Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4431

Kentucky Corporation Foreign Registration in Tennessee

To do business in Tennessee, a corporation formed in Kentucky registers there on Form SS-4431, with $600 in state fees. Tennessee also wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your Kentucky records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Kentucky vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	Kentucky formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4431, Application for Certificate of Authority For-Profit Corporation
State fee	$10	$600 at order
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Annual Report, $20, every year
Due	On or before June 30
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

How Kentucky companies register with Tennessee

Order the Kentucky certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from Kentucky separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee wants the Kentucky certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file Form SS-4431
It names us as your Tennessee registered agent, with your Kentucky name and formation date and the certificate attached. Once Kentucky's certificate is in hand, Tennessee's filing goes in. After approval, your Kentucky corporation is registered with Tennessee.

Tennessee costs for Kentucky companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$600
Certificate of Existence, paid to Kentucky	$10
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Kentucky certificate included	$809

Your Kentucky name and Tennessee's rules

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

Agents: Tennessee and Kentucky

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

Staying in good standing in Kentucky and Tennessee

Each year your corporation files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Kentucky plus Tennessee comes to $184 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to Tennessee

An LLC formed in Kentucky files Form SS-4233 with Tennessee ($300 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Tennessee into Kentucky

A corporation formed in Tennessee that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no Tennessee certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Kentucky to Tennessee

Does my Kentucky company need to register in Tennessee?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Tennessee registration cost?

$799 at checkout plus $10 to Kentucky for the Certificate of Existence, $809 in all (checkout is $600 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Kentucky's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and Tennessee?

$184 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $15 to Kentucky and $20 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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