
- Virtual Office Service – $49/month
- Certificate of Good Standing – cost varies by state
- Additional Business Phone Number – $9/month
Ongoing costs
Many business owners will only pay for the upfront costs of using Northwest to form a new business. However, it’s worth noting that some of Northwest’s services are ongoing and may incur ongoing costs.
For instance, the Registered Agent service costs $39 plus state fees, while the Annual Report filing service costs $100 per year.
Completely optional add-ons like a virtual office, business VoIP phone number, or mail forwarding also have ongoing costs.
You won’t need any of these ongoing services for basic business formation.
State filing fees
Northwest charges state filing fees separately. This is standard practice in the industry.
Fees vary by state, as well as by the business type (LLC, corporation, or nonprofit). Some states are as low as $50, while others are several hundred dollars.
During the signup process, Northwest will show you the total cost, including state fees. Keep in mind that 100% of these state filing fees go directly to your state, although Northwest facilitates the transaction.
Does Northwest Registered Agent have good customer service?
Northwest Registered Agent has excellent customer support. In fact, it’s a major selling point of their business model.
When a customer signs up for Northwest, they will be paired with their own Corporate Guide. This guide helps facilitate the setup process and is there to answer any questions. Even long after the initial sign-up, the corporate guide will be available to answer questions and resolve issues. This differs from the traditional customer service model, in which customers call in and are paired with whatever agent is available.
Northwest’s support team members are available via phone or email.
Is Northwest Registered Agent a good choice for your business?
Northwest Registered Agent offers many benefits for entrepreneurs. The cornerstones of Northwest’s business model are customer support, transparency, and data privacy. They also offer a very simple, clear pricing structure, without the use of complex “bundles.”
Wrapping up
- If you want excellent customer support, professional Registered Agent services, or you value your personal and business data, Northwest Registered Agent is an excellent choice.
- If you want the cheapest business formation packages possible, you can likely find a better value with other LLC formation services and incorporation services.
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