Are you in the process of forming a new limited liability company, and you’re weighing your options regarding business formation services?
If so, you’ve probably noticed that many of these LLC companies offer an LLC kit ― often referred to as an LLC kit and seal ― which leads to a rather obvious question: What is an LLC kit, and do you need one for your business?
In this article, we’ll explain exactly what an LLC kit is, along with what it includes. Along the way, we’ll figure out if this is a necessity for your business or not.
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What Is an LLC Kit?
A limited liability company kit is a binder that you can use to store documents related to the operations of your business.
Most companies will emboss this binder with your business name so that it is personalized for your company. The seal portion of the “LLC kit and seal” is customized with your company info, and enables you to stamp documents to indicate their official nature.
Quite a few online business formation services offer LLC kits and seals as part of an LLC formation package, or as a standalone feature. It’s important to note that no business actually needs an LLC kit or seal, as there aren’t any states that require you to obtain these products.
Many years ago, businesses did use embossing seals to authenticate documents, but this practice is quite outdated, and no one really does this anymore. Today, the LLC seal is purely symbolic in nature. As for the LLC kit, this item does have some functionality because it’s a good idea to keep all of your important business documents in one safe place, but you certainly don’t need a kit designed specifically for this purpose ― any folder, binder, or file will do just fine.
Some companies will include a selection of sample documents with the LLC kit, like membership certificates, an operating agreement, a membership ledger, and more. These forms can be customized with your company’s information and can be quite handy, but you can usually order them separately if you’re interested in acquiring these documents.
Where Can I Get an LLC Kit?
We will reiterate that there is no legal reason to obtain an LLC kit or seal, but if you would like to purchase these items, there are quite a few companies selling them. But how do you figure out which company offers the best version of this feature?
We haven’t bothered to write full reviews of the best LLC kits available, but we are quite familiar with the kits and seals available on the market today. These are our favorite companies for providing top-quality LLC kits and seals:
- LegalZoom ($79.95): LegalZoom is our favorite LLC kit and seal provider, as they include 20 membership certificates, a transfer ledger, IRS and state tax forms, and a metal embossing seal with their LLC kit for $79.95. The kit and seal are both included features with their $329 Standard and $349 Express Gold LLC formation packages. You can also order the seal separately for $49.90.
- Incfile ($99-149): Incfile offers two options for LLC kits, starting with the $99 Gold kit, which includes a transfer ledger, a sample operating agreement, and 20 membership certificates. The $149 Platinum kit adds a customized embossing seal and an external slip case. You can purchase these kits individually, although Incfile includes a Gold kit with their $149 Gold LLC formation package, and a Platinum kit with their $299 Platinum package.
Conclusion
While there is no legal requirement to obtain either a kit or seal for your limited liability company, some entrepreneurs enjoy the convenience of the kit and the symbolic nature of the seal.
If you would like to acquire either of these items, we suggest using LegalZoom or Incfile.
No one actually needs an LLC kit or seal, but sometimes it’s easy to overlook the fact that owning your own business is supposed to be a little bit fun too. There’s nothing wrong with getting a kit and seal for your company, and sometimes it’s nice to have some symbolic tokens of your achievements.