LegalZoom Annual Report Filing Review

Is It Worth It?

LegalZoom Annual Report Filing Review

Are you required to file an annual report to remain compliant with your state? Would you rather use a service like LegalZoom to handle your annual reports for you, instead of trying the DIY option?

To complement your own research, my team and I looked into the details of each major annual report filing service, with the goal of sharing this info to help you make the right choice for your company.

This LegalZoom annual report filing service review goes over their pros and cons, pricing, features, customer feedback and more. Are they a good fit for your business?

LegalZoom Pros & Cons

Pros of LegalZoom

  • LegalZoom has the best pricing in this industry for annual report filing, by a long shot. At $35 (plus state fee), their base rate is really impressive. In fact, some of their competitors charge $100 or more for this same service.
  • If having a strong guarantee backing their services matters to you, LegalZoom has a 100% satisfaction guarantee that can be quite reassuring. If you’re not happy with their service, ask for a refund and they’ll repay the fees you paid them.
  • Don’t want to take time out of your super-busy work day to get your questions answered? LegalZoom has extended customer service hours. They’re available until 10pm ET on weekdays, and they’re even open on weekends from 10am to 7pm ET. This is far longer than most of their competition.
  • With nearly 4 million customers served since 1999, LegalZoom has a track record that’s pretty impressive.

Cons of LegalZoom

  • Customer feedback has never been a huge strength for LegalZoom. Their reviews are pretty evenly mixed between satisfied and unhappy customers, whereas some competitors (like IncFile) have sparkling feedback from their clients.
  • Some of their competitors offer fully managed annual report service, but LegalZoom doesn’t. This means you’ll have to track your own filing deadlines, keep a close eye on your compliance history, etc. While this isn’t exactly difficult, I’m not a huge fan of having to keep track of deadlines like this while running a company.

In my opinion, LegalZoom deserves a score of 4.7/5. They have the lowest price in the industry for annual report filing and a solid satisfaction guarantee. 

LegalZoom Annual Report Filing Pricing & Features

LegalZoom has a couple of options for their annual report service: Standard and Rush.

With a base rate of $35 (plus state fee), the Standard package is the most affordable annual report service I’ve found online. Take a look at how LegalZoom explains this service, then let’s talk specifics.

LegalZoom Annual Report Pricing

As for the differences between these packages, it’s pretty simple.

The Rush package costs $20 extra, but I don’t see this as a great value. Your order is “immediately marked for special handling,” but this only means they’ll process your order before someone who ordered the Standard package. You would basically be paying $20 to get your confirmation document upgraded to 2-day shipping.

What do you get with LegalZoom’s annual report service?

You just need to give them some basic info like your company’s physical address, the names of your owners — stuff like that. They’ll take it from there, filing your annual report with the appropriate state agency. I’ll also note that they do not track your due dates for you, so you’ll need to request your annual report early enough to make sure it’s filed in time.

Customer Reviews

LegalZoom doesn’t have the greatest customer feedback reputation. Sure, there are plenty of positive reviews out there, but I have found quite a few critical ones too.

There is a pretty large volume of reviews, and I’ve noticed a couple trends in their feedback. Most customers seem satisfied with their turnaround times, but the ones with complaints usually focus on inconsistent service reps and occasional billing issues.

Customer Reviews Section Last Updated 10-31-17
  • SiteJabber: 3.4/5 out of 619 reviews
  • Yelp: 1.0/5 out of 62 reviews
  • Consumer Affairs: 3.2/5 out of 51 reviews
  • BBB: A+ out of 45 reviews

Conclusion: Honestly, it doesn’t surprise me to see such a mixture of feedback. LegalZoom is a huge company, and it would be nearly impossible to satisfy all of their nearly 4 million customers. Personally, I don’t think their so-so feedback is that big of a deal, but you may see it differently than I do.

How LegalZoom Compares

LegalZoom is a great annual report service, but they’re not the only player in this industry. It’s always a good idea to know what the competition has to offer, so let’s see how they stack up compared to Harbor Compliance, one of my personal favorites, and a company with a different approach to annual reports.

Pricing: Harbor Compliance has a variable pricing model, so you’ll need to contact them to get a quote for your business. I can safely say that they don’t provide service as affordably as LegalZoom’s $35 rate though.

Features: With Harbor Compliance, you get a fully managed annual report filing service, which means they track your deadlines, keep compliance records, the works. LegalZoom essentially just files your current annual report.

Customer Support: LegalZoom has extended customer support hours that are convenient if you have a busy schedule. They’re available from 8am-10pm ET on weekdays and 10am-7pm ET on weekends. Harbor Compliance still has the advantage here though, because they assign an experienced professional to each customer. You’ll talk to the same person every time you have a question, which I see as a huge pro.

Experience: Harbor Compliance has only been open since 2012, but they’ve already served over 10,000 customers. Of course, LegalZoom is an industry giant, with nearly 4 million customers since 1999.

Here's A Quick Breakdown

LegalZoom

$35

3 million+ customers served

Perfect for: Anyone needing an affordable & fast annual report filing service

Harbor Compliance

Pricing Varies

10,000+ customers served

Perfect for: Anyone needing a comprehensive annual report filing service

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I File My Own Annual Reports?

It’s an option. The DIY option requires you to carefully track your deadlines, file your own annual report, keep records of your compliance history, etc. Basically, it’s a handful of hassles that a company like LegalZoom can mostly take off your plate.

What’s Their Refund Policy?

LegalZoom has a 100% satisfaction guarantee that ensures they’ll pay back their service fees if you’re unhappy. No questions asked!

Is My Information Secure?

You’re as safe on their site as you are on any competitor’s site. LegalZoom uses Norton Web Security to encrypt data transfers and defend against malware.

Does LegalZoom Offer Ongoing Support?

Absolutely. They’re willing and able to help you out, whether you purchased your annual report service yesterday or months ago.

Should You Use LegalZoom?

In my opinion, LegalZoom deserves a score of 4.7/5. They have the lowest price in the industry for annual report filing and a solid satisfaction guarantee. That being said, if this doesn’t sound like your perfect fit, check out our Best Annual Report Filing Services review. Cheers!