Form your LLC the right way — without paying $1,500 to LegalZoom
A step-by-step kit built by an operator who has formed dozens of LLCs across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Filing checklists, operating agreement, EIN walkthrough, bank account setup, and a 30-day post-formation plan — for first-time owners, side-hustlers going pro, and real estate investors stacking entities.
What's inside the kit
- State-by-state filing checklist with deep-dives for WA (CCFS), OR (Secretary of State), and ID — fees, processing times, registered agent rules, and the exact pages on each state portal
- Operating agreement template — single-member version (the one most owners actually need)
- Operating agreement template — multi-member version with voting %, capital contributions, profit/loss allocation, and buy-sell triggers
- Partnership splits worksheet — sweat equity vs. cash, vesting cliffs, and how to write it so it survives a real fight
- EIN walkthrough with annotated screenshots of the IRS online application (the page that trips up 80% of first-timers is page 4)
- Business bank account opening checklist — what banks actually ask for, what NOT to do (commingling = pierced shield), and PNW credit unions worth a look
- Registered agent decision guide — when to be your own, when to hire one, what changes if you move
- S-Corp election walkthrough — Form 2553 line by line, the 75-day deadline most CPAs forget to mention, and a break-even calculator (it's around $50K net for most operators)
- First 30 days post-formation checklist — initial report filing, business license (WA UBI), city/county licenses, sales tax registration if applicable
- Common mistakes section — the 12 ways operators accidentally void their liability shield in the first year
- Articles of organization templates pre-filled for WA, OR, and ID
- 1 follow-up Q&A email — send us your one stuck question after you've read the kit and we'll answer it personally
Who this is for
- First-time LLC owner who has heard "just use LegalZoom" but wants to actually understand what they're signing
- Operator forming a second entity — new business line, new partner, or separating risk from your existing LLC
- Side-hustle that's now real money and needs a clean foundation before it scales (or before tax season catches you)
- Real estate investor doing entity-per-property and tired of paying $300+ per filing for cookie-cutter docs
- Couple or business partners who need an operating agreement that actually addresses the awkward stuff — voting splits, deadlocks, what happens when one of you wants out
- Anyone who pulled up LegalZoom, saw the upsell ladder, and wanted more depth without the $1,500 price tag
Operating Agreement preview
Section 4.2, Member Voting: "All decisions outside the ordinary course of business — including admitting new members, taking on debt above $25,000, or selling substantially all assets — require approval by Members holding at least 75% of the Voting Interests." The kit walks you through how to set that threshold for your specific situation, why 51% is a trap for two-member LLCs, and how to write a deadlock clause that doesn't end in a lawsuit.
FAQ
Why not just use LegalZoom?+
LegalZoom files your articles fine — but their operating agreement is a generic template, their EIN service charges $79 for something the IRS does free in 10 minutes, and their upsell ladder ($1,500+ for the "complete" tier) buys you less depth than this kit. We've cleaned up after enough LegalZoom LLCs to know what they leave out: voting thresholds, partnership splits, S-Corp timing, and the post-formation steps that actually keep your liability shield intact.
Should I form in WA, OR, ID, or one of those Delaware/Wyoming/Nevada states everyone talks about online?+
For 95% of PNW service businesses and real estate investors, your home state is right. Forming in DE/WY/NV when you operate in Washington means you still have to register as a foreign LLC in WA, pay both states, and deal with two annual filings — usually a net loss. The kit walks through the narrow cases where out-of-state formation actually makes sense (and it's almost never the asset-protection story you saw on YouTube).
Single-member or multi-member — which one do I need?+
Single-member if you're the only owner, period. The IRS treats it as a disregarded entity by default (taxed on your personal return) and the operating agreement still matters because it's what proves you're treating the LLC as separate from yourself in court. Multi-member the moment a second person — including a spouse in non-community-property states — has any ownership. The kit includes both, plus a partnership splits worksheet for the awkward conversations.
When do I file the S-Corp election?+
You have 75 days from formation OR until March 15 of the year you want it to take effect. Miss that window and you're stuck on default LLC taxation for the year. The kit walks Form 2553 line by line and includes a break-even calculator — the rough rule is S-Corp election starts saving you self-employment tax once your net is around $50K, but it adds payroll complexity, so we lay out the trade-off honestly.
What if I want help filing instead of doing it myself?+
That's what /services/llc-formation is for. Same operator behind both — Done-With-You ($497) gets you a 60-min strategy call plus a custom operating agreement, and Full Service (from $997) means we file the articles, pull the EIN, and handle the bank account setup end-to-end. Buy the kit first if you want to learn the moving parts; book the service if you'd rather hand it off.
Do I get lifetime updates?+
Yes. State filing fees and forms change — when WA, OR, or ID update theirs, you get the revised checklist. When IRS Form 2553 instructions change, the walkthrough gets refreshed. One purchase, perpetual access via the same download link.
Often bought together
Service Agreement
Once your LLC is live, you need a clean service agreement to sign with clients. General-purpose, editable, drops right in.
See detailsSubcontractor Agreement
If you'll hire 1099 help, this is the document that keeps them classified correctly and your shield intact.
See detailsEmployee Handbook
The day you make your first W-2 hire, the handbook stops being optional. Fill-in template tailored for service shops.
See detailsDIY your LLC, but do it right
Pricing is being finalized — get on the list and we'll let you know the moment it launches. Most owners overpay LegalZoom or under-do it with a free template off Reddit. This kit is the middle path: real depth, real PNW context, real templates that have been used in court.
These are templates — not legal advice. CIC is a business consulting and AI systems company, not a law firm. For complex ownership structures, multi-state operations, or anything involving litigation, review the documents with a licensed attorney before signing or filing.