Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4431

Florida Corporation Foreign Registration in Tennessee

To do business in Tennessee, a corporation formed in Florida registers there on Form SS-4431, with $600 in state fees. Tennessee also wants Florida's Certificate of Status ($8.75). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations from your Florida records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Florida vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	Florida formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Florida Certificate of Status	Form SS-4431, Application for Certificate of Authority For-Profit Corporation
State fee	$8.75	$600 at order
How it is handled	Florida: online, emailed as a PDF once payment goes through	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	dos.fl.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $150, every year	Annual Report, $20, every year
Due	May 1
Agent	Your Florida registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

How Florida companies register with Tennessee

Order the Florida certificate
The Certificate of Status ($8.75) is ordered from Florida separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee wants the Florida certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form SS-4431
It lists us as your Tennessee registered agent, next to your Florida name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Florida issues the certificate instantly, so the Tennessee filing can go in the same day. After approval, your Florida corporation is registered with Tennessee.

Tennessee costs for Florida companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$600
Certificate of Status, paid to Florida	$8.75
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Florida certificate included	$807.75

Your Florida name and Tennessee's rules

Tennessee can hold a name for $20 before you file.

Agents: Tennessee and Florida

Florida and Tennessee both call it a registered agent. Tennessee papers come to us; Florida's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Tennessee and Florida

Each year your corporation files Florida's Annual Report ($150) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Florida plus Tennessee comes to $319 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Florida to Tennessee

An LLC formed in Florida files Form SS-4233 with Tennessee ($300 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5)). After that come Florida's Annual Report ($138.75) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Tennessee into Florida

A corporation formed in Tennessee that registers with Florida files Form CR2E007 with $70 in state fees. See that filing.

Common questions: Florida to Tennessee

Does my Florida company need to register in Tennessee?

Yes, once a Florida business operates there; Tennessee registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Tennessee issues one to Florida corporations once the form is approved.

How much does the Tennessee registration cost?

$799 at checkout plus $8.75 to Florida for the Certificate of Status, $807.75 in all (checkout is $600 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Florida's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants Florida's Certificate of Status ($8.75), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Florida and Tennessee?

$319 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $150 to Florida and $20 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

Yes: the Florida registered agent stays, and ours covers Tennessee for year one.

Can I form a new Tennessee corporation instead?

Yes, but Florida keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Tennessee's Annual Report ($20), and the original keeps Florida's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

Florida companies leave by filing an Application for Certificate of Withdrawal or Cancellation (Foreign Entity); until then, Tennessee's report stays due alongside Florida's filings.

Official sources

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