Best Tennessee LLC Services Reviewed by ZenBusiness

Northwest

Northwest Registered Agent charges $225 (plus state fee) for LLC filing services. That said, Northwest’s personalized customer support is a feature that could make their prices worth paying for some entrepreneurs.

• Higher Prices: Northwest charges $225 + state fee to form an LLC in Tennessee. However, that $225 package does at least include a year of registered agent service.
• Customer Reviews: Northwest receives mostly positive customer feedback, but with several hundred reviews instead of the thousands you’ll find with the other companies in this guide, they can’t match competitors like us for review volume.
• Known for Service: While some competitors outsource customer service to third-party call centers, Northwest keeps its support team in-house.

Overall, Northwest does have some points in its favor. However, keep in mind that it charges $225 (plus your state’s required fee) for its LLC filing services.

Want to learn more? See this Northwest LLC review.

LegalZoom

LegalZoom is one of the biggest names in the industry, with millions of customers served and frequent advertising efforts. LegalZoom provides an LLC filing package for free (plus the state’s fee).

• Higher Average Prices: While LegalZoom charges $0 (+ your state fee) for LLC service, it has higher price points for some other services. For instance, it typically charges a rate of $249 per year for registered agent service and at least $149 to form a corporation.
• Features: LegalZoom sometimes excludes valuable features from its LLC filing service packages. For instance, its Basic LLC service package includes only a digital welcome packet and a trial for a third-party web design service.
• Service Guarantee: Much like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom offers a 60-day, 100% satisfaction guarantee that is among the best in the industry.

LegalZoom is a huge company, so while it offers extended support hours, the quality of its customer support may vary a bit from representative to representative.

Want to learn more? See this LegalZoom LLC review.

Incfile/Bizee

Incfile/Bizee offers LLC formations for free, as long as you pay your state’s fee. Incfile and ZenBusiness have some similar characteristics, but there are also some significant differences that set the two apart.

• Lots of Reviews: Incfile/Bizee has tens of thousands of customer reviews with strong average rating scores.
• Customer Support: If you prioritize responsive customer support, Incfile/Bizee may not be your best option. At times, their responses can be slow and some customers complain that they don’t get a response at all to emailed support inquiries.
• Upsells: Incfile/Bizee can also pile on the upsells, with lots of suggested add-on services sprinkled throughout the order form.

If you’re looking for a cheap LLC formation service in Tennessee and ZenBusiness doesn’t feel right for some reason, Incfile/Bizee could be worth a closer look.

Want to learn more? See this Incfile/Bizee LLC review.

How to Set Up a Tennessee LLC on Your Own

Technically speaking, you don’t have to use an LLC formation service like ZenBusiness or LegalZoom. These services are incredibly helpful, but you can save money by completing the process yourself.

You can read our complete guide to DIY an LLC setup in Tennessee, but here’s a quick look at the process:

Choose a business name

Every LLC in Tennessee needs a name that’s memorable and gives potential clients a good idea of what goods or services are available. The name also needs to be unique — both for legal reasons and so your business stands out from the competition.

Appoint a TN registered agent

As we’ve mentioned in this guide, every LLC needs an agent who can accept service of process on your behalf. In all states, you can act as your own registered agent as long as you have a physical address in the state. That said, we generally recommend that you appoint someone else (like an online service) to act as your agent.

File the Articles of Organization

This document, once filled out and filed, officially forms your business in the state of Tennessee. You’ll need to provide some important information, including your contact information, your business address, signatures for your LLC’s members, and more. Tennessee has a $300 minimum filing fee, but LLCs with 7 members or more will pay $50 per member.

Setting up the LLC is as easy as 1-2-3; it’s the maintenance requirements that are a bit more complicated:

Register for and pay taxes

If you have employees, you’ll need to get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Then there are state-specific taxes, too. In Tennessee, LLCs will typically be subject to two types of income-based taxes. First, there’s the business enterprise tax, which acts like an income tax of 6.5%. Then there’s the business franchise tax, which is a tax on your company’s net worth. Many businesses will also need to account for the sales tax (7%). You can learn more about these and other miscellaneous business taxes at the Tennessee Department of Revenue.

Get licenses and permits

Every business in Tennessee will need to obtain one of two general business licenses: the standard business license or the minimal activity license (businesses with $10,000 or less in gross receipts). Beyond that, there’s a good chance that you’ll also need to obtain some industry-specific professional licenses, such as those included in Tennessee’s One-Stop Licensing App.

Create an operating agreement

Even single-member LLCs should create a “master document” that sets out how the business will operate, both now and in the future.

File your annual report

Each year, your LLC will need to file an annual report to update the state about the standing of your business. It is due every year within 4 months of the end of your fiscal year. Technically, the fee for this document is $50 per LLC member, but there is a minimum fee of $300.

Obtain business insurance

Every business with employees needs to maintain workers’ compensation insurance and a commercial vehicle policy for company-owned vehicles. You may also want to get a general business liability policy, too.

Get a business bank account

You should sign up for a business bank account so you can write checks and make purchases in the name of the business instead of pulling from your personal accounts (a legal no-no).

This is just the tip of the iceberg, though. For more detailed guidance, we recommend contacting an attorney or checking out the full Tennessee LLC Formation Guide.

What Is a Tennessee LLC?

LLCs are formal legal entities that are typically taxed similarly to sole proprietorships and general partnerships, in that the owners include any company profits or losses into their personal returns — the LLC itself does not owe income taxes. For more a more in-depth description see: What is an LLC?

The Total Cost of Forming and Maintaining an LLC in Tennessee

In addition to the costs of a business formation service or hiring an attorney (which are optional, as we’ve discussed), there are quite a few other required and optional expenses when forming and maintaining a Tennessee business. You cannot form an LLC in Tennessee without filing the Articles of Organization, the document that officially registers your business within the state. Tennessee has a relatively hefty filing fee for this document. The base fee starts at $300, but it rises by $50 for each member you have (beyond the first six). This fee maxes out at $3,000.

Your LLC will also need to apply for one of Tennessee’s business licenses: the general business license or the minimal activity license. The minimal activity license applies to businesses with gross receipts totaling between $3,000 and $10,000; all other businesses are subject to the general business license. Both business licenses cost $15.

Next, all businesses will need to file annual reports. This filing is pretty simple, but it keeps the state up-to-date about some basic but vital information about your business, such as your registered agent and business address. For LLCs, the filing fee ranges between $300 and $3,000, following the same fee structure as the Articles of Organization. Read more about Tennessee costs – Tennessee LLC costs.