Starcycle vs Sunset: Wind-Down Services Compared

Short answer

Starcycle starts at $399 and makes the shutdown process seamless for customers. It covers all 50 states, closes payroll tax accounts and arranges final returns through partner CPAs, typically in 8 to 10 weeks. Sunset describes a flat fee it doesn't publish.

You're weighing two ways to hand off a shutdown, and the two services draw their lines in different places. This page sets out what each one publishes, row by row, with a link and a date on every Sunset fact.

At a glance What's included Pricing Who does what FAQ Get started

Where do Starcycle and Sunset differ?

Sunset's investor page and Starcycle's services page place the line between filings and money in different spots, and the table shows the six differences that matter most.

Topic	Starcycle	Sunset
Scope	Tailored action plan, state filings including dissolution articles, EIN cancellation, payroll tax account closure, sales tax account closure through a partner, help tracking contracts and subscriptions, and coverage of all 50 states	Legal filings, tax compliance, payroll closure, investor distributions and full entity dissolution, managed by an in-house team
Final tax returns	Arranged through partner CPAs, or Starcycle works with your own CPA	CPAs prepare and file final state and federal returns
Investor work	Supports the board and stockholder documents, such as resolutions and consents; your counsel or CPA calculates and sends any distributions	Capital redistribution to investors is part of the engagement
Assets	A complimentary asset recovery review, through a network of partners	Remaining assets are monetized; the guide lists a sale or an assignment to stockholders
Price	Starting at $399, with state fees paid separately	A single flat fee; no figure on the pages reviewed
How you start	Get a shutdown plan online; a dedicated team member joins on the white-glove tier	Book a call; about 30 minutes of integration and onboarding
Built for	LLCs and corporations of different kinds, including companies with investors	Pages describe venture-backed startups; the guide is written for a venture-backed Delaware C-corporation

Starcycle's experience is turnkey and hands-off: Starcycle does the heavy lifting and there is little for you to do, while some providers assign a dedicated specialist to your case. Starcycle has partner CPAs and lawyers for pretty much every situation.

What does each service include?

Each Sunset row cites the page where Sunset states it, and where a row says "not named," the service isn't mentioned on the pages we reviewed, which is different from a statement that it's excluded.

Item	Starcycle	Sunset
Dissolution filing	Dissolution articles prepared and filed	Certificate of dissolution filed
IRS Form 966	Prepared with the dissolution filings	Listed in Sunset's product scope; the guide gives the 30-day deadline
EIN cancellation	Included	Not named
Sales tax account closure	Taken care of through a partner	Not named
Final federal and state returns	Arranged through partner CPAs, or yours	Prepared and filed by Sunset's bookkeepers and CPAs
State withdrawals	Covers all 50 states, with key-date tracking and good-standing checks; withdrawals from other states prepared as part of a multi-state plan	Foreign qualifications withdrawn in each state
Payroll account closure	Payroll tax accounts closed by Starcycle	Payroll closure named in scope
Contracts and subscriptions	Helps you track contracts and subscriptions and key dates; you take the cancellation action	Customer stories describe closing software subscriptions and vendors
Board and stockholder documents	Resolutions and consents supported	Board consent to dissolve; SAFE holders addressed in the guide
Capital distribution	Not calculated or sent by Starcycle	Redistribution with notices and wires; the guide recommends counsel calculate the waterfall first
Asset disposition	A complimentary asset recovery review, through a network of partners	Selling to a buyer or assigning to stockholders pro rata
Document storage	Document management	Sunset stores your documents in case anything comes up later
People on your case	A dedicated team member on the white-glove tier	Attorneys, CPAs and a Client Success contact
After an acquisition	Delaware C-corporations with contracts and a cap table are on the white-glove tier	A stay-behind entity can be dissolved and its long-tail cleanup managed
Entity types	U.S. LLCs and corporations	Guide written for a venture-backed Delaware C-corporation; other entities not stated
Outstanding debt	Works with companies that can pay their debts	Not currently able to help companies with large outstanding debt obligations
Timeline	Typically 8 to 10 weeks	"Weeks, not months" in one customer's story; no figure from Sunset
Legal and tax advice	Operational support only; no legal or tax advice	Attorneys and CPA oversight on every engagement

Who does Starcycle fit?

Starcycle's services page sorts companies by facts, and the two tiers cover different situations.

Self-serve tier: a single-member LLC or straightforward corporation, with one state registration, no investors or cap table and no active contracts.
White-glove tier: a Delaware C-corporation or multi-state entity, with investors or a cap table and active contracts, subscriptions or leases, and a dedicated team member runs it.
Companies in the United States only, because Starcycle serves businesses and residents of the United States.

If you need investor waterfalls calculated or distributions sent, those pieces sit with your counsel or CPA. Starcycle offers a complimentary asset recovery review through a network of partners, and any asset sale agreement goes to counsel.

Which situation looks like yours?

Four scenarios show where the two services' published scopes line up with different needs.

Venture-backed with SAFEs and notes: Sunset's guide covers SAFE holders and a counsel-calculated waterfall, and its team sends the wires. With Starcycle, the white-glove tier handles filings and key dates while your counsel or CPA handles the investor math.
Post-acquisition stay-behind entity: Sunset's Ashland story describes long-tail cleanup after the sale, while Starcycle's white-glove tier covers a Delaware C-corporation with active contracts.
Asset-heavy company: Sunset lists asset disposition in its scope, while Starcycle offers a complimentary asset recovery review through a network of partners, and any asset sale agreement still goes to counsel.
Multi-state with debt: Sunset says it can't currently help companies with large outstanding debt, while Starcycle covers all 50 states and works with companies that can pay their debts. A company that can't pay its debts needs an attorney to weigh options such as an assignment for the benefit of creditors or bankruptcy, and Starcycle doesn't do that work.

Starting at

$399

State filing fees are paid at the state's own rate.

What does it cost?

Starcycle starts at $399, which covers the action plan, key-date tracking, help tracking contracts and subscriptions, document management, dissolution filing and EIN cancellation. $399 is the service fee and state fees are extra, so $399 is the floor. State fees are paid at the state's own rate, and white-glove cases are quoted individually.

For scale, Delaware's fee schedule revised August 1, 2026 lists $224 for a certificate of dissolution, a figure that excludes franchise taxes, a registered agent and tax preparation.

Sunset describes a single, flat fee and tells readers to book a call, and no figure appears on the pages we reviewed. A flat fee and a starting price are different shapes, so ask each provider for a written scope next to its number.

Who does what in a shutdown?

Task	You	Starcycle	Partner CPA or lawyer, or yours
Board and stockholder approvals	Sign	Prepares supporting documents	Advises on votes and notices
State dissolution filing	Approve	Prepares and submits
EIN cancellation	Approve	Handles
Contracts and subscriptions	Provide the list and cancel	Helps you track
Payroll tax account closure	Approve	Closes
Sales tax account closure	Approve	Takes care of, through a partner
Key dates across all 50 states		Tracks
Final tax returns	Provide records	Arranges	Partner CPAs, or yours, prepare and file
Investor waterfall and distributions	Decide with counsel		Calculates and sends

Starcycle can also make intros to lawyers and accountants.

Questions to ask any provider

What is the full fee, and which state fees, tax returns and filings sit outside it?
Who prepares the final federal and state tax returns, and who bills for them?
Do you calculate and send investor distributions, or does my counsel handle that work instead?
Which states will you file in or withdraw from, and how do you track the dates?
What happens to my payroll accounts, vendors and subscriptions when the work is finished?
Does my entity type, state and debt level fall inside your scope, or does any of it fall outside?
Who is my point of contact, and what do you say about timing in writing?

How we compared

We read Sunset's own pages and quote only what they say, each with its link above, and Starcycle's column comes from starcycle.ai and Starcycle's own scope notes. We left out Sunset's customer counts, which differ across its pages, and any figure that a customer, rather than Sunset, gave. Prices and scope change, so check each provider's current terms before you sign.

The glossary below defines the four terms that appear in the tables above.

EIN: the Employer Identification Number the IRS assigns to your company for taxes.
Form 966: the IRS form that reports a corporation's dissolution or liquidation, due within 30 days after the resolution or plan is adopted.
Registered agent: the person or service that receives legal and state mail for your company in each state.
Franchise tax: a state tax some states charge for the right to exist as a corporation or LLC there.

Conclusion

Both services close a company, and they split the work differently. Sunset's materials describe one team that carries filings, tax returns, investor distributions and asset sales, while Starcycle covers the filings, payroll tax account closure, contract tracking and key dates, arranges final returns through partner CPAs and leaves investor math to a CPA or counsel. Start with the list of questions above, put the same ones to each provider, and compare the written answers. When you're ready to see your own plan, Get started.

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Frequently asked questions

What does Sunset include?

Sunset's pages describe legal dissolution, final federal and state tax returns, state withdrawals, payroll closure, investor distributions and asset disposition, handled by attorneys, CPAs and a Client Success contact, as shown on the product page and investor page.

Does Starcycle prepare final tax returns?

Starcycle arranges final federal and state returns through partner CPAs, or works with your own CPA. Starcycle can also make intros to accountants.

Does Starcycle work with companies that have investors?

Yes, on the white-glove tier, which covers companies with investors or a cap table. Starcycle supports the board and stockholder documents, while your counsel or CPA calculates and sends any distributions.

What does Sunset cost?

Sunset describes a single flat fee and publishes no figure on the pages we reviewed, and its about page points to a booked call. Starcycle starts at $399, which is the service fee, and state fees are extra, so $399 is the floor.

Can a company with debt use either service?

Sunset's product page says it can't currently help companies with large outstanding debt obligations, while Starcycle works with companies that can pay their debts. A company that can't should ask an attorney which options apply.

Starcycle vs Sunset