Affiliate Disclosure & Disclaimers

1. Affiliate Disclosure (FTC Compliance)

BusinessFormations.com is a participant in affiliate programs operated by business formation services including, but not limited to, ZenBusiness, Northwest Registered Agent, Incfile (Tailor Brands), Bizee, Swyft Filings, Stripe Atlas, Firstbase, Gusto, Mercury, Relay, Next Insurance, Bench, QuickBooks, Rocket Lawyer, and Carta.

This means that when you click on certain links on our website and sign up for or purchase services from these providers, we may earn a referral commission at no additional cost to you. You pay the same price as if you went directly to the provider’s website.

This disclosure is made in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) guidelines on endorsements and testimonials (16 CFR Part 255). We are required to disclose these material connections, and we do so willingly because we believe in transparency.

2. How BusinessFormations.com Makes Money

BusinessFormations.com is a free, independently operated comparison and education website. We do not charge users any fees to access our guides, comparisons, tools, or recommendations. Our revenue comes from the following sources:

• Affiliate commissions — We earn referral fees when visitors sign up with formation services or related business tools through links on our site. Commission rates and structures vary by partner.
• Advertising (if applicable) — We may display relevant advertising from third parties. Any sponsored content or paid placements are clearly labeled as such.

We do not:

• Charge users to access any content, tools, or recommendations
• Accept payment from providers in exchange for favorable reviews or rankings
• Allow affiliate commission rates to determine our rankings or recommendations
• File formation documents, provide legal services, or act as an intermediary between users and providers

3. Editorial Independence & Ranking Methodology

Our reviews, rankings, and recommendations are based on independent research, testing, and analysis. Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial content. Specifically:

• Rankings are data-driven. We evaluate providers on pricing transparency, included features, filing speed, customer support quality, user reviews from independent sources (Trustpilot, BBB, Google Reviews), and overall value. Our full methodology is published on our comparison page.
• Commissions don’t affect rankings. We have ranked lower-commission providers above higher-commission ones when the data supports it. We have recommended free services ($0 commission) as “Best Free Option” based on merit.
• We update regularly. Rankings, pricing, and feature information are reviewed and updated monthly. We note the date of our last verification on each page.
• Negative information is included. Our reviews include cons, drawbacks, and situations where a provider is not the right choice. We don’t produce advertorial content disguised as reviews.

4. Identifying Affiliate Links

Links on our site that direct you to a third-party service provider’s website are typically affiliate links. These include:

• Buttons labeled “Visit [Provider Name]”, “Get Started with [Provider]”, or similar
• Provider names linked within comparison tables and review cards
• Recommendations generated by our Formation Finder quiz tool
• Links within our “Top Picks” and “Quick Picks” sections

Internal links to our own content pages (guides, comparisons, tools) are not affiliate links. Links to government websites (IRS.gov, state SOS offices) are not affiliate links.

Where affiliate links appear, we use rel="noopener sponsored" attributes and open links in new tabs to maintain transparency and comply with search engine guidelines.

5. Formation Finder Quiz Disclosure

Our Formation Finder quiz is a free tool that matches users with formation services based on their answers about entity type, business goals, revenue level, and priorities (price, value, service, speed).

The quiz results include affiliate links to recommended providers. The recommendation logic is based on which providers best match the user’s stated criteria — not on which providers pay the highest commissions. For example:

• Users who prioritize “lowest price” are matched with genuinely free ($0) services, even though these may generate lower commissions for us
• Users seeking VC-backed startup formation are matched with specialized services like Stripe Atlas, which may or may not have affiliate agreements with us
• The quiz never recommends a provider solely because of its commission rate

6. Not Legal, Tax, or Financial Advice

BusinessFormations.com is an informational and comparison website. We are not a law firm, accounting firm, or financial advisory service. We do not provide legal advice, tax advice, or financial planning services.

The information on this website — including our guides on entity types, tax comparisons, state requirements, and formation processes — is provided for general educational purposes only. This information:

• Does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice
• Should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional counsel
• May not apply to your specific situation, jurisdiction, or circumstances
• Is subject to change as laws, regulations, and tax codes are updated

7. Information Accuracy & Currency

We make reasonable efforts to ensure that the information on our website — including provider pricing, features, state filing fees, and process descriptions — is accurate and current. However:

• Providers change their pricing, features, and terms frequently and sometimes without notice. The information we display may not reflect the most recent changes.
• State filing fees and processing times change. Fees and timelines shown on our site are approximate and based on the most recent data available at our last review.
• User reviews and ratings fluctuate. Star ratings and review counts shown are approximate and sourced from third-party platforms at the time of our last update.
• We are not responsible for the accuracy of information on third-party websites linked from our site, including provider websites, government websites, or review platforms.

We encourage users to verify pricing, features, and terms directly on the provider’s website before making a purchase decision. We note the date of our last review on comparison pages.

8. Third-Party Links & Services

Our website contains links to third-party websites and services. These links are provided for your convenience and informational purposes. BusinessFormations.com:

• Does not control the content, policies, or practices of third-party websites
• Does not endorse or guarantee the quality, accuracy, or reliability of any third-party service
• Is not responsible for any transactions, disputes, or outcomes between you and any third-party provider
• Is not a party to any agreement between you and a formation service or other provider

If you purchase services through a link on our site, your relationship is directly with that provider. Any questions, complaints, or disputes about the service should be directed to the provider, not to BusinessFormations.com.

9. Testimonials & User Experiences

Testimonials and user experiences displayed on our website reflect the individual experiences of those users. Results and experiences may vary based on entity type, state, provider chosen, and individual circumstances.

Testimonials on our site:

• Represent the personal opinions and experiences of individual users
• Are not guaranteed to be representative of all users’ experiences
• May reference specific providers or outcomes that are not typical for all users
• May be edited for clarity, grammar, or length while preserving the original meaning

10. No Warranties

The information, tools, and recommendations on BusinessFormations.com are provided “as is” and “as available” without any warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose
• Warranties that the information is complete, accurate, current, or error-free
• Warranties that the website will be uninterrupted, secure, or free of errors
• Warranties regarding the quality, pricing, or outcomes of any third-party service

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, BusinessFormations.com, its owners, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

• Your use of or reliance on any information provided on this website
• Your decision to use any formation service, tool, or provider linked from our site
• Any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the information we provide
• Any actions taken by third-party providers recommended or linked on our site
• Any loss of data, revenue, profit, or business opportunities

Your use of this website and any linked services is entirely at your own risk.

12. Changes to This Disclosure

We may update this Affiliate Disclosure & Disclaimers page from time to time to reflect changes in our affiliate relationships, business practices, or applicable regulations. The “Last Updated” date at the top of this page indicates when the most recent changes were made.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Affiliate Disclosure, our editorial practices, or the information on our website, you can reach us at: