People & payroll
Co-employment · 2-50 employees

PEO setup & shopping. Co-employment, done right.

A PEO (Professional Employer Organization) becomes the co-employer of your employees, handling payroll, benefits, workers' comp, and HR compliance across all 50 states. Saves time and money for small employers (2-100 employees) by pooling into the PEO's benefits + workers comp pools. We shop multiple PEOs, negotiate rates, and handle the setup.

All 50 states + DC 60-day money-back SOC 2 Type II
How it works

How we handle Conservation Easement, end-to-end.

A conservation easement is a permanent restriction on the use of land, typically donated to a qualified land trust to preserve the land's natural or open-space character.

1

Eligibility review

Land must have conservation value: scenic, ecological, historic, open-space, or recreational. We assess whether your land qualifies. Most rural and undeveloped properties do; urban properties rarely.

2

Land trust selection

Donation must be to a qualified land trust (501(c)(3)). We refer to local and national land trusts (Land Trust Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, regional trusts). They accept the easement and hold the restriction in perpetuity.

3

Engineering + appraisal

Engineering work documents the conservation value. Qualified appraisal determines diminished land value (the deduction amount). IRS scrutinizes appraisals; we use highly credentialed appraisers with conservation easement experience.

4

Legal documentation + closing

Easement document recorded with county recorder. Permanent restriction runs with the land. Donor receives appraisal-supported deduction. Coordination with attorney specializing in conservation easements.

What we'll set up for you

A clean handoff, in four steps.

You give us the basics. We handle the state, the IRS, and the compliance clock so you can focus on the business.

01 · Name + Brand

A name that's actually available.

Real-time check against the state register, USPTO trademark database, and matching domains.

02 · State filing

Filed with the Secretary of State.

We submit your Articles, pay the state fee on your behalf, and return the stamped certificate.

03 · Federal IDs

EIN + the right tax setup.

Federal Employer ID with the IRS, plus state tax accounts when your business needs them.

04 · Stay compliant

Registered Agent + deadline tracking.

Your agent on file in every state, with every renewal and annual report tracked in one calendar.

Pricing

Transparent conservation easement pricing.

Government fees pass through at cost. No upsells.

PEO shopping + setup

$999
3-7 quotes + onboarding

Shop 3-7 PEOs based on your industry + state + size. Compare admin fees, benefits packages, workers comp rates. Negotiate. Handle setup.

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PEO + HR consulting

$3,499
Strategic HR + compliance

PEO setup + ongoing HR consulting (employee relations, performance management, handbook customization, multi-state compliance). Fractional HR director.

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FAQ

About the Conservation Easement Service.

What is a PEO?
A PEO (Professional Employer Organization) co-employs your workers, handling payroll, benefits, workers' comp, and HR compliance, so a small business can offer better benefits and offload administrative burden. It is a common way to simplify being an employer. We complete the employer registrations so a PEO relationship fits cleanly.
How does a PEO work?
Under a co-employment arrangement, the PEO becomes the employer of record for payroll and benefits purposes while you direct the employees' actual work, pooling your staff with others to access better benefit rates and handle compliance. We flag how it fits your entity so the relationship is set up right.
What are the benefits of a PEO?
Access to better benefit plans at group rates, offloaded payroll and HR compliance, and reduced administrative burden, which lets a small business focus on operations while the PEO handles the employer back office. We keep your entity organized so a PEO can be layered on cleanly.
Who should use a PEO?
Small and growing businesses that want strong benefits and to offload HR and payroll compliance without building an internal team, which is many first-time employers. We flag it as an option and set up the employer foundation so whichever route you choose works.
How is a PEO different from payroll software?
Payroll software processes pay and filings while you remain the sole employer, whereas a PEO co-employs your staff and takes on broader HR, benefits, and compliance responsibility. The PEO is more hands-off for you. We flag the trade-offs so you pick what fits.
Does a PEO affect my EIN or entity?
Your entity remains yours, but under co-employment the PEO may use its own EIN for payroll tax purposes, which is normal for the arrangement, while you keep your EIN for the business. We flag how it interacts so the setup is clear.
Is a PEO worth the cost?
For many small businesses, the better benefits, reduced risk, and offloaded administration justify the fee, though larger companies may bring HR in-house over time. We flag the trade-offs so you can weigh a PEO against handling payroll and HR directly. See PEO options.
Can I leave a PEO later?
Yes: businesses commonly use a PEO while small and transition to in-house HR and payroll as they scale, though the transition takes planning. We keep your entity and employer registrations in order so you retain flexibility to change arrangements.
Can File.Business help me set up with a PEO?
We form the entity, obtain the EIN, complete the employer registrations, and flag how a PEO fits, so whether you use a PEO or run payroll directly, your employer foundation is in place. See PEO referral.
SOC 2 Type II audited
220,000+ businesses. 60-day money-back. State fees passed through at cost.
Your operating system, not a transaction
Every deadline auto-tracked across your entities. Compliance Score visible year-round.
Transparent pricing
No hidden fees. No upsells at checkout. State fees disclosed upfront.

Start your business in the next 5 minutes.

No state-fee markup. Pay only the state fee. 60-day money-back guarantee.

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