Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4431

Iowa Corporation Foreign Registration in Tennessee

Tennessee registers a corporation from Iowa as a foreign corporation on Form SS-4431, with $600 in state fees. Tennessee also wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations from your Iowa records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

Iowa and Tennessee side by side

	Iowa formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4431, Application for Certificate of Authority For-Profit Corporation
State fee	$5	$600 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $60, every two years	Annual Report, $20, every year
Due	April 1 of even-numbered years
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

From Iowa to Tennessee, step by step

Order the Iowa certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($5) is ordered from Iowa separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee wants the Iowa 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 Iowa name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Iowa delays the Tennessee filing. After approval, your Iowa corporation is registered with Tennessee.

First-year cost, Iowa to Tennessee

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$600
Certificate of Existence, paid to Iowa	$5
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Iowa certificate included	$804

Your Iowa name and Tennessee's rules

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

Your Tennessee agent and the Iowa one

Iowa and Tennessee both call it a registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Iowa; ours takes Tennessee's papers and notices.

Yearly filings: Tennessee and Iowa

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($60); Tennessee wants the Annual Report every year ($20). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to Tennessee

An LLC formed in Iowa files Form SS-4233 with Tennessee ($300 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($5)). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($30) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Tennessee into Iowa

A corporation formed in Tennessee that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0110A with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Iowa owners ask about Tennessee

Does my Iowa company need to register in Tennessee?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Tennessee registration cost?

$799 at checkout plus $5 to Iowa for the Certificate of Existence, $804 in all (checkout is $600 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Iowa's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants Iowa's Certificate of Existence ($5), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and Tennessee?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($60, every two years) and Tennessee's report ($20).

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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