Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4431

Maine Corporation Foreign Registration in Tennessee

Tennessee registers a corporation from Maine as a foreign corporation on Form SS-4431, with $600 in state fees. Tennessee also wants Maine's Certificate of Existence ($30). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your Maine records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Maine vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	Maine formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Maine Certificate of Existence	Form SS-4431, Application for Certificate of Authority For-Profit Corporation
State fee	$30	$600 at order
How it is handled	Maine: online, downloaded from the company's information summary page	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Maine Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	apps3.web.maine.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $85, every year	Annual Report, $20, every year
Due	June 1
Agent	Your Maine registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

From Maine to Tennessee, step by step

Order the Maine certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($30) is ordered from Maine separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee wants the Maine 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 Maine name and formation date and the certificate attached. Once Maine's certificate is in hand, Tennessee's filing goes in. Once Tennessee approves it, the Maine company can do business there.

Tennessee costs for Maine companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$600
Certificate of Existence, paid to Maine	$30
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Maine certificate included	$829

Will your Maine name work for Tennessee?

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

Your Tennessee agent and the Maine one

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

Yearly filings: Tennessee and Maine

Each year your corporation files Maine's Annual Report ($85) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Maine plus Tennessee comes to $254 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Maine to Tennessee

An LLC formed in Maine files Form SS-4233 with Tennessee ($300 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($30)). After that come Maine's Annual Report ($85) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Tennessee company in Maine

A corporation formed in Tennessee that registers with Maine files Form MBCA-12 with $250 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. See that filing.

Common questions: Maine to Tennessee

Does my Maine company need to register in Tennessee?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Tennessee registration cost?

$799 at checkout plus $30 to Maine for the Certificate of Existence, $829 in all (checkout is $600 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Maine's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants Maine's Certificate of Existence ($30), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Maine and Tennessee?

$254 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $85 to Maine and $20 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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