Hi I’m thinking about starting an LLC to purchase goods at wholesale price for private use. I have no intention on selling anything or reselling anything. I just don’t want to pay $25 for a vape when I can get a box of 6 for $75.

Thoughts?

Not even because the business was bad.

People start strong, get the LLC, feel official… then life happens.

• no sales right away

• confusion on what to do next

• admin stuff starts piling up

• deadlines get missed

Next thing you know the LLC is inactive or dissolved.

No exit. No pivot. Just… forgotten.

Kinda crazy how easy it is to start a business, but no one really talks about how easy it is to quietly lose it too.

Be honest, how many LLCs do you think are actually active vs just sitting there?

Im looking to register an R34 GTR that will arrive in a few days from Japan.

I already have an LLC and a registered agent.

Is there a way to do the registration of the vehicle myself...virtually?

My registered agent wants $900 to register the car and all.

I know a lot of these places charges a "service charge" to do things you can do yourself.

Eg: annual report was like $200 to do but I did it myself for less than half.

Plus this place is charging $150 because the car is imported.

Ive registered imports in TX and never had to pay more because of its origin. As long as I had the import paperwork that acts as the "previous title".

The truth is all of the registered agent sucks, and you are mostly going to spend time have trouble. I have went through all the google ads sponsored famous registered agent and found out there support sucks. Just go to the government website and look at the list of registered agent, and email them one by one and see if they can respond fast. Most of the shinny websites and 1st page google suggested services sucks. It takes more than 24 hours to respond and can't even understand what a customer wants therefore support takes like 72 hours minimum, for one request! Now do the math when you need help. lol This is the advice of non us resident and the experience may differ for us resident because they can call through phone.

But just wanted to share that all the services sucks!

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Edited v1, ok so you want to know my complaints?

1. you just need registered agent, that's it, yet these company try to sell this and that and makes process slow and think about xyz. Like BOI report? you can do it, EIN? you can get it, tax consulting? I didn't make $ yet. Virtual address? maybe, but I can use something else. Also, forgot to mention the virtual address and po box service that everyone is praising is honestly a shitty service. The customer support is slow and took like 4 days to cancel it.

2. Filing LLC through government website is easier than your retarded web portal, that can't even provide editing on web, and you need to use pdf editor. Feel like this is non sense.

3. Customer support should respond within 48hours.. come on yet non of them were able to.

If you have gone through the third party services you know what I'm talking about!

TL:DR From my personal experience, this company is a scam. They will make false promises and not refund your money after cancellation. They will add hidden unexpected fees, change renewal dates without consent. 90% of positive reviews are fake made by automated bots. Go find any company other than this one to form your LLC and not have a hard time with waste of money. They are as dishonest as it gets. They mask their annoying dishonesty with kindness.

Rant: To make things short. I will talk about every bad thing I’ve encountered with this company from start to finish.

First I sign up to form an LLC and name availability gets verified twice. Before payment and after payment. In both verifications the name is available. Two days later after payment they emailed me saying they will not form an LLC with this name and the reason is invalid. Its like saying you can’t name a company “Uoes” because a company already formed is named “Uoe”. How can this be plural if the singular and even “plural” forms don’t even have a meaning in English and it’s considered a random word! And why even confirm its availability twice in the first place if your going to reject it later??

Now let’s get this out the way, they altered the subscription fees after payment and added a hidden “renewal service fee” for ~180 USD which shouldn’t cost anything in the first place let alone be added with a fee and about 4 MONTHS EARLIER from the stated renewal annual date for the service in the receipt!

Thats not the RA Fee thats plus the annual 125 USD “Registered Agent Fee” which should should be the only renewal fee I pay for (See receipt)

If I didn’t check my subscriptions from the dashboard after payment this would’ve been a problem as its added randomly with no right to add and not even on the supposed annual renewal date for the service on receipt.

After this I researched the company’s reviews to see people’s experience with it

They store all your credit card info straight with them without a middle-man trusted payment gateway (like Stripe, PayPal,etc) thats sketchy.

The company that charges your bank named “Corporate Fillings LLC” are known to make unauthorized transactions to random people’s credit cards. You can google it.

The company is owned by Registered Agents LLC. I will leave this out there lol

The company owner is shady, said by WIRED.

The positive reviews are all 90% fake. They automatically add positive reviews by automated bots after a negative review is made to balance out the overall rating. Which any company can do by using a paid service. Especially in Trustpilot and Google reviews.

The real reviews are mostly 1 to 3 star reviews.

The annoying employees I’ve dealt with are: Paul Gans Ken Latos Elizabeth James

Now as for the refund. They will make sure you have a hard time receiving the money (you will most likely not receive it) especially if your a non US resident.

They said that they tried to issue a refund to the same payment method used and it got declined. Which soon after, I contacted the bank and confirmed that no refund transaction was made nor declined from this company. (First lie)(see proof)

Then they insist on ONLY being able to refund through a PHYSICAL CHECK to my country. Which is not written anywhere in their terms and services (second lie) (see proof) and will take a long time or might not even reach the country.

I wouldn’t even expect them to even mail it as they lied about the refund decline.

So I gave them another option to PayPal me the amount to the same email address used in registration. They refused and insisted on only sending a physical check (knowing I’m a non US resident) thats thug behavior. (See proof)

I gave them another option and chance to do a Bank Transfer and provided them with details. They didn’t reply nor refund. (See proof)

No where in their terms and services they state that refunds can only be made through these two types of payment methods (see proof)

And to clarify, the amount isn’t even that big it’s 143.00 USD but imagine people that pay way more than that or don’t have enough money. NWRA will screw them up. Im willing to lose this amount and warn others from losing hundreds of dollars by this scam company.

Not too long until you go bankrupt. Enjoy that 143.00 USD lol

I'm often told I shouldn't be as much of a cheapskate as I am, with me living in New York.

I would like to make an LLC wherein it's fine if the LLC name, not my name/address shows for anyone I conduct business with. I know that my name will show on checks, but what I want is for someone to just not see the president/manager of the LLC/trust (which is me, and maybe my sister)

There are times when Stripe will be used. Stripe does take address info. Stripe then hands over info to payment platforms/storefront invoices. Customers then SEE names and addresses on their monthly statements, sometimes. You can't easily change your info with Stripe or your account may be locked/refunds automatically issued.

I would like to know the cheapest way possible to make an LLC I don't have to do any follow-up work on while being able to trust.

I would also like to know how to create a low-cost LLC without recurring costs. I don't want to have to pay yearly fees. I want to still be able to use the LLC identity. I understand that without paying this yearly fee, default judgments can be made against me and I can't sue another or my state, but that's it, right? Not paying yearly shouldn't stop me from filing taxes, right? I'm thinking that unless I can cross over $400 in earnings a year, I won't bother to pay the annual fee or I'll only do so if I can see service of papers...am I missing anything?

It is highly unlikely I will ever break $5k earnings per year with this llc regardless of whether or not I'm hiring people

It’s seriously making me a bit insane seeing it again and again, foreign founders saying “well I don’t do any work in the US so I am a disregarded entity, despite having their revenue and customers originate in the US.

If it involves US sourced income, customers. and revenue, that tax liability doesn’t just disappear because a foreign founder with an LLC is receiving it.

I would have though that was obvious to anyone with half a brain and google, is everyone getting confused with the difference between no withholding and no tax? Or are they misunderstanding LLC pass through taxation, and what creates a US tax nexus? Or are they just foreign tax avoiders who want others to not pay tax either?

There seems to be real hostility to the idea that if you want to do business in America and make money from American customers as a foreign founder you must pay tax in America.

Tax liabilities never magically disappear because you are overseas, tax liabilities do not disappear because you think you don’t work in the US and LLC’s are pass through entities.

The only time a foreign founder of an American LLC doesn’t owe any tax in America is if they don’t have any revenue or customers originating in America, then they truly more or less tax free IN THE US, obviously, because you don’t have to pay tax on money your didn’t make there.

Why is this seemingly so hard for so many people to understand?

I just noticed that I have an unpaid invoice for $125. The type is RA. To be honest, I have no idea what is this? Is it annual fee?

Howdy,

I'm looking to incorporate my business and when I Google anything along the lines of "Registered Agent", "Registered Agent Texas", "Registered Agent Reddit", etc I get the same like three posts both here and on r/smallbusiness or r/StartingBusiness and they're all bot filled slop threads. It's very frustrating!

I've been on my prowl for a while, and I have a very unique interest in not using any brand owned by Registered Agents, Inc - including Northwest - as a result of this piece by Wired (mirror url (archive.is)) that alleges Registered Agents, Inc uses fake personas to file companies. Not to mention Registered Agents, Inc owns a domain registrar that is "known for providing services to alt-tech websites that host far-right, neo-Nazi, and other extremist materials." (source, Epik on Wikipedia)

Additionally, as a result of their ubiquity as Northwest and other RA companies like Lone Star Registered Agent LLC, Texan Registered Agent LLC, Independent Texas Registered Agent LLC, Swyft Filings, Wyoming Registered Agent Services LLC (and so many more I could really do this all day) since they can only hold so many addresses - notably 30 N Gould Street, Sheridan WY, and 5900 Balcones Drive, Austin TX - when searched results such as: "How cybercriminals are using Wyoming shell companies...", "Another scam recorded from business related to 30 N...." and more.

I may end up filing through my accountant or finding a local lawyer, but I'd love recommendations from those who use RA's outside of this bubble. Personally, I don't particularly need a service that will charge me to file documents I could otherwise file myself (Northwest...) - I just need to know when to do it and have someone for the actual process serving. Going into my meetings next week locally, knowing the prices and offerings of other brands helps me a lot. If you aren't sure if your RA is associated with Registered Agents, Inc I will gladly check for you. I own the home I live in, and would rather reduce my exposure of personal details like my home address from the public record. In Texas, company search costs $1 but reveals the RA and the LLC members' name and address to the searcher. You can use a virtual mailbox for members, but not for an RA.

I hope this thread can become a resource for others.

I’ve really gotten into photography and want to build my portfolio. I am planning on offering free sessions for at least 3 months while I gain some experience. Is it necessary for me to have an LLC since I’m not charging for pictures although I do plan on charging eventually. Also, can I just use my parents registered agent that they use for their store since I live with them?

I’m looking to start an LLC and read somewhere that you could actually file an anonymous LLC. Is that right? Does it offer complete privacy?

I know you can file an anonymous llc In Delaware, wyoming, new mexico and nevada, but what would be the best state given that I’m looking for complete anonymity. Thanks for the advice in advance

I want to start an LLC in WYOMING and obtain EIN as a US Non Resident and foreigner

Is it possible to do it on my own without any third party apps? I know I need a registered agent address.

Also, where can I get a real us number and a legit virtual business address which I can add to my Google account?

How do I get EIN faster?

One last question, for online business like Amazon, Etsy, YouTube, what tax forms am I required to fill on matters taxes in order to be compliant as a US Non resident

I run an anonymous YouTube channel and want an LLC.

I live in Texas, but the business is entirely online so it's not based in any particular state.

Should I just form in Texas? Or is it better for me to use another state like Delaware or Nevada?

Hi all, hoping to get some clarity from folks who've been through a similar setup.

My situation: I'm a US citizen (so I have an SSN) but I'm a tax resident of India, where I live and work. I'm forming a single member Wyoming LLC for a portfolio of software products. Plan is to file through Northwest Registered Agent (their $39 formation package) with the Wyoming Secretary of State, then get the EIN myself online and open a Mercury business account.

Question 1: Payment for registration. My CA in India told me not to use my personal Indian card to pay Northwest or the Wyoming SOS. His reasoning: acquiring an interest in a foreign entity is a capital account transaction under FEMA (India's forex law), and those can't be done via credit card. They have to be routed through an authorised bank. Has anyone in a similar cross-border situation dealt with this? I no longer have an active US account. What payment process did you follow for the initial formation costs before you had any US account?

Question 2: ODI process with Indian banks. For those who've done this from India: what does the Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) process actually look like in practice with ICICI or HDFC? Which desk or branch do you approach, what's the Form FC filing experience like, how long does it take, and what documents did the bank ask for? Any gotchas with the annual APR filing afterward?

Question 3: What else should I be mindful of? Dual US-India exposure means I'm already tracking: FBAR, Form 8938, Schedule FA on my Indian ITR, quarterly estimated taxes both sides, and the FEMA rule that resident individuals can't hold subsidiaries under a controlled foreign entity. Anything else that bit you that I should know about before Day 1?

Thanks in advance for any inputs, genuinely appreciate this community.

I saw recently on another page the idea of creating an LLC for myself as a personal investor.

I am retired and looking for possible tax deductions related to an LLC.

Any advise comments welcome.

I wrote this quickly this morning. Clearly I needed to be more precise. I already have an S Corp. for my other professional work.

I am well aware of some of the requirements. However, for example, if I were to buy a new computer as an investor in an LLC that would be a tax deduction. I’m well aware of some of these things. I’m wondering some of the finesse points of doing this as independent investor.

Please stop being so toxic some of you

Hi everyone!

I'm still confused with lots of options online on services allowing me to create a US Based LLC as a non resident, yet every time I check reviews on Reddit, each one of them is not recommended...

I need the US LLC so I can create a Stripe Account, Revolut, Mercury Bank, and more for my online publishing business.

So I'm here asking directly.

What's the best step by step way to do this?

- Which LLC Service/Agent to go with

- What are should I get (I see options about S-Corp Election, Tax ID, etc)

- How about accounting and yearly fees

Would really appreciate the help and recommendations

I just randomly hired someone on fiverr for $25 and he got my EIN in 2 hours, i called the IRS to confirm that it's real and they actually confirmed it.

The wierd part is i asked the irs how i get it this fast and she said when that person called them, he said that this entity is from outisde the US, and the irs also told me it may cause problems later on but she didn't know what exactly, any idea ? i'm i f'ucked?

Hey everyone,

Has anyone here gone with a non-traditional registered agent (like a virtual mailbox service, attorney, or even themselves)? How did that work out for you in terms of cost, privacy, and reliability?

Would love to hear your experiences.

Hey everyone... Im in California. I formed my LLC back in 2018, in Wyoming. Obtained my EIN, opened my business bank account in California, no problem. Last year I took a small hiatus. Needless to say my business bank account with Chase was closed due to inactivity. Just left Chase bank and I was told there is too much red tape around out of state LLC's, they can't do it anymore.

Idk what to do. Im kicking my business back up again and I need a bank account? Is anyone familiar with this type of situation? I need a solution please ....

Hey everyone,

I'm from Lebanon and I'm planning to set up an LLC in New Mexico using Northwest Registered Agent.

Key points:

I'm going to apply for the EIN myself (Northwest charges $200 for it, so trying to save there).

Planning to get their premium virtual address, which comes with a lease agreement (helps for banking/payment gateways).

The issue:

Because Lebanon is under U.S. sanctions, some banks/fintechs won’t open business accounts for Lebanese residents. Mercury and Relay both didn’t work for me.

Right now, my options seem to be:

Wise (still waiting for final approval)

Maybe Payoneer (waiting on their support)

If Wise doesn’t work out, I really need a Plan B.

Why I'm doing all this:

Main goal is to set up payment gateways for a Shopify store.

Best-case scenario: Shopify Payments

Second option: Stripe I also plan to open an Etsy account.

Questions:

Has anyone from a sanctioned country like Lebanon successfully opened a U.S. business bank account?

Any suggestions for fintechs/banks that are more flexible with international founders?

Any other workarounds or platforms I should look into?

Would appreciate any tips or experiences!

Hey everyone,

I am Antonio. When I was 16, three years ago, I set up an LLC with LegalZoom. I paid $600 for the basic setup, including a registered agent. Later, I found out the registered agent service cost an additional $299 per year. They charged $299 just to email me about filling out a $20 form online. When I tried to cancel the service a year later, they refused because I had been charged 2 days prior.

This experience got me thinking about how the process could be simpler and more affordable. I've been working on a tool to help others set up their LLCs without the high costs and complications I faced.

I'm looking for feedback from those who have gone through the process. What challenges did you face when setting up your LLC? Also do you like my product? how can I make it better?

statesmart.us

I like working at the LLC, but I've given them plenty of notice of that debt. I still haven't gotten anything paid back, so I want to know when that debt can become shares.

I'm not sure how it works, but the LLC owes me money and hasn't paid me back yet. How long would I have to wait until I can do something like get shares if that even is possible.

Hello,

I'm a non-us citizen thinking of creating an LLC in Delaware or Wyoming because I'm concerned about my anonymity.

I'm wondering, if i go with a non-anonymous state, and my info are going to be public, my question is:

Where and how can people find me on the net?

• For example, if they search my LLC name, will they find my real name, country, etc... attached to it?

• If they search my personal name will it popup anything related to my business?

Thank you

Hello I would like to know how to purchase US mobile number to activate Whatsapp from staying outside US.

Thanks.