Arkansas

Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form SS-4233

Arkansas LLC Foreign Registration in Tennessee

To do business in Tennessee, an LLC formed in Arkansas registers there on Form SS-4233, with $300 in state fees. Tennessee also asks for Arkansas's Certificate of Good Standing ($25), no older than 60 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations using your Arkansas records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Arkansas vs Tennessee: the paperwork

	Arkansas formed here	Tennessee registering here
Document	Arkansas Certificate of Good Standing	Form SS-4233, Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$25	$300 at order
How it is handled	Arkansas: online, ready to print right after purchase	Filed with Tennessee
Office	Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
Official page	sos.arkansas.gov	sos.tn.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 60 days
Yearly filing	Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report, $150, every year	Annual Report, $300, every year
Due	May 1
Agent	Your Arkansas registered agent	Our Tennessee registered agent

From Arkansas to Tennessee, step by step

Order the Arkansas certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Arkansas separately; it is not part of our Tennessee order. Ordered from Arkansas on filing day, it easily meets Tennessee's limit of 60 days.
We prepare and file Form SS-4233
It names us as your Tennessee registered agent, with your Arkansas name and formation date and the certificate attached. Arkansas issues the certificate instantly, so the Tennessee filing can go in the same day. Once Tennessee approves it, the Arkansas company can do business there.

First-year cost, Arkansas to Tennessee

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$300
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Arkansas	$25
Our service, with a year of Tennessee registered agent service	$199
First-year total, Arkansas certificate included	$524

Your Arkansas name and Tennessee's rules

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

Agents: Tennessee and Arkansas

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

Yearly filings: Tennessee and Arkansas

Each year your LLC files Arkansas's Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report ($150) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($300). With our $149 registered agent renewal, Arkansas plus Tennessee comes to $599 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Arkansas to Tennessee

A corporation formed in Arkansas files Form SS-4431 with Tennessee ($600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing ($25)). After that come Arkansas's Annual Corporation Franchise Tax Report ($150) and Tennessee's Annual Report ($20). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Tennessee company in Arkansas

An LLC formed in Tennessee that registers with Arkansas files Form FL-01 with $270 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($20) dated within 30 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Arkansas to Tennessee

Does my Arkansas company need to register in Tennessee?

Yes, once an Arkansas business operates there; Tennessee law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Tennessee registration cost?

$499 at checkout plus $25 to Arkansas for the Certificate of Good Standing, $524 in all (checkout is $300 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Arkansas's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Tennessee wants it ($25), no more than 60 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for Arkansas and Tennessee?

$599 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $150 to Arkansas and $300 to Tennessee for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Tennessee?

An Arkansas company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Tennessee can add a fine of at least $900.

Does Tennessee require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Tennessee LLC instead?

Yes, but Arkansas keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Tennessee's Annual Report ($300), and the original keeps Arkansas's Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report.

How do I withdraw from Tennessee later?

Arkansas companies leave by filing an Application for Certificate of Withdrawal or Cancellation (Foreign Entity) ($20); until then, Tennessee's report stays due alongside Arkansas's filings.

Official sources

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