Each of these companies uses compliance services as a catch-all category for regulatory compliance—the documents you need to file with the state to maintain your business in good standing. Typically, this means an annual report, an annual statement of information, or something similar that keeps the state up to date with your company’s current contact and registered agent information.
Registered Agents Inc only files your annual report, while both LegalZoom and ZenBusiness offer amendment filings. Even Bizee more or less keeps up here; since you usually file an annual report every year, the effective cost for an annual report and an amendment with them is roughly equivalent to the pricing for LegalZoom and ZenBusiness. (You just have to remember to hire them to file it for you.)
On the other hand, not every state requires you to file an annual report. In some states the annual requirement varies by entity; in other states, businesses only file every other year; and some states don’t have any required filing beyond your initial formation documents. So depending on where you start your business, it may make less sense to pay for standard compliance.
Registered Agents Inc is the only company that includes this service, which they call a Renewal Service, free. LegalZoom and ZenBusiness will each charge you an additional $199 per year for their compliance services. After forming your business and five years of registered agent service with Renewal Service or compliance filing service, you’ll have paid at least:
It’s also important to note that these costs do not include state filing fees, which can vary from as little as $10 to hundreds for your annual report (or state equivalent). That’s the same fee you’d pay to the state to file the document yourself, so you pay it to the company for them to pass to the state when they file on your behalf.