Entrepreneurs whose goal is to start or expand their business in Tennessee would benefit from hiring a professional registered agent service. If you’re on a quest to find a great service in this state but you don’t know where to start, our guide on the best Tennessee registered agent services has you covered.
We’ll go over 11 different agent recommendations, but if you’re not in the mood to read through all of them, check out our summary table below to see our top 3 choices.
Best Tennessee Registered Agent Services
| Registered Agent Service | Cost | Tennessee Office Location |
|---|---|---|
| IncFile | $119 a year/ first year free with incorporation | Not stated |
| ZenBusiness | $199 a year | Not stated |
| Northwest | $125 a year | Knoxville |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 a year | Knoxville |
| Tennessee Registered Agent | $49 a year | Knoxville |
| InCorp | $129 a year | Brentwood |
| LegalZoom | $299 a year | Not stated |
| CSC Global | $381 a year | Nashville |
| SwyftFilings | $149 a year | Not stated |
| MyCompanyWorks | $99 a year | Not stated |
| Registered Agent Net | $89 a year | Not stated |
In addition to individual recommendations, our guide also contains a section on how to register your business and a useful FAQ section which you can find at the end.
With that out of the way, let’s start by discussing the role of a registered agent.
What Is a Registered Agent?
A registered agent, also known as a statutory agent, is an individual or a business entity whose role is to accept official correspondence on behalf of your business and forward it to you in a timely manner. In order to operate, a registered agent needs to comply with a few rules, such as having a physical address and being available during normal working hours.
Does Tennessee Require a Registered Agent Service?
Yes, all business entities in Tennessee are required to hire a registered agent.
Benefits of Hiring a Registered Agent Service
If you hire a professional registered agent service, you will get:
- More time to dedicate to your business;
- The ability to expand your business across many states without changing agents;
- The chance to remain compliant at all times and not risk fines;
- A clean business image;
- Flexible business hours.
Now that we’ve covered that, let’s continue with our top recommendations.
1. IncFile
IncFile provides a great value for money, especially if you’re looking to purchase both a formation service and a registered agent service. Join over 800,000 customers and experience the following benefits with their registered agent services:
- Receive all your important correspondence in due time
- Get tailored email and text notifications
- Access your correspondence on a personal dashboard
- Automatic mail forwarding
One of their strong suits is their user-friendly interface, making them a great option for those who don’t want to spend a long time learning how to navigate a website.
IncFile’s registered agent services will set you back $119 a year. If you use their formation service, you will get your first year for free.
They also provide the following services:
- Foreign qualification
- Business licenses and permits
- Certificate of good standing
- EIN Number
- Virtual address
- Trademarking
- Tax consultations
- Amendment
2. ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness is a well-known name in the industry. This company has helped over 300,000 businesses with their outstanding services. They’re also rated #1 on Forbes and Investopedia, which corroborates their excellence. Here is what their services entail:
- Access to a personalized dashboard
- Email notifications
- Mail forwarding
- Fast turnaround
- Expert handling of your documents
- Document scanning
ZenBusiness offer an outstanding customer support service, so you’ll always be in good hands.
They’re also known for supporting entrepreneurs who don’t have the budget to start or grow their business – with their $5K Grant Program, a portion of their income goes to this project.
Their yearly fee is $199. If you want to get additional perks, you can upgrade their service to include submitted documents, two free filing changes a year, and annual support alerts.
Other services offered by ZenBusiness include:
- Incorporation
- LLC formation
- Operating agreement
- Annual reports
- Taxes and accounting
- Banking and finances
- Business license reports
- Worry-free compliance
- EIN Number
- Domain name and website
3. Northwest
Northwest is one of the most distinguished registered agents in the United States, yet their services remain affordable. Their registered agent service includes a myriad of benefits, which include:
- Pre-filled state forms
- Document storage
- Annual report reminders
- Compliance alerts
- Mail forwarding
- Scanned documents
Northwest protect their clients’ data with their innovative Privacy by Default practice, which ensures that individuals’ personal information is protected in accordance with relevant privacy laws and regulations.
Just like ZenBusiness, they provide a quality customer support, known as Corporate Guides.
And on top of all that, during your first year with Northwest, you will get a chance to access their Compliance Calendar for free.
Their annual fee is only $125, which is an affordable price for most buisnesses. If you use them in more than five states, your fee will be lowered to $100.
Their Tennessee office is located in Knoxville.
In addition to registered agent services, you can hire them for:
- Trademarking
- Virtual office
- Mail forwarding
- Phone service
- Payment processing
- Annual report filings
- Foreign qualification
4. Harbor Compliance
One of the most budget-friendly options in our guide, Harbor Compliance excels at providing a comprehensive registered agent package at an affordable price. This package includes:
- Same-day electronic delivery of your documents
- Customizable notifications
- Annual report reminders
- Pre-filled state forms
Thanks to their fast processing speed, missing an important deadline or risking getting fined will never be an issue.
A year of registered agent services with Harbor Compliance will cost you $99. Every customer that hires their service for multiple years will get an added 10% discount.
Their Tennessee office is located in Knoxville.
On top of registered agent services, you can hire them for:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Amendments
- Business licenses
- Registration
5. Tennessee Registered Agent
If you want an even more affordable option, don’t hesitate to consider Tennessee Registered Agent. For just $49 a year, you can unlock these benefits:
- Annual report reminders
- Online document storage
- Email notifications
- Access to pre-filled state forms
Despite the low cost, their pricing remains transparent and you’ll never have to worry about facing sneaky auto-renewals or hidden fees.
Their Tennessee office is located in Knoxville.
Moreover, Tennessee Registered Agent offer:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Filing services
6. InCorp
Another excellent option for under $150 is Incorp. This A+ rated registered agent service has been in the industry for over 20 years, so they have a lot of experience in helping clients stay compliant by offering:
- Access to their Entity Management System
- Annual report filings
- Legal notifications
- Mail forwarding
They also excel at protecting their clients from identity theft and data leaking, all due to their amazing EntityWatch technology.
Their yearly fee is $129, but if you use their multi-year service, your fee will be reduced to $87.
Their Tennessee address is located in Brentwood.
InCorp also offer:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Foreign qualification
- Trademarking
- EIN Number
- Articles of amendment
- Apostille service
- DBA Filing
- Copyright
- UCC search
7. LegalZoom
LegalZoom is one of the most distinguished names in the industry, especially in regards to providing a wide array of legal services. Their registered agent service is slightly pricier, but it’s a worthwhile investment if you want to combine compliance tools and a great customer support. Their perks include:
- Unlimited cloud storage
- Mail alerts
- $1M in identity theft protection
- Annual report reminders
Clients also get to access their Compliance Calendar for free, a tool that will help you stay compliant with state deadlines.
This premium registered agent service also offers to change your current registered agent for free if you’re not entirely satisfied with the service.
What makes them a great option for bigger businesses is their expert IP protection and trademark registration.
Their registered agent services will set you back $299 annually. If you use their business formation package, the first year will cost you just $249.
LegalZoom also offer:
- Annual reports
- Residential lease
- Power of attorney
- Taxation
- Business registration
- Copyright
- EIN Number
- Incorporation
- Foreign qualification
- Trademarking
- Business formation
8. CSC Global
Although their services are slightly pricier, CSC Global offer an exceptional registered agent service that entails amazing benefits, such as:
- Access to SOC-2 facilities
- Access to a personalized online dashboard
- Annual compliance reminders
- Same-day document scans
- Electronic delivery of documents
Just like LegalZoom, they’re dedicated to protecting the privacy and data of their clients, which is enabled by their SOC-2 technology.
A year of their registered agent services will cost you $381.
Their Tennessee office can be found in Nashville.
CSC Global also provide:
- Real estate and erecording
- Entity management
- Corporate filings
- UCC
- Legal management
- Digital brand services
9. Swyft Filings
Swyft Filings is a great option for a Tennessee-registered agent, especially if you’d benefit from a service with rapid processing speed. As your registered agent, they will provide:
- Expert handling of all your documents
- Access to an online account
- Document storage
Customers love how easy-to-use their platform is, which is perfect for novice business owners.
Swyft Filings’s yearly fee is $149 and there are no hidden fees or contracts.
Apart from a registered agent service, you can hire them for:
- Foreign qualification
- Registered agent change
- Incorporation
- LLC formation
- Amendment
- Withdrawal
- Business dissolution
- EIN Number
10. MyCompanyWorks
Both efficient and affordable, MyCompanyWorks has a well-deserved place in our best Tennessee registered agent services guide. Costing only $99 a year, this reputable registered agent service comes with perks like:
- Access to The Startup Wizard
- Compliance monitoring
- Same-day processing
- Access to an online dashboard
- Free E-delivery
- Online order tracking
We love how they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee to customers who aren’t satisfied with their service.
You can also hire them for:
- File a DBA
- LLC formation
- Company dissolution
- Incorporation
- Annual reports
- Virtual office
- Business licenses
11. Registered Agent Net
Last but not least, Registered Agent Net comes with all the basics you’ll need to remain compliant with the state of Tennessee, all the while costing just $87. This includes:
- Same-day document delivery
- Access to their Compliance Calendar and Compliance Entity Manager
- Two-year price guarantee
With their compliance tools, your business will never risk facing a fine, since you’ll be able to keep track of all your due dates seamlessly. Before any due date, you’ll get a notification via mail.
Despite the affordable price, you’ll never have to worry about any hidden fees.
How Do I Register a Business in Tennessee?
Here are all the steps you need to complete to officially register your business in Tennessee.
Choose a Name for Your Business
Once you have a business idea in mind, the first step is to choose a name for your business.
You can take creative freedom with the name, as long as you keep in mind a few rules that are present in almost every state.
For starters, your business name must be unique and different from any other business in the state. An easy way to ensure you’re complying with this rule is doing a Tennessee business entity search on the Tennessee Secretary of State website. You also need to add a word to your business name denoting the type of business entity you’ve gone for. For instance, those who want to form an LLC will need to include “Limited Liability Company” or an abbreviation of the word to the name.
Decide on a Business Entity
To complete the previous step successfully, you’ll also need to decide on a business structure early on. In Tennessee, the most prevalent business structures are:
Each of these entities comes with perks and drawbacks, so we encourage you to research the budget and yearly obligations with the state each of these require before making a decision.
File Articles of Organization
Filing articles of organization with the state of Tennessee is a mandatory step for all LLC owners. This document contains important information about your business. Keep in mind that you also need to provide information about your registered agent, so by this point, you’ll need to have chosen an agent to represent your business.
The filing fee for articles of organization is $300.
File Articles of Incorporation
Just like LLCs, corporations need to file articles of incorporation with the state in order for their business to be officially registered. Likewise, you need to provide details about your registered agent, and include some added information about the stocks of your company.
Obtain an EIN
Every business owner who has hired employees and whose business is taxed separately from their partner will need to get an Employee Identification Number from the IRS.
You can submit the application online – it’s completely free and should only take minutes to fill out.
Even if you’re not officially required to get an EIN, doing so comes with many benefits, like making it significantly easier for you to open a bank account. Since the application is free of charge, consider applying to access the added benefits.
Get the Necessary Licenses and Permits
The last step in registering your business is ensuring that you have all the necessary licenses and permits.
If your Tennessee business has gross receipts of $10,000 or more, you’ll need to get a standard business license.
Additionally, if your business includes selling goods, you need to register with the Tennessee Department of Revenue for sales and use tax.
Keep in mind that there are certain licenses that are dependent on the city/country your business operates in, so make sure you check if you need additional licenses on a local level.
FAQs
How Much Does It Cost to Register a Business in Tennessee?
The cost of registering a business in Tennessee is $300.
Where Can I Do a Tennessee Business Entity Search?
You can do a Tennessee business entity search on the Tennessee Secretary of State website.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed learning about our recommendations for the best Tennessee registered agent services.
If you don’t have a favourite, why not opt for one of our top three recommendations: IncFile, ZenBusiness, or Northwest? The abovementioned services will keep you compliant with the state of Tennessee by giving you access to various different compliance tools, like document scans, mail forwarding, and pre-filled state forms.
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