In Tennessee, starting an LLC entails appointing a registered agent and filing the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State among other steps. Our guide provides a step-by-step walkthrough to ensure a successful Tennessee LLC formation.
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If you’re thinking about starting your own business as an LLC, Tennessee may be the place to make it happen. Beyond the beautiful scenery and music, the Volunteer State has a solid reputation for being friendly to business. In fact, Tennessee ranked #5 in CNBC’s Top States for Business 2021.
And, just as Tennessee is a business-friendly state, a limited liability company (LLC) is a business-friendly concept. It’s a business entity type that allows its owners (called “members”) to have the personal limited liability protection of a corporation with the tax benefits and flexibility of a sole proprietorship.
But starting one can feel overwhelming, like you’re tangled in piles of red tape. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process. We’ll also show you how our many formation services can make the process easier so you can get to the enjoyable parts of your business more quickly.
Let our experts file your Tennessee LLC paperwork quickly and accurately, guaranteed!
First, you’ll need to find an available name for your LLC and appoint a registered agent. From there, you’ll be able to file Articles of Organization with the Tennessee Secretary of State. Next, you’ll likely want to create an operating agreement and get a federal tax identification number.
Okay, here’s our step-by-step guide for how to create an LLC in Tennessee.
Pick an available name for your LLC. Brainstorm some LLC names that are memorable and convey what your business sells. Beyond that, though, you need to follow Tennessee’s rules for naming LLCs.
Here are some important guidelines to follow:
For a complete list of LLC naming rules, see Chapter 207 of the state’s Limited Liability Company Statutes.
Tennessee professionals like doctors, lawyers, or dentists have the option to create a professional limited liability company, an LLC organized to give professionals liability protections while complying with licensing requirements. For the most part, the process to start a PLLC is similar to a standard LLC. But there are a few different nuances to adhere to, and naming your PLLC is one of them.
When you name a PLLC, you’ll use a slightly different designator to end your name. “Professional limited liability company,” “Professional limited company,” or “limited liability professional company” are all acceptable choices. You can also use abbreviations of those designators: “P.L.L.C.,” “P.L.C.,” or “L.L.P.C.,” with or without the periods. Your name must not include “corporation” or “incorporated,” and you should also avoid using terms that mislead people about your business purpose.
Last but not least, please check with your industry’s licensing agency or regulatory board to see if there are any specific business naming requirements for your industry. If there are any rules, you’ll need to ensure your PLLC name upholds those requirements, as well.
How do you know whether your desired business name has already been claimed by someone else? You start by using the business name search engine on the Tennessee Secretary of State website. Take a look at our guide to conducting a Tennessee business name search.
The website cautions you not to assume that a name is available until you get official approval from the Secretary of State, either by having your Articles of Organization approved or by reserving a business name.
If you aren’t planning to file your Articles of Organization right away, consider reserving your business name to keep anyone else from claiming it in the meantime and to get confirmation that the name is available. Tennessee allows potential business owners to submit a name reservation application to reserve an available name for up to four months.
Before you make a final decision on a name, though, you have a couple of additional considerations.
The Tennessee Secretary of State doesn’t check to see whether the name you want to use is trademarked. So, even if they approve your business name, someone else with a federal or state trademark may later challenge your right to use the name in court.
It’s best practice to run a trademark database search on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website as well as on the state website (or have an attorney do so). Note that federally protected trademarks are nationwide; state-protected ones only apply within Tennessee (or the state that issued them).
Even if you don’t sell your products or services directly online, you’re going to want a presence on the web. At the very least, you want your company’s name, address, and contact info to pop up when potential clients search for it.
That’s why getting a good domain name that pairs well with your business name is so important. We have a domain name service to help you find and purchase a domain name for your business. We can also help you create a business website and provide domain name privacy.
Some companies may want to use an assumed name for their Tennessee LLC. In other states, this is known as a “doing business as” (DBA) name. This allows your company to separate services under various titles or to advertise without the mandated “LLC” designator. Learn more about Tennessee DBAs.
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Name a registered agent for your LLC. A Tennessee registered agent is an individual or business entity that receives legal notices (like service of process) and official government correspondence involving your company.
Tennessee law requires all LLCs to have a registered agent with a registered office where they will be available to receive notices in person. The registered office may be the same as any of the LLC’s places of business, but it doesn’t have to be. For more information, check out the “General Provisions” section of Title 48 of Tennessee’s state statutes.
The registered agent may be:
Note that the registered office must be a physical street address, so you can’t use a P.O. box or something similar. The registered agent must also be available during regular business hours.
It’s crucial to pick the right person or service to fulfill your registered agent obligations. While it’s perfectly legal to appoint a friend or family member to fill this role or serve as your own agent, it isn’t always a good idea.
Look at it this way: your friends or family are probably going to go on vacation, get sick, or run errands sometimes. So your agent, whether intentionally or not, might not be present, and the process server wouldn’t be able to find them. In that case, the legal action against you could go forward without you even knowing about it.
You could also lose your good standing in the state. In severe cases, you might even face administrative dissolution.
Some business owners prefer to be their own registered agent, but there are drawbacks, like those we’ve just mentioned. There’s also the potential embarrassment of being served with a lawsuit while you’re in front of customers or employees. This is where registered agent services like ours can help. We can put you in contact with our commercial registered agent partners in Tennessee. This registered agent service allows you the peace of mind of knowing you are legally compliant while keeping certain matters discreet.
File your Tennessee Articles of Organization. Once approved, this will officially register your Tennessee LLC in the eyes of the state.
To file with the Tennessee Secretary of State, you’ll need to make key information about your business ready and available. Make sure your chosen name has been researched and cleared. Double-check that you have all the contact information for your members and registered agent handy. The Tennessee Secretary of State accepts filings online, by postal mail, and by hand delivery, along with the relevant filing fee.
The Tennessee Articles of Organization form asks for the following information. Be aware that this information becomes available to be searched in public records once submitted.
You can apply online via the Tennessee Secretary of State website or print the paper form and mail it to:
Department of StateCorporate Filings312 Rosa L. Parks Ave.6th Floor, William R. Snodgrass TowerNashville, TN 37243
Note: if you’re filing as a PLLC, you’ll use the same version of the form. Tennessee doesn’t have a separate Articles of Organization for PLLCs. Just be sure that while you file, you complete all the sections related to a PLLC, including identifying your profession and confirming that you’re appropriately licensed.
If you’re having trouble doing this by yourself or don’t have the time, that’s okay! Filing official government documents to the Tennessee Secretary of State can be intimidating and complicated. With our business formation services, we can handle it for you to make sure it’s done quickly and correctly.
Some entrepreneurs, especially if it’s near the end of the year, will delay their LLC filing date to January 1 of the coming year. This way, they can avoid the hassle and cost of having to pay taxes on an LLC in the current year. This is especially true if the future LLC owners don’t need to establish the company right away.
Ordinarily, the effective filing date would be at the time of filing. But you also have the option to tell the state that you want your effective date to be at a later time. You can choose to have your LLC’s effective date be up to 90 days past the date you submit the filing.
This is something else we can help you with. When you form your LLC with us, we give you the option of paying an extra fee to have your LLC’s effective date delayed. (This service is only offered from October to January.)
You should only need to file your Articles of Organization once. But if any of the original Articles of Organization information needs to be updated, altered, or expanded, your business is required to inform the state about the changes.
You would report these changes by filing Tennessee Articles of Amendment and paying a filing fee. If your Articles of Organization isn’t current, it could impact your ability to get a Tennessee Certificate of Existence (called a “Certificate of Good Standing” in most states). This document isn’t required to conduct business, but it can be important for business accounts, potential investors, and expanding your business to other states. Basically, failing to keep your business up to date with state requirements can limit your LLC’s potential future growth.
When you need help amending your Articles of Organization, we have an amendment filing service that can handle it for you. Our Worry-Free Compliance service also includes two amendment filings every year and informs you of upcoming filing deadlines.
Make an operating agreement for your LLC. While it’s not a legal requirement to have a Tennessee operating agreement, it’s very wise to have one.
An operating agreement (OA) clearly defines the terms of ownership and management for an LLC. And, without one, you’ll be subject to Tennessee’s default rules for LLCs, which might not reflect the wants of yourself and the other members.
Here are some of the benefits an OA offers to owners of an LLC:
Here are some basic items you may want to include in your OA:
Feeling unsure as to how to create a comprehensive operating agreement for your LLC? We offer a customizable template to help get you started.
It seems like most of the content in your operating agreement is intended to avoid disputes among the LLC members, so you might think you don’t need one if your LLC is just one person. But potential investors, future business partners, and others may want to see your operating agreement, anyway.
Your operating agreement can also explain in detail what you want to happen to the business and its assets if you die or become incapacitated.
One more thing to consider: Someone could take an LLC owner to court to try to show that the owner and the LLC are the same entity so that they can go after the owner’s assets and bypass the personal asset protection. If that happens, having an operating agreement in place is one more thing further demonstrating to the court that the business owner and the LLC truly are separate.
Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the federal government. An EIN is a nine-digit number that acts like your business’s Social Security number. A federal EIN can be used to open a bank account, hire employees, and pay taxes.
You get a Federal EIN by applying with the IRS. You can do this online or by mailing in a form. Note that if you file online with the IRS, you must complete the process in one sitting. The IRS cautions that you can’t save the form and go back later. Make sure you have all your business’s information ready when you file to save time.
If you’d rather deal with the IRS as little as possible, we can get your Employer Identification Number for you. Our EIN service is quick and eliminates the hassle.
You’ll also have to register to pay state taxes. The Tennessee Department of Revenue has an online system called the Tennessee Taxpayer Access Point (TNTAP) in which you can register for the following taxes:
Not all Tennessee taxes can be registered for online, such as the automobile rental surcharge tax, tire fee, and used motor oil taxes. See the Tennessee Department of Revenue website for instructions on how to register for these taxes with paper applications.
Once you have an EIN, you’ll be able to open a business bank account. Having separate accounts for your business and personal banking is crucial for sorting out your finances at tax time. It also helps ensure that you aren’t commingling funds. Mixing business and personal funds could also be used against you if someone takes you to court to challenge whether you and your LLC are truly separate entities.
We offer a discounted bank account for new businesses. It offers online banking, unlimited transactions, a debit card, and more. If you want to let others in the business use the account, then we offer a banking resolution template to make it easier. You might also want to think about getting a business credit card to start building a credit history.
For more help organizing your business’s finances, try Money Pro to create invoices, receive payments, transfer money, and manage clients all in one place.
The LLC business structure gives you flexibility, and that extends to how you can choose to have your LLC taxed. By default, LLCs are taxed like pass-through entities, letting them avoid “double taxation.” Under double taxation (which Tennessee corporations deal with), the business profits are taxed twice: once at the business level and again when the owners receive their share of the profits.
Some LLCs elect C corporation tax status because it offers them the widest range of tax deductions, which can prove advantageous. For example, employee insurance premiums could be written off as a deductible expense.
But other LLCs elect S corporation status, a tax status intended for small businesses. This status gives you pass-through taxation, but it has the distinct advantage of potentially reducing self-employment taxes (federal taxes for Social Security and Medicare). Learn more about S corporations with our guide to what an S corporation is.
We highly recommend consulting with a tax professional to learn which tax status is best for you. And if you ultimately decide to elect S corp status, our S corp service can help you do that.
For LLCs and other small businesses, filing a beneficial ownership information report, or BOI report, is a new requirement for 2024. This report was introduced by the Corporate Transparency Act, which aims to help prevent corporate financial fraud by hindering organizations’ ability to use shell corporations for illicit activities. Failing to report can have severe criminal and civil penalties.
To submit the report, you’ll need to file online (or by PDF upload) on the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s website, or FinCEN. The report will ask you to provide the name, address, and identifying documents of each beneficial owner for your LLC. According to the Act, a beneficial owner is anyone who holds 25% or more of the LLC’s ownership interest, gets significant economic benefit from its assets, or exerts substantial control over it.
Tennessee doesn’t have a state version of the form, so you’ll only need to file on the federal level. But be sure to file on time. If you’re starting your LLC during 2024, you’ll have 90 days after Tennessee approves your Articles of Organization, and LLCs filed in 2025 and beyond will have just 30 days to file. Any LLCs filed before 2024 will have until January 1, 2025. For more information about the BOI reporting process, check out FinCEN’s website. And for help filing, check out our BOI report filing service.
When considering the formation of an LLC in Tennessee, it’s important to weigh the specific advantages and challenges this business structure presents.
Understanding these aspects is crucial for anyone looking to start an LLC in Tennessee, helping them align their business approach with their goals and risk tolerance.
If you’re thinking of forming an LLC in Tennessee, there are actually a couple of different types available, each suited to different business needs.
If you’re a solo dreamer in the Volunteer State, then a single-member LLC might be a perfect fit. With this structure, you take charge as the sole owner while also enjoying the liability shield that LLCs offer.
If you have one or more friends or family members excited to start a business with you, then a multi-member LLC could be a great way to team up with security. A multi-member LLC helps ensure each member’s input is valued while splitting profits, losses, and responsibilities according to the agreed terms.
A professional limited liability company (PLLC) is made for licensed professionals such as doctors, engineers, and attorneys. It provides liability protection while meeting professional licensing requirements. PLLCs do not shield members from personal malpractice claims but protect against claims made against other members.
When forming an LLC in Tennessee, you can expect to encounter several costs.
In Tennessee, LLCs are required to file an annual report to maintain compliance. This report keeps the state updated on essential information about your LLC, such as changes in address or management. The annual report filing always has a filing fee of at least $300, and it’s crucial for keeping your LLC in good standing with the state.
There’s also a good chance that your business will need specific licenses or permits. For starters, if you have more than $3,000 in gross sales during the year (but less than $100,000), you’ll need the state’s Minimum Activity License. Businesses with more than $100,000 in gross sales need the standard business license. It’s also quite common for business owners to need specific licenses for their industry. If all of this research sounds overwhelming, our business license report service can help.
Even after you get these licenses, your work isn’t quite finished; you’ll probably be required to renew these licenses on a regular basis. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in penalties or even administrative dissolution of your LLC.
We offer many services beyond just helping you form your LLC. Our business experts can also give you long-term business support to help run and grow your company.
Tennessee has many business opportunities, but, if the paperwork of starting a business feels overwhelming, we can help. Let us take care of the Tennessee LLC formation process with our business formation service, compliance, and more. That way, you can get back to running your dream business, whether it’s a farmers’ market in Knoxville or a Moonpie stand in Memphis.
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Tennessee is unusual in that the filing fee depends on the number of members in the LLC. The filing fee for the Articles of Organization is $50.00 per member in existence on the date of the filing, with a minimum fee of $307 and a maximum fee of $3,000.00. Depending on your situation, you may have additional fees for things like business name reservation or fees for business licenses and permits.
Fees are always subject to change, so check the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website for the latest.
Tennessee’s business landscape is overwhelmingly composed of small businesses. This means that the state is particularly hospitable toward understanding the needs of new small business owners. To that end, the state has installed several key pieces of infrastructure to help new Tennessee LLCs get off the ground. A few of the major benefits of creating an LLC in Tennessee include:
Read more about the benefits of an LLC.
Responsibly forming an LLC in Tennessee means knowing what to expect in the tax department. On the federal level, LLCs can elect to be taxed as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation. Most elect one of the pass-through taxation options of the former two, meaning that profits will only be federally taxed on the member’s individual tax returns. This is unlike most corporations, in which profits are taxed twice, first at the business level and again at the individual shareholder level.
LLCs can also choose to be taxed as a corporation instead. This is sometimes advantageous to larger LLCs with high profits. A tax professional can tell you whether this tax setup is right for your business.
Tennessee Taxes
Tennessee imposes a basic state business tax on all entities conducting business or incorporated in the state. Even out-of-state businesses will be subject to this tax if it is determined that they have a “substantial nexus” within the state lines of Tennessee.
Tennessee business tax consists of two separate taxes: the state business tax and the city business tax. Almost all businesses that sell goods or services must pay the state business tax. If you have a business location in a city that has enacted the business tax, then you’re required to pay the city business tax, too.
LLCs in Tennessee must also register for and pay franchise and excise taxes. The franchise tax is based on the net worth or the book value of real or tangible property owned or used in Tennessee, whichever is greater. The minimum franchise tax is $100. Excise tax is based on net earnings or income for the tax year.
Calculating business taxes in Tennessee can get complicated. See the Tennessee Department of Revenue and consult a qualified accountant for help.
The processing time will vary by factors like the time of year, but, generally speaking, filing online is much quicker than filing by postal mail. Many online filings are processed on the same day, while paper filings can take five to seven business days by mail, not counting the time in transit.
The Tennessee government doesn’t require a copy of an operating agreement for a new business entity to form. It’s an internal document for your LLC.
That’s going to depend on your individual circumstances and goals. Most LLCs elect pass-through taxation, where the LLC’s members are only taxed on their earnings at the individual level without first being taxed at the business level.
If you choose to be taxed as a C corporation (the default form of corporation), you’ll be taxed twice on your profits — once at the entity level and then at the individual level when you file your personal tax returns. Despite this double taxation, certain LLCs may benefit from this tax structure, as it has the most possible deductions.
Being taxed as an S corporation also has pass-through taxation, but it allows LLC members to earn money from the business both from its profits and by being paid a salary. In some instances, this could reduce the self-employment taxes members pay because they would pay the Social Security/Medicare portion of their taxes on their salary, but not their share of the LLC’s profits.
Again, a qualified accountant should be able to advise you as to which tax arrangement would most benefit your LLC. You can learn more on our S Corp vs. LLC and LLC vs C corporation pages.
A series LLC is an LLC that is split into multiple compartments, each with its own protections against liabilities from the others. Not many states allow the formation of a series LLC, but Tennessee does. The rules and guidelines associated with forming a series LLC in TN stipulate different taxation and registration requirements that should be carefully considered.
At minimum, your business will probably need a minimal activity license ($3,000-$100,000 in gross sales) or a standard business license (more than $100,000 in gross sales). There’s also a good chance that you’ll need other industry-specific licenses as well.
Depending on factors like your industry, professional services you offer, and location, you may require other federal, state, and/or local business licenses and permits to operate. If you don’t have the time or if you just want the peace of mind to know that you have all the business licenses and permits you’re legally required to have, our business license report service can do the work for you.
Before starting the dissolution process, the members of an LLC should consult the operating agreement and follow all established rules for dissolving the company. For the subsequent steps, please refer to our Tennessee business dissolution guide.
Transferring all or part of the ownership of an LLC can be a complex process because, unlike corporations, you can’t simply sell shares. First, consult any established rules for transferring ownership in your operating agreement. From there, you may want to consult an attorney for guidance. See our How to Transfer LLC Ownership in Tennessee guide for more information.
You can register a DBA, known as an “assumed name” in Tennessee, by completing the online registration process through the Secretary of State’s website. You can also complete an Application for Registration of Assumed Limited Liability Company Name and mail in the form. The state charges a small fee for registering an assumed name.
You’ll need to follow the rules for removing a member established by your operating agreement.
Yes, you need to file a Tennessee annual report each year. You file this annual report to keep your LLC current and in good standing with the Tennessee Secretary of State.
The state filing fee for the annual report works the same as the Articles of Organization filing fee. Although the minimum filing fee for LLCs is $300, those with more than six members must pay an additional $50 for each additional member. The maximum fee is $3,000. These fees will be ongoing annual costs for your LLC.
Our Annual Report Service can handle this process for you every year.
No. At this time, only a few states allow the creation of anonymous LLCs.
Having a business plan in place isn’t a legal requirement. However, it’s a really good idea to have one. Business plans help entrepreneurs develop strategies to set up new companies for success. Without a business plan, it might be hard for you to persuade others to invest in or join your business.
Sometimes, yes. Tennessee law states that professionals with different licenses can form a PLLC together provided that the rules of both regulatory boards allow for them to organize as a PLLC together. If you’re thinking of organizing together with other professionals, please consult your regulatory agency for guidance on organizing together.
By default, you’re taxed as a pass-through entity as a PLLC, but you could elect C corporation status or S corporation status; it’s your choice (and we highly recommend chatting with a Tennessee tax attorney if you’re not sure which structure is best). On the state level, although PLLCs sidestep most corporate taxes, you may have to pay franchise and excise taxes. If you have one or more employees in Tennessee, you’ll also pay state unemployment insurance tax. Finally, since PLLCs typically sell services, not goods, you may be free of obligations to pay sales and use taxes on the local level unless you also sell equipment or supplies to your clients.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
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ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 700,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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