Cheapest LLC formation in Tennessee

What does the state of Tennessee charge an LLC?

No provider can discount the state's charges. Package prices are always quoted before them, and the table lists them.

The formation fee is the one charge every new Tennessee LLC pays. It is $50 per member, but never less than the $300 minimum and never above the $3,000 maximum. For a single owner or a small group, the floor is the number to plan around. You pay it the same way whether you file through the state's online system (its site says "File New Businesses Online") or a service submits it.^{1, 8}

The annual report is the second fixed cost, and unlike the formation fee it comes back every year. Its fee mirrors the formation fee's shape: $300 minimum, plus $50 per member over 6, up to $3,000. Small LLCs pay the floor; larger ones add $50 per member over 6, to a cap of $3,000. It is due on or before the 1st day of the 4th month after the LLC's fiscal year closes, so the first one comes due a few months after the LLC's first fiscal year closes.^{5, 9}

Then there is tax. In Tennessee, franchise tax and excise tax apply to LLCs. The franchise part is 0.25% of the tax base, with a $100 minimum. The excise rate isn't in our verified sources, so check it with the Department of Revenue. Tax is outside a formation service's price and outside the scope of this page beyond that warning.⁶

A few charges only apply if something changes. A standalone agent change costs $20, and the state notes: "An online service fee may be added to the filing fee." Changing the agent on the annual report instead costs $20 extra. Our verified sources don't include Tennessee's name reservation or foreign registration fees, so ask the Secretary of State if either applies to you.^{9, 10}

What pushes a Tennessee LLC's cost up?

Five things raise the total above the state's fees: the registered agent, a bigger membership, provider rush fees, add-ons in a formation checkout, and missing a deadline.

The registered agent

A paid agent is charged every year, unlike the formation fee. You have three options.

1. Serve yourself. The statute lets an individual who resides in this state act as agent, so the cost is nothing, but your address goes on the public record and you need to be reachable there. The Tennessee registered agent guide covers who qualifies.²
2. Use a free or discounted first year bundled with formation, then pay the provider's renewal.
3. Buy the agent alone at a published standalone price, listed further down.

More members

The same per-member formula ($50 per member for formation) sets both the formation fee and the annual report fee. An LLC that adds members can move off the floor on both, so a multi-owner LLC should check its count against the formula before assuming the minimum.¹

Rush fees

The Secretary of State doesn't publish an expedite option or fee on the pages we could verify. Provider rush upgrades, such as ZenBusiness's Rush upgrade +$79 on Starter or InCorp's $50.00 InCorp expedite fee, pay for the provider's handling. Ask what they change in Tennessee before paying.^{11, 12}

Add-ons and compliance subscriptions

Checkouts commonly offer an EIN, an operating agreement, a business address and a compliance plan. An EIN can also be requested from the IRS directly. A compliance plan does have a real job in Tennessee, filing the yearly report, but its price is added to the state's report fee, never in place of it. Trials such as Swyft's (14-day free trial then auto-charged) start billing on their own unless cancelled.¹³

A missed deadline

An LLC without a registered agent or registered office for two months or more can be administratively dissolved. Reinstatement costs $70 and requires a tax clearance from the Department of Revenue, so the LLC's tax account has to be in order too. The Tennessee compliance page covers how to avoid it.^{1, 14}

Which providers have the lowest published prices for a Tennessee LLC?

Here is each provider's agent price, renewal and lowest-priced formation package. Rows follow our score, highest first, ties in editorial order, not price.

Below, in the same order, is what each lowest-priced option adds to the Tennessee fee in year one and what keeps billing after that.

Tailor Brands. Lite is $0 plus state fees, but its description lists no registered agent, so budget $199/year for one or serve yourself. The plan above it, $199/yr plus state fees, bills yearly and includes annual compliance (report filing and updates). Tailor Brands review.^{15, 16}

ZenBusiness. Starter is $0 + state fees (does not renew). The agent is an add-on (+$199/yr), with 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC, then $199/yr. Starter also includes Worry-Free Compliance free for 1 year (then $199/yr); note when that renews. ZenBusiness review.^{11, 17}

LegalZoom. The lowest package is $0 + state filing fees. The agent adds $249/year (first-time registered agent customers), and its renewal term says: Renews at the purchase rate each year; rate subject to change. LegalZoom review.^{18, 19}

Bizee. Basic is $0 + state fee and lists Registered Agent (1st year included). After that the agent renews at $149/year (ongoing annual fee), so year one is mostly the state fee and year two is the renewal plus Tennessee's report and tax. Bizee review.^{3, 7}

Swyft Filings. Basic is $0 + state fees. The agent is $149 per quarter ($596/year), billed quarterly, and no package lists it. Every plan starts a ComplianceGuard trial (14-day free trial then auto-charged); the service is ComplianceGuard $199/year, so an owner filing the report alone would cancel before it bills. Swyft Filings review.^{13, 20, 21}

doola. Starter is $297/yr and lists registered agent service among its inclusions. Because the plan is yearly and its terms say recurring fees automatically renew at the rates then in effect, the plan bills again in year two. doola review.^{22, 23, 24}

Northwest Registered Agent. Formation is $39 + State Fees, which its corporation page describes as "a total that includes one year of registered agent service"; confirm that for an LLC. The agent alone is $125 per year. For its report service ($100 + state fees, charged at filing), registered agent customers are auto-enrolled, so in Tennessee that charge lands on top of the state's report fee each time Northwest files. Northwest review.^{25, 26, 27, 28}

Rocket Lawyer. On formation it says your "first one is FREE with a Rocket Lawyer membership", and memberships bill yearly: Standard $149/year, with no agent. The agent is $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, which means Plus ($249/year) or Pro ($349/year) on top. Rocket Lawyer review.^{29, 30, 31}

InCorp Services. Formation is priced starting at $99 plus state fees, with the registered agent sold separately at $129 per state per year. It calls the renewal a $129 per year flat rate, while its terms say the service is billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met. InCorp review.^{32, 33, 34, 35}

Harbor Compliance. Its formation pricing reads Starting at $99 plus state fees. The agent starts at $99 first year (new customers) and renews at $159 annually; to stop renewal, give notice at least 90 days before the end of the current term. Harbor Compliance review.^{36, 37, 38}

Agent-only prices across every state are on cheapest registered agent services.