Zenbusiness Registered Agent Review 2022 in California

If you would like to delegate business formation services to a trusted company, ZenBusiness in California might be the choice for you. Read through this review to see whether its services would be a good fit for your proposed entity.

ZenBusiness Registered Agent in Califonia

For a company that has been around since 2015, the service has done quite well for itself, having garnered more than 4000 positive Zen Business LLC reviews. It not only offers limited liability company business formation but also has a range of support services, including agency options.

What packages does ZenBusiness California offer?

You have three options, all of which include business formation services, free agency services for a year and a free operating agreement.

ZenBusiness Starter package

This package starts at $49, exclusive of the state fees and includes:

  • A name search
  • Prepping and filing of the registration documents
  • A free year of registered agent services California under this option, you get to use the company’s physical address, enabling you to keep yours off public records.
  • An operating agreement
  • A fiscal assessment from a professional CPA

ZenBusiness Pro package

For this tier, you pay $149, exclusive of the state fees. You get everything in the starter package, plus:

  • An EIN for your business tax filings
  • Annual reports prepping and filing
  • A resolution to open a bank account.

ZenBusiness Premium package

This last tier costs $249, exclusive of the state fees and includes everything from the first two levels plus:

  • A business domain name and email address
  • Expedited processing with priority given to members under this service tier
  • A business website
  • Domain privacy to keep your details private to the public

For more information about each tier, please refer to this pricing plan.

Zenbusiness Registered Agent Review: Pros & Cons

Pros

What’s so great about ZenBusiness California LLC?

  • Flexibility: with most services, you find that the companies tend to be pretty rigid with their offerings. They dictate what you can use by having it set in the packages. You can thus find yourself paying for things you will not use. With this company, you have two options. You can either go with the pre-determined choices or you can create your own plan. That means that after scouring through the options, you can think to yourself, ‘no, I can come up with a better fit for my business.’ You can then click down to the ‘continue for free’ option and decide what features you would like. How great is that?
  • Name check- you probably know that you need to select a name for your entity before anything else. Now, here is the thing. Some people send in names to the state, only to have them rejected and they have to start again. The problem with this back and forth is that it not only costs you money but also a great deal of time. Picture having to send options over and over and getting rejected each time. Instead of going through this, you can use the free name check offered by this company. The site will run the name, figure out if it’s usable and revert to you. Problem solved and money saved!
  • Customer support: whether or not you anticipate to encounter problems with your business, you should always be prepared for the same. For example, the site has a simple navigation interface. Even so, you may find that you do not understand some of the features. In this case, you would need someone to guide you through the process. Luckily, this company understands this need and has a dedicated live chat team available to you from 8am to 8pm on weekdays. On weekends, the chat services run from 10am to 7pm. Anytime you encounter a problem, you can initiate a conversation. Additionally, you have the option to email or call the support staff.
  • Agency Services: you must elect someone or a company to be your agent for service of process California. As much as representing yourself or hiring a friend would be cost-effective, it comes with some downsides. For one, you would have to always be available during business hours and would expose your address in public records. Hiring a registered agent California is always the best option. Now, this is where the deal gets sweeter. Not only will ZenBusiness LLC California represent you but it will do so for free for your first year! As long as you use their entity formation services, that’s a guarantee! That means that you can sit back and let someone else sort through the paperwork and keep you updated on any upcoming deadlines. Once the free period comes to an end, you can renew the registered agents California service for $119 per year.
  • Online account: instead of having your documents spread out in various emails and letters, the company allows you to store them securely in your dashboard. You can access the documents in one place as you track orders and get alerts for any purchases or reminders. That enables you to reduce the clutter and have an easier time with your organization.
  • Worry-free compliance: if you would rather delegate your annual reports to someone who will have them filled and filed on time, there is an option for this. It comes at an additional fee. Now, you may wonder why it would be necessary to delegate this otherwise simple task. It comes down to the repercussions of not filing on time. The state would heavily penalize you and you can even lose your license. Instead of being at risk of this, you can always delegate it to someone who will be on top of things.
  • Simple fee structure: have you ever noticed how some companies will quote one price and give you another at the time of payment? It can be quite annoying to think you will pay $20 and yet you need to pay $40 at the time of checking out. It is thus a relief that you get the costs of service upfront to enable you to decide if you will take up the offer or not. Plus, there are no hidden recurring charges to have you running to the bank with tens of questions.

Additionally, the company has a wonderful reputation and is heavily involved in socially conscious organizations aimed at benefiting the community.

Cons

While the company has an array of good sides, it does have some drawbacks.

  • Upsells: when you choose the lower-priced packages, the site keeps suggesting add-ons and upgrades, which can be a bit annoying.
  • Recurring fees: the registered agent services come at an annual fee once the free period expires. You must ensure that you uncheck this if you do not want to start paying for this.
  • Add-ons: if you go with the pre-determined options, you may find that you are paying for services you may not end up using.

Should You Start an LLC With ZenBusiness in California?

You must choose ZenBusiness Registered Agent if:

  • You want to save money on the startup costs. Its lower-priced options have competitive rates that would not be too hefty on the pocket.
  • You would like to have access to customer support using various means.
  • You want to work with a company with positive reviews.

Do not choose ZenBusiness LLC Service or find an alternative to it if:

  • You would rather work with a company that has decades of experience
  • You are in a hurry to get the formation done. Its turnaround time is not the best in the market.

Frequently Asked Questions


How much does an LLC cost per year in California?

Once you are done with the formation, you should expect to part with an annual fee of $800 each year. This fee is in addition to any reports you need to file (California form llc-12), any taxes due, permit renewals and penalties. If you are using registered agent in California services, you should also bundle this into the cost.

Why is California LLC so expensive?

The state imposes an annual fee of $800, which brings up the cost of operation. Please note that companies making more than $250,000 per year pay an additional estimated fee, thus increasing their costs even further.

Which companies besides Zenbusiness provide services for the formation of an LLC in California?

You can use Sundoc, Northwest Registered Agent, LegalZoom or IncFile as well. When choosing your primary point of contact, you should consider aspects such as professionalism, overall reputation, customer support, fees, upsells and number of service tiers. The speed of formation is also important for people who want to get their businesses off the ground in record time.

What if your LLC makes no money?

You will still be liable to pay the annual fee and file the CA LLC statement of information report. There are no exemptions.

Does a single member LLC need to file a California tax return?

The authorities generally classify such entities as sole proprietorships, such that the owner would not need to file a tax return. However, if another tax election is in place, it may be necessary to go ahead with the filing.

8 Comments

  • My decision to use ZenBusiness to set up my business was definitely the right choice! The process was simple and quick and their support service team is very responsive. Definitely worth the investment!

  • Jenna, is all around great!! She has been helping me along the way to being a business owner. She is very responsive and willing to help in any way possible. So glad I reached out to Jenna and Zen.

  • I have had several interaction with ZenBusiness, all employees are helpful and polite. All my questions have been answered quickly.

  • So far I am pleased. Unlike other sites with Live Chat. ZenBusiness was right on immediately with me. Responded promptly and the chat was very informative. Will be returning, as customer service is The most important part of converting a shopper to a buyer… Thank you Jessie.! Keep up the great work.

  • Very helpful chat services. Very knowledgeable and great customer service. Looking forward to working with them professionally!

  • Worked with Jenna today and she answered all of my questions before I moved forward in setting up my LLC. Fantastic Service.

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