Every state · TN
Forming an LLC in Tennessee from outside the United States.
Here's what Tennessee charges to form and keep a company, what it asks for every year, and what its public record shows about you. You'll also get a straight answer on whether a founder abroad should form here at all.
See why founders abroad choose Wyoming The Tennessee figures
01The figures
What does a Tennessee LLC cost to form and keep?
State fees for a domestic LLC filed online, checked against the Tennessee Secretary of State in September 2026.
- Filing fee
- $300
- Recurring charge
- $400 a year
- Processing
- Online filings are usually approved within a few business days
- Five-year state cost
- $2,000
$50 for each member, with a $300 minimum and a $3,000 maximum
By the first day of the fourth month after the LLC's financial year ends, which is 1 April for most companies, starting the year after formation
As the state publishes it
The filing fee and every state charge due in the first five years
State income tax
Tennessee doesn't tax wages, but it taxes LLCs directly. The franchise tax on net worth has a $100 minimum, and the excise tax takes 6.5% of earnings, even for a single-member LLC owned by one person.
The public record
The articles give the number of members, and the annual report names at least one member or manager. Both are public.
On the recurring charge
The report is $50 for each member, with a $300 minimum. The other $100 is the minimum franchise tax, paid to the Department of Revenue with the franchise and excise tax return, whether or not the LLC earned anything.
Checked September 2026 against the Tennessee Secretary of State. If a figure here has changed, email us and we'll correct it.
02The straight answer
Should a founder abroad form in Tennessee?
Tennessee taxes an LLC much like a corporation. Even a single-member LLC owned by one person pays a franchise tax on its net worth, $100 at minimum, and a 6.5% excise tax on its earnings. The annual report costs at least $300 on top of that, and so does forming. Five years in Tennessee cost about six times what they cost in Wyoming, and for a founder abroad there's nothing in the state to make up for it.
Tennessee is right anyway when
- You'll have staff, an office, a warehouse or property in the state
- A bank, a marketplace or a licensing body has told you the company must be formed in this state
| Tennessee | WyomingWe file here | DelawareWe file here | |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file | $300 | $102.40 | $110 |
| Every year | $400 a year | $60 a year | $400 a year |
| Five years | $2,000 | $342.40 | $1,710 |
| Owners public | Yes | No | No |
| State income tax | Tennessee doesn't tax wages, but it taxes LLCs directly | No personal or corporate income tax | No Delaware income tax on a company that doesn't do business in Delaware |
03What we would file instead
The same company, in Wyoming.
A Wyoming LLC costs $102.40 to file, keeps owners off the public record, and is the state banks and payment processors are used to seeing from founders abroad. Here's the whole first year, from the same price list checkout uses.
| WYOMING | Starter | StandardMost chosen | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our feeCharged once, when you confirm | $289 | $499 | $1,299 |
| Wyoming filing feePaid to the state, passed through at cost | $102.40 | $102.40 | Included |
| Due on the dayBefore any extras you choose | $391.40 | $601.40 | $1,299 |
| Then, every yearOur registered agent renewal and Wyoming's yearly charge | $179 | $309 | $1,059 |
Extras are optional and asked one at a time, each with its price. Filing yours ahead of our next batch costs $75. We email you before anything renews.
04Questions
Questions about a Tennessee LLC.
If yours is not here, email us at [email protected] before you order.
Yes, in most cases, including a single-member LLC owned by one person. The franchise tax is based on net worth, with a $100 minimum, and the excise tax is 6.5% of net earnings. Only a few exemptions apply, and an LLC has to apply to the Department of Revenue for them.
Yes. Tennessee, like every state, doesn't require an LLC's owners to be US citizens or residents. It does require a registered agent with a street address in Tennessee. Its recurring filing is due by the first day of the fourth month after the LLC's financial year ends, which is 1 April for most companies, starting the year after formation.
It costs $300 to file, and then $400 a year, counting the $100 minimum franchise tax. Over five years that comes to $2,000 in state charges. A Wyoming LLC costs $342.40 over the same five years.
No. We file in Wyoming and Delaware only. For a founder outside the US, they're the two states worth being in, and we'd rather know two states well than fifty a little. If your business will have staff, an office, stock or property in Tennessee, it'll need to register there whichever state formed it, and we'll tell you so before you order.
05Every state
Every other state, with its figures.
Each state's filing fee and recurring charge, as published in September 2026. Tennessee is highlighted.
Ready when you are
Form it in the state that suits you.
Most founders abroad choose Wyoming for an LLC, or Delaware for a corporation that will raise money. The order form explains the trade-off where you choose.