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How to start an LLC in Tennessee

Every step to form your LLC in Tennessee, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
from $300
Regular report
$300
What you file
Articles of Organization
Where
The Tennessee Secretary of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in Tennessee

Filing Articles of Organization with the Tennessee Secretary of Statefrom $300
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$300
Franchise taxSee its step
State business licenseSee its step
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the Tennessee Secretary of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    Every LLC and corporation in Tennessee needs a registered agent: a person or company with a street address in Tennessee who receives legal papers and state notices for it. You can be your own, or pay a registered agent service.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization

    File them with the Tennessee Secretary of State on TNCaB, the state's filing site (you'll need an account), or print them there and mail them with a check. The fee is $50 for each member, with a minimum of $300 and a maximum of $3,000; paying by card or e-check adds a convenience fee. Once they're filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  5. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  6. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    If you'll sell taxable goods or services, register for sales and use tax with the Tennessee Department of Revenue on TNTAP, its online tax site. A business with gross receipts of $100,000 or more a year also registers there for business tax, and every LLC and corporation registers for franchise and excise taxes. Every employer registers with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development on Jobs4TN for unemployment insurance.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  7. City or county

    Get your business license from the county clerk

    A business located in Tennessee with gross receipts of more than $3,000 a year needs a business license from the county clerk, and from the city too if the city has a business tax. Each costs $15, and you can't operate until the license is obtained and posted at your business. Below $100,000 in gross receipts it's a minimal activity license, renewed with the clerk each year for $15. At $100,000 or more it's a standard business license: you also register for business tax with the Department of Revenue and file a return by the 15th day of the fourth month after your fiscal year ends, which renews the license.

    Get the state license (opens the official site)

  8. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    Tennessee's general business license is the business tax license from your county clerk, and from your city if it has a business tax. Some trades also need a license from a state regulatory or health professional board, and your city or county may need permits or zoning approval, such as to work from home.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  9. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and your EIN.

  10. With the state

    Put the yearly report in your calendar

    Every LLC in Tennessee files an annual report with the Secretary of State on or before the first day of the fourth month after its fiscal year ends: by April 1 if its fiscal year ends in December. You file it on TNCaB (you'll need an account) and pay online or by mailed check. The fee is $50 for each member, with a minimum of $300 and a maximum of $3,000. The state can administratively dissolve a business that doesn't file.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

  11. With the state

    Pay franchise and excise taxes each year

    Every LLC and corporation registered with the Tennessee Secretary of State registers for and pays franchise and excise taxes with the Department of Revenue, unless it qualifies for an exemption; that includes a single-member LLC owned by an individual. The franchise tax is 0.25% of your Tennessee net worth (net worth alone since 2024), at least $100 a year even if the business is inactive; the excise tax is 6.5% of your Tennessee taxable income. The return is due by the 15th day of the fourth month after your fiscal year ends: April 15 for a calendar year.

    About the tax (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in Tennessee

How much does it cost to start an LLC in Tennessee?

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization starts at $300 and depends on your business. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $300. It also asks for franchise tax and state business license, which can cost more. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does Tennessee require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. Tennessee asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $300, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in Tennessee myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization with the Tennessee Secretary of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from Tennessee's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

Tennessee's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states