The answers, before the sales pitch
Most of what people need to know about starting a company is free, and several of these pages end with "you can do this yourself". That is deliberate. A customer who understands what they are buying complains less and comes back, and the ones who file it themselves were never going to pay us anyway.
How to form an LLC
Forming an LLC takes six steps: pick a state, check the name, name a registered agent, file articles of organization, get an EIN, and write an operating agreement. What each one costs and where people go wrong.
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LLC vs S-corp
An S-corp is a tax election, not a company type. What electing it changes about self-employment tax, what it costs you in payroll and paperwork, and the profit level where the arithmetic starts to work.
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Do I need an EIN?
You need an EIN to open a business bank account, hire anyone, or elect S-corp status. The IRS issues it free in minutes. When you genuinely need one, and when paying for it is reasonable.
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What a registered agent actually does
A registered agent is the address where your state and the courts can reach your company. You can be your own in most cases, free. When paying $99 to $300 a year is worth it, and when it is not.
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Which state should you form your LLC in?
Wyoming, Delaware and Nevada are marketed as the smart choice. For a business run from somewhere else, forming there usually means two states, two fees and two annual reports. When the exceptions genuinely apply.
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Reseller permit vs business license
A reseller permit registers you to collect sales tax and buy inventory tax-free. A business license is permission to operate, usually from a city or county. Which you need, and which states charge for either.
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