A registered agent is responsible for receiving service of process and other legal documents for a business. By law, it must have a physical address in Texas and be available during business hours.
A good registered agent will also help a company keep in compliance with state requirements by sending compliance reminders. This is important because most business owners cannot be at their offices during business hours day after day.
1. Reputation
A registered agent is a person or company that has a physical address in the state of Texas and is available during business hours to receive service of process, lawsuits, subpoenas and other official mail. While an individual can serve as your registered agent, it’s often much easier to hire a professional registered agent services provider that specializes in this role and offers additional benefits.
These services aren’t expensive, and they provide valuable peace of mind in ensuring that important documents are received, even if you travel or run into a client while out and about. They also keep track of compliance filing deadlines so that your company never incurs penalties or fines for failing to submit important paperwork on time.
The top-rated registered agent companies in Texas are Harbor Compliance, Northwest Registered Agent and ZenBusiness. They all offer a low cost for a year of service, plus extras like mail forwarding and document scanning. LegalZoom is more expensive, but they don’t offer this service as part of their LLC formation packages and they are notorious for upselling.
2. Fees
The fees associated with a Texas Registered Agent depend on what services you choose and how much assistance you need. Typically, services cost between $50-75 per year. National companies like ZenBusiness offer streamlined solutions for businesses that need help keeping up with compliance deadlines.
One of the most important functions of a Texas Registered Agent is to serve as a physical address where someone is available during business hours to receive service of process or legal mail. If you choose to act as your own Registered Agent, your personal or home address will be listed publicly. This can lead to a loss of privacy for you and your business, and it may not be suitable if you are running a professional service.
When you form an LLC through Incfile, we will provide one year of free Texas Registered Agent service. After that, the cost is $119 a year. If you need to change your Texas Registered Agent, you can do so by filing a Statement of Change with the Secretary of State’s office.
3. Services
The state of Texas requires all business entities to maintain a registered agent in the state. This individual (or company) will receive service of process on behalf of the business and official correspondence from the state. They may also be tasked with handling varying state matters like compliance deadlines and franchise tax information.
A person or company can serve as a registered agent, but they must give consent to do so. This can be accomplished by filling out a form available on the state’s website and paying the $15 filing fee.
Using a professional registered agent service is the best option for many business owners because they offer industry-leading customer service. They will scan every document they receive on your behalf and place them in an online portal, they’ll keep your address off of public record, and help you file your paperwork. They are our top pick because they do it all, and they do it well.
4. Customer Service
Choosing the best Texas Registered Agent service for your business is important because they will be responsible for receiving legal documents (service of process) and official mail (like tax notices) on behalf of your business. They also must have a physical address in the state of Texas (no P.O. boxes allowed) that is open during standard business hours to receive these documents.
Having an individual serve as your registered agent means they could miss important legal documents if they go out of town, run errands, or meet with clients during business hours. This is not a problem with a company that specializes in being your registered agent, as they will always be available to receive any important documents on your behalf.
Some full-service registered agents offer additional services, like 24/7 online access to your account and free digital mail forwarding. Harbor Compliance offers these extra services and more, for only $125 per year, which is cheaper than some other Texas Registered Agents on this list.
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