[0:00] The short answer Dan: To start an LLC in Tennessee, you file Articles of Organization, Form SS-4270, with the Secretary of State, and pay $300 for up to six members. Maya: Up to six members? So the fee depends on headcount. Dan: Yes. It's $50 per member, with a $300 minimum. Maya: This is The Business Formation Podcast. Today, Tennessee for 2026, in six steps, with what it all costs and the three best ways to have it filed for you. What's step one? [0:32] Step 1: Choose a name Dan: Tennessee wants limited liability company, LLC, or L.L.C. in the name. It has to be distinguishable from names on record, too. Maya: Anything off limits? Dan: Words like bank or insurance company need another agency's approval first. Maya: How do I check my name? Dan: The Secretary of State's business entity search is free. A name reservation is $20. [0:55] Step 2: Name a registered agent Maya: What does the registered agent need in Tennessee? Dan: A person or business at a Tennessee street address. The Articles also list the county and an email. Maya: Can I use a P.O. box? Dan: No. The state doesn't accept one, and it verifies the address. Maya: Is all that public? Dan: Everything on the form is public record. That's why many owners hire a commercial agent. Changing agents later costs $20. [1:22] Step 3: File Articles of Organization Maya: How do I file? Dan: Submit Form SS-4270 online through TNCaB, the state's filing system. You can file by mail too. Maya: What does it ask for? Dan: A principal office, a business email for reminders, your fiscal year end, how the LLC is managed, and how many members it has. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Nice to meet you, Maya. One more detail: if you pay by card, there's a convenience fee on top. Maya: And the fee itself? Dan: $50 per member, $300 minimum, $3,000 maximum. [1:57] Step 4: Write an operating agreement Maya: Does the Secretary of State want my operating agreement? Dan: No. You keep it with your records. There's no state fee. Maya: And if I don't write one? Dan: Tennessee's default LLC rules decide things like how profits are split. So write down who owns what, who makes decisions, and what happens if a member leaves. [2:16] Step 5: Get a free EIN Maya: Now the federal side. Dan: Apply for your EIN free with the IRS at IRS.gov, after the state files your Articles. Maya: How fast is that? Dan: If the online application is approved, the number is issued right away. Have the Social Security number or ITIN of the person in charge ready. Maya: Anything state-level after that? Dan: Yes. Tennessee LLCs register for franchise and excise tax with the Department of Revenue. The minimum franchise tax is $100. Maya: And the beneficial ownership report? Dan: Skip it. FinCEN no longer requires it from U.S. companies. [2:54] Step 6: File the annual report Maya: What's due every year? Dan: An annual report in TNCaB. The fee is $300 minimum, and $3,000 maximum. Maya: When? Dan: By the first day of the fourth month after your fiscal year ends. For a December year end, that's April 1. Maya: So the report isn't tied to the month I formed. Dan: Right. It's tied to your fiscal year end. Maya: What if I miss it? Dan: The LLC can be administratively dissolved. Reinstating costs $70, plus a tax clearance from the Department of Revenue. [3:28] What it costs Maya: Give me the do-it-yourself total. Dan: $300 to form with up to six members. Then a $300 annual report. Plus at least $100 in franchise tax. Maya: The EIN is free? Dan: Yes. And a name reservation is $20, and a change of agent is $20. Maya: So what's a first-year number? Dan: $300 to form. With a reservation, $320. The franchise tax comes after that. [3:57] How the member fee works Maya: Let me test the member math. I have four members. Dan: Four times $50 is $200, but the minimum is $300. So you pay $300. Maya: And six? Dan: Six times $50 is $300. Right at the minimum. Maya: And seven? Dan: $350. Every member past six adds $50, up to the $3,000 maximum. [4:24] Picking your registered agent Maya: Could I be my own agent? Dan: If you have a Tennessee street address, you can list yourself. The Articles also need the county and an email. Maya: What about a friend? Dan: Same test. A person or business at a street address, and no P.O. box. Maya: What happens to the address? Dan: It's on the public record, and the state verifies it. So many owners prefer a business. Maya: And a change? Dan: $20 to change agents. [4:51] Dissolution and reinstatement Maya: Let me press on the annual report. What really happens if I miss April 1? Dan: Late filers can be administratively dissolved. That's the state ending your LLC's standing. Maya: And the way back? Dan: Reinstatement is $70. You also need a tax clearance from the Department of Revenue. Maya: So the tax side matters. Dan: It does. The tax clearance is part of getting reinstated, so the Department of Revenue is involved either way. [5:18] First-year checklist Maya: Give me the order of operations. Dan: Search the name. Choose your agent at a Tennessee street address. File Form SS-4270 for $300 or more. Then get your EIN, register with the Department of Revenue, and write your operating agreement. Maya: And the calendar? Dan: Your annual report, the first day of the fourth month after your fiscal year ends. Maya: And the amount? Dan: $300 at the minimum. [5:46] The 3 best ways to file in Tennessee Maya: What if I want someone else to file it? Dan: Here are the three best ways to file in Tennessee. Number one, our pick, is Mainstay Filing, $199 a year plus the state fee. With the $300 state fee, checkout comes to $499. Maya: What does it cover? Dan: Your Form SS-4270 filed, your EIN application, and your registered agent every year. It renews at the same $199. Maya: And the annual report? Dan: In Tennessee, Mainstay prepares and files it on time every year. You pay only the state's fee, $300 for most LLCs. Maya: Number two? Dan: TN Registered Agent.org. It prepares and files your Articles for $199 plus the state fee, which is also $499 at checkout. The first year of agent service is free, then it's $99 a year. Maya: And number three? Dan: Tennessee Registered Agent.co. Same offer. $199 plus the state fee, first year of agent service free, then $99 a year. Maya: How do I choose? Dan: If you'll file your own annual report, numbers two and three cost less from year two, at $99 a year for the agent alone. The $300 state fee is the same either way. If you want the report filed for you at one steady price, that's Mainstay. [7:21] Three years of service fees Maya: Three-year number? Dan: Mainstay is $199 a year, so $597. Number two or three is $199 in year one, then $99 in each of the next two years, for $397. Maya: A $200 gap. Dan: Yes, and in Tennessee, that gap pays for having your annual report filed on time. [7:44] Recap Maya: One more time through it? Dan: Choose a name with LLC in it, name an agent at a Tennessee street address, file Form SS-4270 for $300, write an operating agreement, get your free EIN, and file your $300 annual report every year. Maya: The links to all three services and every official source are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast, and good luck with your new Tennessee LLC.