Swyft Filings Review: Easy LLC Registration? (2024)

Swyft Filings Takes the Trouble Out of LLC Formation

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There are clear advantages to owning your own small-to-medium-sized business; you get to do what you’re passionate about, and set your own goals. That said, it isn’t without challenges. Some of the steps involved in registering your business as a limited liability company (LLC) can be daunting – so you might want to pay for help.

Swyft Filings’ goal is to take that burden off your shoulders and provide you with a smooth and efficient service for LLC registration. Does it? And if so, is it worth the money?

After careful research into the company, its customer reviews, and its alternatives, I can say that Swyft Filings offers a helpful service for small business owners looking for start-up assistance. It also offers an entire ecosystem of add-ons, and top-notch customer support.

Do note, however, that in the past users have reported gripes with hidden upsells for additional services. Though the company has made great strides to improve its pricing transparency in recent years, there is still room for improvement. Nevertheless, if you’re looking to streamline the entire formation process from application to approval, Swyft Filings is one of the better options on the market.

Everything You Need To Start an LLC, and a Little More

Swyft Filings includes name availability verification, Articles of Organization preparation, document filing with the Secretary of State, and a Statement of Organizer – a document that states that the owner of the LLC is different from the company that filed the paperwork – with every package. In other words, the minimum paperwork you need to register an LLC in most US states.

It also offers similar packages for forming nonprofits, C-corporations, or S-corporations. For LLCs, not only does Swyft Filings offer the essentials, but a fair amount of extra features as well. For example, as part of its Standard and Premium plans, Swyft Filings will handle your BOI (Beneficial Ownership Information) report, a new federal requirement that applies to all reporting companies. Keep in mind, however, that many of these extra features come from third-party suppliers, so they might involve surcharges and separate agreements.

Let Swyft Filings Take Care of Your EIN

Every business is different, and state regulations vary, so exactly what your business requires (both in terms of what Swyft Filings can provide and otherwise) will depend on a variety of factors. As such, an Employee Identification Number (EIN) may be required. You will probably need it to open a business bank account, and you will definitely need it to hire employees or to pay excise tax.

You can apply for an EIN on your own – just like you can file for LLC registration on your own – or you could just leave it to the professionals. With the mid-range Standard package1, Swyft Filings will take care of the EIN application on your behalf.

A Whole Bunch of Extra Documents To Establish a Rock-Solid Foundation

There are many documents that, while not required as you’re filing for your LLC, can become important down the line. With Swyft Filings’ Standard Package, in addition to the aforementioned EIN and BOI, you will receive the following customized documents:

• Operating Agreement. An Operating Agreement outlines the structure and regulations of your business – it is not necessary in many states but is often recommended if your LLC has multiple members.
• Banking resolution. This document may be required by some banks for opening a business bank account, especially if it is not specified in any other documents – it clarifies which members of the LLC are qualified to make transactions on its behalf.
• Organizational minutes. The first meeting of the members of an LLC is called an “organizational meeting.” Swyft Filings will provide you with the documentation you need to conduct and record this meeting properly.
• Business and legal forms and templates. As an LLC owner, you’ll likely need to create various business documents daily, like invoices, contracts, and agreements. With the Standard plan, you gain one month of free access to an extensive library of 250+ customizable business forms and templates (six months with the Premium plan).

The above will help you to get ahead of your administrative needs and prevent mishaps or complications down the line.

Swyft Filings Can Help You Establish an Identity

Modern businesses require a lot more than just a signature on a dotted line. Establishing a business identity for your LLC is a crucial step toward reaching your audience and ensuring future success.

Swyft Filings partners with third-party services to help you establish your brand identity. First of all, it helps you register a “Doing Business As” (DBA) name. While you can use the registered name of your LLC, a DBA can be a more aesthetically-pleasing, customer-facing name, and the foundation of your brand identity. Additionally, if you opt for the Premium plan, you’ll get a free trademark filing (government fees excluded) for your logo, name, or slogan.

Thanks to Swyft Filings’ partnership with Squarespace, you also get a free domain name for a year with the Premium plan, which includes “resources and support for getting started with your website and online presence.”

You can also request a logo design service for a small extra fee, which will provide you with a company logo, as well as the right to use the logo.

Your Registered Agent, Available During Business Hours

As an LLC, it’s legally required that you declare a Registered Agent. This entity will serve as the legal liaison of your company – they’re obligated to have a physical address in the state of registration and be available during normal business hours.

Generally, it’s a very bad idea to do it yourself or to appoint anyone else if you or they can’t commit to it full-time. Swyft Filings can provide you with a Registered Agent service for a quarterly fee.

I should warn you, however, that Swyft Filings outsources this service, so the agreement price – which is already somewhat high – and other details are subject to change. I’ve found that most complaints about Swyft Filings have usually involved the Registered Agent service, either due to unexpected or unannounced upcharges, or changes to the Terms of Service, but hopefully these issues have been corrected.

For Swyft Filings, Ease Is the Name of the Game

Though it offers a wide variety of features and extra services, Swyft Filings appears primarily committed to user-friendliness. Everything from its easy-to-navigate homepage to your business management dashboard is designed to make the life of LLC owners as simple as possible.

Some of the most noteworthy ease-of-use features come at a premium, but even without any add-ons, Swyft Filings can do most of the hard work for you1.

Getting Started With Swyft Filings

The application process with Swyft Filings is astonishingly easy. Its homepage declares that you can “apply for an LLC in as little as 10 minutes” and even that might be overshooting it. To apply, all you have to do is choose your entity type and desired US state of formation, then click on Get Started.

After that, you’ll be redirected to the app page, where you’ll have to fill out a small questionnaire with your relevant business information.

First, input your chosen business name. Swyft Filings will make a quick search for name availability. If it clears, you’ll be asked for your full name, an email address, and a US phone number.

After that, it’s just a matter of selecting your industry type (food service, entertainment, etc…), how soon you expect to have employees (if ever), deciding if you want any add-ons, and entering payment information for your package of choice.

That’s it. After that, Swyft Filings will contact you if they need any further information. If not, all that’s left to do is wait for your approved documents in the mail. Again, processing times can vary greatly depending on the US state in which you’ve applied.

Keep Your Documents in Check From the Online Dashboard

Once you’ve finished your application with Swyft Filings, you’ll get access to its intuitive online dashboard. From there, you’ll be able to check your application status. Once your application is approved, you’ll be able to access and review important documents, as well as manage any add-on services.

There is no mobile app currently available, but the browser app works as well on mobile screens as it does on desktop.

The Business License and Compliance Package

Depending on your type of business and the state(s) in which you plan to operate, you might need specific licenses and documents before you can begin operations.

For a one-time fee, you can add the business filing and compliance package. This includes a full list of all the licenses and tax registrations you need to operate, important information about the specific licensing authorities, as well as all the application documents you need.

This extra cost might be worth it to ensure some peace of mind – especially if you’re new to setting up your own LLC.

Never Miss a Deadline With Compliance Assistance

It would be wonderful if registering your LLC was a one-and-done deal, but unfortunately, there are many important reports and deadlines that you have to meet lest you incur late fees. That’s why Swyft Filings provides a 14-day free trial of ComplianceGuard on all packages.

ComplianceGuard will automatically send you notifications before any important deadlines, and will provide you with an annual report and unlimited access to meeting minutes.

Just be careful to cancel the service if you don’t want to pay for it, as the yearly subscription automatically renews.

The Base Packages Are Cheap, the Upfees… Not So Much

If there is one thing that users have taken issue with in the past, it’s Swyft Filings’ fees for additional services. Thankfully, the company has taken great strides to provide a simpler and more transparent pricing model. Still, there are some details I should clarify as much as possible in the spirit of transparency.

Swyft Filings offers three distinct packages: Basic, Standard, and Premium. To purchase any of these, you pay a one-time fee of the package’s base price plus the formation state’s filing fees. The difference between plans is simple: the Standard plan includes a one-time BOI report filing and the extra documents I highlighted in the Features section above, while the Premium plan includes all of that plus one trademark filling, express filing times, and a “digital corporate kit” – an online storage solution for all of your business documentation.

You may want to keep in mind that most previously reported issues in online reviews appear to stem from Swyft Filings’ agreements with third-party companies to provide add-on services, as well as a failure to clearly notify business owners of the payment deadlines.

So, if you do choose to go with Swyft Filings, and you don’t want to pay for any extra add-ons, you’ll want to ensure you investigate and cancel any possible auto-renewals immediately after you sign up for the service.

Here is a list of some of the third-party add-ons that you may or may not want to include:

• Registered Agent service. $149 USD, charged quarterly.
• Business License and Compliance Package. One-time $99 USD payment.
• Domain name. Free with Premium plan, charged annually after the first year.
• ComplianceGuard Company Alerts. $199 USD, charged annually after the 14-day free-trial period.
• Logo creation services. One-time fee, exact pricing varies.
• Physical address and virtual mail services. Charged as a subscription, $29/month, free for 1 month with the Standard and 6 months with the Premium plan.
• 360 Legal Forms document and template library. $19.99/month, (free unlimited access for 1 month with the Standard and 6 months with the Premium plan).

Though the add-ons can certainly add up, the base packages are competitively priced1.

Impressive Support Quality, but the Ticket System Needs Some Work

Swyft Filings offers three options for customer support: phone support, email support (both available 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday), and a knowledge base. On the site, it looks like a live chat option is also available, but it’s really just a ticket system for email support.

To assess Swyft Filings’ customer support quality, I initiated contact by dialing their number. An automated voice placed me on hold, estimating the approximate wait time. The system also presented an alternative to reserve my position and await a callback. However, I opted to remain on hold, and pleasantly, the wait lasted merely around 7 minutes.

During the call, a representative took great care to resolve my (many) doubts in detail, with a warm and friendly disposition. Overall, I have no complaints about the phone support service, and the customer reviews tend to back this up.

At the end, I received an email with basic information about each package to tie up my experience nicely.

If you prefer to be your own support line, the knowledge base is filled with detailed, well-written articles about not only Swyft Filings, but also general knowledge that you might need for running and growing any company type.

My only issue with customer support involved the ticket system. When I tried submitting a ticket for email support, the Send button remained unresponsive. Even when I tried again the next day (using a VPN set to another location, and with a different email address), the send button worked, but I didn’t get a response until a week later.

It’s unfortunate that while the support I did receive was excellent, the ticket support feature didn’t work at all. There will likely be situations in which you just want to submit a question without having to take the time to make a phone call.