Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4431

Pennsylvania Corporation Foreign Registration in Tennessee

To do business in Tennessee, a corporation formed in Pennsylvania registers there on Form SS-4431, with $600 in state fees. Tennessee also wants Pennsylvania's Subsistence Certificate ($40). We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your Pennsylvania records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Pennsylvania vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	Pennsylvania formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Pennsylvania Subsistence Certificate	Form SS-4431, Application for Certificate of Authority For-Profit Corporation
State fee	$40	$600 at order
How it is handled	Pennsylvania: online through Business Filing Services, or by mail on the copy and certificate request form	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	file.dos.pa.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $7, every year	Annual Report, $20, every year
Due	June 30
Agent	Your Pennsylvania registered office	Our Tennessee registered agent

From Pennsylvania to Tennessee, step by step

Order the Pennsylvania certificate
The Subsistence Certificate ($40) is ordered from Pennsylvania separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Tennessee wants the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania name and formation date and the certificate attached. Once Pennsylvania's certificate is in hand, Tennessee's filing goes in. Once Tennessee approves it, the Pennsylvania company can do business there.

Tennessee costs for Pennsylvania companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$600
Subsistence Certificate, paid to Pennsylvania	$40
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Pennsylvania certificate included	$839

Will your Pennsylvania name work for Tennessee?

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

Agents: Tennessee and Pennsylvania

Tennessee calls it a registered agent; Pennsylvania says registered office. Tennessee papers come to us; Pennsylvania's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Tennessee and Pennsylvania

Each year your corporation files Pennsylvania's Annual Report ($7) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Pennsylvania plus Tennessee comes to $176 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Pennsylvania to Tennessee

An LLC formed in Pennsylvania files Form SS-4233 with Tennessee ($300 in state fees, plus the Subsistence Certificate ($40)). After that come Pennsylvania's Annual Report ($7) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). See the LLC filing.

The other way: Tennessee into Pennsylvania

A corporation formed in Tennessee that registers with Pennsylvania files Form DSCB:15-412 with $250 in state fees; no Tennessee certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Pennsylvania to Tennessee

Does my Pennsylvania company need to register in Tennessee?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the Tennessee registration cost?

$799 at checkout plus $40 to Pennsylvania for the Subsistence Certificate, $839 in all (checkout is $600 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Pennsylvania's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants Pennsylvania's Subsistence Certificate ($40), current at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Pennsylvania and Tennessee?

$176 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $7 to Pennsylvania and $20 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

Yes: the Pennsylvania registered office stays, and ours covers Tennessee for year one.

Can I form a new Tennessee corporation instead?

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

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

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

Official sources

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