Best LLC services in Washington (2026)

How are LLC services for Washington ranked?

Our rating sets the order, highest first, and tied providers keep our editorial order; each row then shows that provider's own Washington totals.

Because Washington's yearly fee is fixed, both columns hold real totals. The first-year column adds the $180 formation fee to the compared plan, and the second-year column adds the $70 Annual Report to whatever the plan renews at. Both are Washington figures. Neither includes trial items that start billing later, and neither adds an agent renewal unless the plan includes the agent.²

The rating doesn't change by state. It weighs customer satisfaction, services and dashboard, and plan value, as set out in how we rate. That produces two ties: Bizee (formerly Incfile) and ZenBusiness share 8.0, and BizFilings and Rocket Lawyer share 6.8.

Second year: the recurring Washington report fee as the state lists it (some states charge it every two years) plus the plan's renewal, if it renews. Registered agent renewals are extra unless the plan includes the agent for good.

Read the second-year column with the agent in mind, because a row that shows only the state fee in year two can still hide an agent bill. With Inc Authority the agent renews at $249/year; with Northwest Registered Agent, at $125/yr; with Bizee (formerly Incfile), at $149/year. BizFilings gives 3 months free before billing $220/yr. Rows that are higher in year two, such as Tailor Brands at $319 and ZenBusiness at $369, carry a yearly plan price instead. The doola row is different. It repeats the first-year plan price, but doola publishes no renewal price, and its terms say recurring fees automatically renew at the rates then in effect. The list ranked by cost over both years orders every provider that way.^{1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}

Which Washington LLC service fits which need?

Each subsection names a need and the published fact that separates providers on it. No provider leads on every need, so start with the one you care about most.

• Lowest first-year total in Washington: Inc Authority, Free LLC, $180 with the state fee.
• Lowest two-year total in Washington: Inc Authority, Free LLC, $250 over two years with state fees. Full list
• Fastest filing: Tailor Brands, 1 business day stated on Elite. Full list
• Best for first-time founders: Tailor Brands, all three supports included in a plan (annual report filing, coaching, AI guidance). Full list
• Best all-in-one platform: Tailor Brands, sells 9 of the 10 business service types we track, with an online dashboard. Full list
• Best for non-U.S. founders: Tailor Brands, highest-rated provider whose own pages say it serves founders outside the U.S. Full list

Each line is decided by the published fact it names. First-time founder support counts an annual report filed for you, business coaching and AI guidance; the all-in-one count is the business service types a provider sells nationally.

Lowest cost over the first and second year

Inc Authority Free LLC totals $180 and then $70 in Washington, the same as filing alone. The second-year figure holds only if you drop or replace its agent, which renews automatically at $249/year. Its terms say you may cancel your subscription at any time by phone or email. Northwest Registered Agent sits next at $219 and $70, with an agent that renews at $125/yr. The Inc Authority profile and the cheapest services list cover the trade-offs.^{1, 3, 8}

Annual Report filed for you

Washington's Annual Report goes to the Secretary of State each year by the last day of the month in which the LLC was originally formed, and the plan items below describe annual report filing in general terms without naming Washington's report.⁹

• Tailor Brands Elite lists mandatory report filing.¹⁰
• ZenBusiness Premium lists filing of state-required annual reports.¹¹
• doola files annual reports only on plans above its compared one. Starter does not include ongoing compliance filings.¹²
• Northwest Registered Agent sells its renewal service at $100 + state fees.¹³

Northwest's price adds state fees on top, and doola's compliance plans leave state fees to the customer. Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness don't say whether their plans pay the $70 state fee.²

First-time founders

We count three supports for someone forming a first company: the annual report filed for them, coaching from a person, and AI guidance. Tailor Brands includes all three supports: report filing on Essential and Elite, its Business Coaching Program with any plan, and Navi, an AI assistant built into every plan. ZenBusiness includes all three supports, though its business advisor consultation is Premium only while Velo AI guidance is in all plans. doola includes two of the three supports, with its AI Co-Founder assistant on every plan. The first-time founders list has the full count.^{14, 15, 16, 17}

Fastest stated filing

Tailor Brands and ZenBusiness both state 1 business day on their compared plans, and Inc Authority states 24 hours. That is preparation time on the provider's side. Washington's own expedited review costs $100 per business entity and is generally processed within three working days, so the full wait depends on both. The fastest services list uses the providers' stated times only.²

Everything in one place

Of the 10 business service types we track, Tailor Brands sells 9 and ZenBusiness sells 7. Selling a service doesn't mean the plan includes it, so check the plan columns. See the all-in-one platforms list.

EIN in the plan

An EIN is the federal tax number the IRS issues to the business. LegalZoom lists EIN (federal tax ID) in Managed Service, ZenBusiness lists EIN in Premium, and doola lists Employer Identification Number (EIN) in Starter. The EIN included list compares the rest.^{16, 18, 19}

Founders outside the U.S.

doola says it serves founders with or without a U.S. Social Security number, and its Starter plan includes Registered Agent Service. LegalZoom's page for founders abroad says it delivers an EIN without the need for a Social Security Number. Tailor Brands links a separate sign-up flow for non-US citizens but publishes no eligibility details. The non-U.S. founders list orders providers on this.^{19, 20, 21}

What does Washington charge no matter who files?

Every route to a Washington LLC pays the $180 formation fee and, each year after, the $70 Annual Report. Our totals add the formation fee to every plan's price.²

• Formation filing fee: $180
• Faster state processing: Expedited: +$100 per entity (generally within three working days); same-day in-person: $150 per entity
• Recurring report: due by the last day of the month in which the LLC was originally formed, each year, $70
• Optional name reservation: $30 for 180 days (not renewable)

Two state charges are worth knowing before you pick a service. Expedited review is $100 per business entity, and same-day front-counter service is $150 per business entity. Bizee (formerly Incfile) lists Expedited Filing in its compared plan without saying whether that pays Washington's fee, so ask any provider which speed it means.^{2, 22}

The Initial Report is the other charge, and it is free if filed with the Certificate of Formation, or $10 if filed later but still within 120 days of formation. Ask a service whether it files the Initial Report alongside the formation document. Among the provider facts we hold, only LegalZoom's names an initial report. LegalZoom lists Compliance Filings, covering initial report filing and auto-filing of annual reports, which starts at $199/year.^{23, 24}

Late Annual Reports cost more. Once an LLC's status shows as delinquent, the state adds a $25 delinquency fee, for $95 total. Washington has no franchise tax, but most businesses pay the business and occupation (B&O) gross receipts tax to the Department of Revenue.^{25, 26}

Whose names go on the Washington annual report?

The Annual Report lists the registered agent, the principal office, governors and the nature of business, so the LLC's governors are named on it each year.²⁷

A registered agent service puts its address in the agent field, but it doesn't remove the governors.

Washington's agent statute adds one more rule. An agent shall not be appointed without having given prior consent in a record to the appointment (RCW 23.95.415). If a friend or relative will serve instead, they have to agree on record first.²⁸

Trial items change the second year too. Tailor Brands Elite includes a bookkeeping trial that then costs $39/month, and on Managed Service, LegalZoom lists that its Business Advisor Plan auto-renews at $49/mo after 30 days. Neither charge is in the table. The LegalZoom pricing page and the Tailor Brands pricing page show what follows each trial.^{18, 29}

Is filing a Washington LLC yourself enough?

It can be. Washington accepts the Certificate of Formation online through the Corporations and Charities Filing System or on paper by mail, or in person, for the same $180 fee. Filing yourself skips any plan price.^{2, 23}

What you take on is the rest of the list: finding an agent who consents on record, filing the free Initial Report with the formation document, and remembering the Annual Report each year in your formation month. A name hold, if you want one, is $30 for 180 days. The Washington formation guide covers each filing step by step, and the cost calculator shows what a plan adds over the state fees. Owners comparing nearby states can look at Idaho's services list.²³