Is It a Good Idea to Be My Own Registered Agent? Many people do in fact act as their own registered agent for their LLC, but is it a good idea in the long run? When forming an LLC, two of the main questions people ask is, “Can i be my own registered agent?”, and “Should I use a registered agent service?”. In answering these questions it's important to consider the duties of a registered agent, but also, the benefits of using a registered agent service.
Benefits of A Registered Agent Service One of the main services provided by a registered agent company is assisting LLCs to stay up to date with their state and tax filings by sending regular reminders of important dates. Registered agent services can also help businesses find state-specific accountants and professionals and store copies of business formation, tax and other important documents in the event that the originals are lost or destroyed. Registered agents services thus help businesses staying in compliance with the law. Registered agent services can also provide LLC owners with much-needed privacy. In using a registered agent service, one of the services that they provide is their physical address. You will thus be able to keep your personal or office address private while the address of your registered
agent is a matter of public record. This means that your privacy remains intact, but it also means you will receive less unsolicited mail at your personal and office address. While hiring a registered agent service can give you the flexibility to keep flexible business hours, it can also assist you to expand your business into other states provided that they too have a physical presence in other US states. A national registered agent service with a presence in multiple states will therefore allow you to form another LLC in another state, thereby allowing you to expand your business without needing a physical address in that state as is generally required. When choosing a registered agent service, it is important that it is located in the state in which your LLC operates, but it is also important to consider the features they provide, for example how well the conduct their compliance and document management, the reliability of their customer service and the degree to which they provide national coverage across all 50 states are features to consider.
Can You Be Your Own Registered Agent? It’s definitely possible for you to be your own LLC’s registered agent provided that you are over the age of 18, and have a physical address in the state in which your LLC conducts business. You will also need to be available on weekends, during business hours between 9a.m. and 5p.m., and be at the registered address to receive legal documents, tax forms, official notices and government correspondences on behalf of your LLC. Academic scholars and papers on registered agent services have posited in recent years that registered agent services can result in unnecessary costs for small business and startups. But with all the other tasks involved with running a business, having a registered agent service can give you the flexibility to focus fully on your business, while your registered agent keeps track of compliance and tax deadlines. If money is an issue, there are many affordable registered agent services available to small business and startup companies that offer a host of deals, features and added benefits.
Using a registered agent service can really give you the flexibility and peace of mind to focus on what really matters: your business. TRUiC has reviewed, compared and recommended some of the best registered agent services available to LLCs today. While registered agents do cost more than acting as your own registered agent, having a registered agent to keep track of important filing dates and legal and tax documents may help avoid unnecessary fees and legal issues in the long run.