setting up an LLC in NYC, advice and recommendations

February 26, 2019 8:27 AM

I am in process of opening a small store in Brooklyn and am looking for some trusted advice on how to get the "business" part of it properly done. I would like advice on whether to use an online service such as Legalzoom, or if anyone can recommend a good person to work with who can help set everything up. I am in North Brooklyn (Greenpoint/Williamsburg/Bushwick area).

I have an accountant for personal taxes but they seemed to favor using Legalzoom to get the LLC registered. I have read horror stories online about it and am not sure if I should heed those or if anyone here has used them and had a great experience. I am in a slight rush to get this done as I would like to be open within the month if possible. Please send along any recommendations or advice!

posted by catrae to Law & Government (7 answers total)

I also have a Brooklyn based LLC for my corporate meetings/events business. When I opened the LLC in the summer of 2017, my accountant passed my details along to an agency that she works with, who quickly processed everything in the span of a few days. Total cost including the mandated publishing fees was $1435 of which about $385 was the agency's fees. Definitely could have been cheaper on Legal Zoom, but I was willing to pay more for the peace of mind. Memail me if you want their details and I can share the invoice line items for pricing comparison if that's helpful.
posted by icaicaer at 8:46 AM on February 26, 2019

The NYC Bar offers a legal referral service:

1. Call 212-626-7373 or request a lawyer online (en español 212-626-7374).

2. Discuss your legal question with one of our attorney referral counselors or submit it online. All information you provide will be kept confidential to the fullest extent possible under the law.

3. Get referred to a screened and qualified lawyer or the right resource. Initial consultations are $35 or free, depending on the type of case, and last up to 30 minutes

More information about whether and why and how to find an attorney is available at the MeFi Wiki Get a lawyer page.
posted by Little Dawn at 8:46 AM on February 26, 2019

I set up a Brooklyn-based LLC via Legalzoom and have not had any trouble.

The one bit of trouble I almost had was about selecting a registered agent, which is a legal requirement for an LLC that’s on the form but I didn’t know what it meant. Basically it’s somebody who is always open in case someone needs to serve you papers or deliver legal notice or whatever. The notice is served to the registered agent, who then delivers the info to you, avoiding a situation where the process server or whoever can’t get a hold of you, resulting in a fine for you.

If I recall correctly, I think if you have a registered agent in Albany you can also get the publication requirement in the Albany papers, which is a few hundred dollars cheaper than publishing notice in the Brooklyn papers.
posted by Jon_Evil at 10:07 AM on February 26, 2019

I used an Albany-based registered agent to both sign up for the LLC be the registered agent (who receives your mail, scans and sends it to you via email, and hides your work/home address, etc).

It was great, and painlessm and the publication requirement made it MUCH cheaper.

You may also want to talk to SCORE NYC for free small business advice.

Also, the Brooklyn public library has small business services/help also.
posted by suedehead at 12:19 PM on February 26, 2019 [2 favorites]

If you're solo and this is just for you, legalzoom and its ilk are likely fine. If this is a partnership I'd consult an attorney.
posted by bitdamaged at 2:50 PM on February 26, 2019

I have an LLC business based in BK as well and used legalzoom. It was painless. My business partner and I had some questions that were quickly and painlessly answered and the only issue we had (which I forget really) was some paperwork got lost in the mail or something. Anyway they sent them again next day delivery no problemo.
posted by ataco at 5:16 PM on February 26, 2019

Whichever way you decide to set it up, don't forget to file and pay your Unincorporated Business Tax. I didn't know about it when I set up my LLC, and apparently nobody pops up and tells you about it if you go the cheap route, until you have a nasty surprise a couple years later.
posted by apjanke at 12:44 AM on February 27, 2019