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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 1 · Tennessee

Tennessee LLC Formation Class (2026): 7 Assignments and the 3 Best LLC Services

If you want help starting an LLC in Tennessee in 2026, the top grades go to Tennessee Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and TN Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Starting the LLC means 7 assignments and $300 to the state, then the annual report every year.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Key facts for this class

Cost at the state office$300sos.tn.gov, last read in October 2026
Annual report$300 a yearHand-in date: on or before the first day of the fourth month following the close of the LLC's fiscal year
Three-year state cost$900State charges only
How many assignments7One by one

By the end you will know

  • The official Tennessee fee and form
  • What the agent rule says
  • Upkeep that repeats
  • How the picks stack up

Who we would hire in Tennessee

Three-year tuition and homework done weigh the most; how we grade lists all five criteria.
Best overall

1. Tennessee Registered Agent.co: best for a thrifty Tennessee start

$199 to open, $99 a year after year one

In Tennessee, Tennessee Registered Agent.co sits at the top of the class: a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.

Mainstay Filing loses to it on three-year tuition, and tuition is a big slice of the grade.

You still file the annual report every year.

Covered by the tuition

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • A free first agent year
  • The agent renews at $99
  • $199 plus the state fee

Weak spots

  • No annual report service on offer
  • An EIN add-on costs $99
Upkeep covered

2. Mainstay Filing: best for new owners who want the work done

$199 a year, state fee on top ($499 due at checkout)

Second place goes to Mainstay Filing, since you hand in $199 each year and the formation, the registered agent and the annual report are taken care of.

Tennessee Registered Agent.co undercuts it by $200 over three years, which keeps this one out of first.

Add the annual report to what it does, with Tennessee's $300 passed along at cost.

Covered by the tuition

  • Filing made with the state
  • Registered agent for the whole year
  • Annual report filed on time
  • State fee passed through at cost

Strengths

  • $199 yearly with everything in it
  • Renews for $199

Weak spots

  • Renewal costs $100 above Tennessee Registered Agent.co
Focused on Tennessee

3. TN Registered Agent.org: best for a local filer

$199 to open, $99 a year after year one

TN Registered Agent.org makes a respectable third: a formation fee of $199, followed by $99 a year for the agent.

You still file the annual report every year.

On price, it is level with Tennessee Registered Agent.co.

Covered by the tuition

  • The filing is done for you
  • A year of agent service is part of the price

Strengths

  • A free first agent year
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • The agent renews at $99

Weak spots

  • No annual report service on offer
  • An EIN add-on costs $99

The services compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Tennessee Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Tennessee Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3TN Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit TN Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Each row still needs Tennessee's $300 fee.

The class, assignment by assignment

  1. Assignment
    1

    Pick the LLC's name

    Search the business records kept by the Tennessee Secretary of State first. They show whether the name is already on the Tennessee register.

    Keep a backup in your notebook.

  2. Assignment
    2

    Appoint a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Tennessee resident, or a business entity formed in Tennessee or authorized there with an office at the registered office street address.

    The address has to be a Tennessee street address, with the county. P.O. boxes are not accepted.

    Any of the graded services can take the registered agent role.

    Textbook page: sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, last read in October 2026

  3. Assignment
    3

    Do it yourself or get help

    The state's fee is $300 either way. A service adds $199; the grade list shows which one to pick.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Draw up the Articles of Organization Limited Liability Company

    This is the big filing, the one that creates the company: the Articles of Organization Limited Liability Company (Form SS-4270), handed to the Tennessee Secretary of State with $300.

    Textbook page: sos.tn.gov, last read in October 2026

  5. Assignment
    5

    Apply to the IRS for an EIN

    Once the state says yes, you request an EIN, which lets the LLC open accounts under its own name.

  6. Assignment
    6

    Get the owners' agreement signed

    Think of the operating agreement as the owners' rulebook. The company keeps it; the state never asks for a copy.

  7. Assignment
    7

    Get ready for year two

    Write the annual report on the class calendar: $300, every year, deadline on or before the first day of the fourth month following the close of the LLC's fiscal year.

    Textbook page: sos.tn.gov, last read in October 2026

What this class costs

EntryGoes toPrice
Setting up the LLCState agency$300
Annual reportState agency$300 every year
Service fees (optional)Your service$199 to start
Three years of state feesState agency$900
Filing fee plus two later reports plus any minimum tax makes the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

How the grades came out

Tuition across three years makes up 30% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in Tennessee.

Tennessee Registered Agent.co wins the cost criterion with $397 over three years, against $200 more at Mainstay Filing.

Tennessee pop quiz

What does it cost to file a new LLC in Tennessee?

The state's fee is $300. $199 extra buys a service that does the filing.

Which form creates the LLC?

Once the Tennessee Secretary of State has accepted the Articles of Organization Limited Liability Company (Form SS-4270), your LLC is real.

Is a registered agent required?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

What does Tennessee require each year?

Once a year the LLC sends the state its annual report: $300, due on or before the first day of the fourth month following the close of the LLC's fiscal year.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing stops you. Tennessee wants $300, and the LLC has to name a registered agent, which you can do yourself or hire out.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

Pick Tennessee Registered Agent.co: $199 to begin, with no agent fee in year one, then $99 each year from year two. Then Mainstay Filing and TN Registered Agent.org.

Related classes

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. The Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services lesson rests on tnbear.tn.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  2. The Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business Services lesson rests on sos.tn.gov, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  3. The Tennessee yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source lesson rests on sos.tn.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  4. The Tennessee report due date lesson rests on law.justia.com, read again in August 2026; check our work against it.
  5. The Tennessee formation fee: Filing fee, official source lesson rests on sos.tn.gov, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  6. The Tennessee registered agent statute lesson rests on sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, read again in October 2026; check our work against it.
  7. Tuition figures from Tennessee Registered Agent.co (pricing page), November 13, 2026
  8. Tuition figures from Mainstay Filing (Tennessee service page), November 13, 2026
  9. Tuition figures from TN Registered Agent.org (pricing page), November 13, 2026