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Tennessee LLC formation and annual report checklist

Sources: SOS/TNBEAR URL index tennessee-sos-business-services-official-url-index-capture-2026-04-22.md; IRS EIN sequencing irs-ein-online-application-overview-capture-2026-04-22.md.

A — Official / quasi-official (verify live SOS instructions)

Step Action Notes
1 Confirm Name availability / reservation rules Use TNBEAR entity search from URL index
2 File Articles of Organization per current SOS checklist Fees/forms change—download current PDF/web form
3 Obtain registered agent / registered office TN statutory requirement for LLC—confirm details on SOS
4 Prepare Operating agreement (internal) Recommended; not necessarily filed—attorney
5 Annual report Open TNBEAR Annual Report Instructions (URL index) and follow current due-date and fee tables—do not mirror dynamic numbers here

B — Federal sequencing (IRS)

Step Action Notes
6 EIN after state formation for online path IRS: forming entity at state first avoids EIN delay (irs-ein-online-application-overview-capture-2026-04-22.md)
7 Name a person as responsible party See federal-ein-irs-registration-baseline-farm-business.md

C — County / municipal overlays (gates)

Step Action
8 County clerk business license / minimal vs standard license band
9 Zoning confirmation for home-based ag business vs production parcel

D — Professional / operator

Step Action
10 CPA chart of accounts mapping to new entity

See also