Starting a small business in Tennessee may come with a lot of paperwork. That is why collaborating with an authentic LLC service company is your best option.
To enable you to select the best LLC service for your business entity, we selected and reviewed a ton of them and rounded up these 4.
Together with our experienced legal team, we tested each business formation service in terms of its service features, customer service, and turnaround times.
ZenBusiness
Northwest
IncFileTop 4 LLC Formation Services in Tennessee (September 2023)
1 - ZenBusiness (Editor's Choice)
2000+ Reviews
ZenBusiness is known for its well-rounded service features and affordable price.
Three service packages with different features are available from ZenBusiness. You may customize your ZenBusiness plan by paying an additional fee to opt-in for particular features.
Doing this is advantageous if you need one or two components for the top tier.
In our experience, forming an LLC was simple, and the turnaround time of 3 days was impressive.
Additionally, the help desk personnel always responded quickly when we contacted them for help, and they adequately resolved our issues.
The platform is designed to be easily accessible to clients, which actually made the process quicker. We were able to finish the application in less than 20 minutes.
To delve deeper into this organization, check out our detailed evaluation in the ZenBusiness review.
Service Features:
- Starter Formation Package ($0 + $309 State Fee): The Starter Formation Package covers cost-effective LLC filing (with a standard processing time of 2-3 weeks), along with a one-month free trial of banking, and bookkeeping. With business banking here you will avoid an opening deposit, while bookkeeping will save you tax and make tax time easier. Starter option provides an instant access to optional worry-free compliance to make sure that you are meeting all the of state's deadlines.
- Pro Package ($199 + $309 State Fee): The Pro Package takes the good things from the Starter package and adds a fast ''rush'' filing option (1-2 business days), which is great for quickly starting a business. This package also includes EIN filing and a $99 LLC operating agreement template. This template helps explain who owns the LLC, how things will work, and makes sure everyone in the LLC is legally protected.
- Premium Package ($349 + $309 State Fee): The Premium Package gives you all the good stuff from the lower packages, plus some extras. You get your own website address, domain privacy, and a professional email address. This way you will have stronger online presence and more professional image. The Premium Package also offers templates for important business documents, which help you keep your branding consistent and make sure everything is accurate and good quality.
- Professional Registered Agent Service ($199): A professional registered agent acts as your contact point with the state.
- Features numerous LLC formation packages
- Butter smooth compliance
- Speedier delivery
- Package features are affordable
- Customer feedback online is outstanding
- Formation of non-profit business is not supported
2 - Northwest Registered Agent
1000+ Reviews
Northwest Registered Agent offers personalized customer service to all its clients.
As a seasoned online LLC creation service, Northwest Registered Agent highly values client care, openness, and privacy protection.
What we appreciate the most is the fact that they offered us a free registered agent and a physical address for receiving the service process.
Of all the LLC service providers we assessed, Northwest Registered Agent delivered the fastest response time.
Their well-informed customer support team walked us through every step of the business formation journey.
Additionally, we found their online platform user-friendly, with intuitive navigation and commands.
Learn more about this company's reputation and performance through the review of Northwest Registered Agent.
Service Features:
- Basic Plan ($39 + $309 State Fee): Northwest Basic Plan is greatly used in forming LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits. It contains many great features such as articles of organization, an operating agreement, and full-year cost-free registered agent services. Two processing speeds are available: standard and expedited.
- Full Service LLC Formation Plan ($225 + $309 State Fee): The Full Service package features all the Basic Plan services with the addition of a free limited mail forwarding, same-business-day filing, and a client account loaded with free forms and tools.
- Northwest Registered Agent Services ($125): If you are just starting out, it may be worth it to have your LLC created by Northwest as they offer a free registered agent service for one year. Expert corporate guides, free mail forwarding, and privacy are all included by default.
- No hidden fees
- Provides a year of free registered agent service
- Has more than 2 decades of experience
- Strong customer data protection infrastructure
- Expensive service packages
3 - IncFile
1000+ Reviews
IncFile provides a free-of-charge LLC formation service for its clients.
We gave this firm a high rating since they offer free formation of Tennessee LLCs. You only have to pay state fees and other small costs.
In contrast to other Tennessee LLC formation services in the market, IncFile processed and delivered our formation and business paperwork within one business day.
We commend their customer service department for its swift response time. They provided timely and thorough explanations for all our inquiries regarding filing procedures.
The only drawback is that this company outsources most of its services.
Service Features:
- Silver Package ($0 + $309 State Fee): If you chose to form LLC with IncFile and you opt for Silver Package you get many great services that include preparing & filing the articles of organization, free Tennesse registered agent service for the first year, unlimited name searches, phone, and email support.
- Gold Package ($199 + $309 State Fee): In addition to the previous plan, in Gold Package you get: banking resolution, an operating agreement, lifetime company alerts, online access dashboard, and a business banking account. You will receive great support around your business taxes with tax consultation, EIN Business Tax number, and IRS Form 2553.
- Platinum Package ($299 + $309 State Fee): This plan has all the Gold Package. It also includes a free domain name with a business email, free next-day filing, and many business contract templates.
- Registered Agent Services ($119): This is a yearly subscription and is perfect for startups as Northwest gives you a free year of registered agent service if you decide to open your LLC using their bundles. It comes with a personalized dashboard where you can access your documents online.
- LLC services are pretty affordable
- Has handled over 800,000 businesses
- Accessible customer care team
- Has one year of free Tennessee registered agent services
- Has third-party offers and a few upsells
4 - LegalZoom
Legal Zoom is another great choice for forming an LLC in Tennessee.
It provides the industry's broadest selection of service options, from creating businesses to defending intellectual property, registered agent services, and tax contracts and agreements.
We really appreciated their customer support team. They offer more liberal support contact hours than their rivals. Their interface is pretty decent as well.
The Business Advisory Plan from LegalZoom gives company owners simple year-round access to legal assistance.
If you decide to engage one of their lawyers for ongoing legal matters, you can take advantage of a 25% discount.
We recommend this program to business owners who frequently need help with legal paperwork.
Service Features:
- Basic Package ($0 + $309 State Fee): The package entails a name search service, articles of organization, a complete digital LLC welcome packet, and a Wix-supported website for a professional online presence.
- Pro Package ($249 + $309 State Fee): Includes everything in the Basic package. You also get consultations on taxes and insurance, plus a comprehensive business licensing guide. The pro subscription also comes with an EIN and an operating agreement.
- Premium Package ($299 + $309 State Fee): The Premium package is an excellent choice if you want personalized guidance from a Tennessee business attorney. Also, get a bonus of 30 minutes of limitless consultations on the latest legal topics and applied changes to your formation documents within 3 months from your initial subscription.
- Registered Agent Services ($299): If you select LegalZoom to establish your startup, the registered agent will charge you $249 for the first year. After that, it'd cost $299 to renew.
- Longer service hours
- Authentic legal counsel and premium registered agent services
- High client volume
- Basic plan has few features
- Expensive add-ons
Our Selection Process
When evaluating service providers, we based our selection process on these four key aspects.
1. Customer Support
A quick response staff is necessary to guide customers through the challenging process of forming and managing an LLC. We contacted several support teams via phone, email, and their chat feature dashboard.
Then, we evaluated how quickly and thoroughly customer service responded to our questions.
2. Service Features
We choose a supplier that offers more features, especially in lower-tier packages, in terms of service features.
We chose the package that included the following: crucial LLC creation, Ein registration, and operating agreements, among others.
Any startup business must have all of these essential services in order to launch operations in Tennessee.
3. Price Points
The price models for the various LLC creation services' packages vary widely. Here, we looked at each service provider's price to see if it reflected the value that clients were getting for their money.
4. Turnaround Times
Starting a business in Tennessee requires a quicker order processing time so that you’re up and running as soon as possible.
We ordered various documents from the top LLC service providers and assessed how quickly we received the delivery to ensure we only suggested the fastest service providers.
We chose services with turnaround times of 1 to 5 business days.
See our article on how long does it take to set up an LLC in Tennessee.
Advantages of Creating an LLC in Tennessee
Here are four benefits of forming an LLC in Tennessee [1].
1. Personal Asset Protection
Creating your Tennessee LLC is ideal to safeguard your liabilities from debt collectors that may appear upon starting your business. With this, they cannot chase after your assets.
Moreover, LLCs are a great help in protecting owners and members from liabilities that fellow owners and members may potentially incur.
2. Pass-Through Taxation
Dealing with taxes can be pretty troublesome when starting your business. But with the help of your Tennessee LLC, you get more advantages over corporations by pass-through taxation and also unemployment insurance tax.
With this, the taxes are processed at the rate of member's personal income.
3. Easy Creation and Management Process
Forming an LLC in Tennessee is easy and takes less time. With aTennessee LLC, you need to draft and submit your formation certificates with the SOS. Additionally, annual general LLC meetings are not mandatory like other business structures.
4. Flexibility in Raising Capital
As a Tennessee LLC owner, you have more flexibility when it comes to raising venture capital. Not only that, but you can include new partners without sharing your management authority [2].
Tennessee LLC Formation Process
Follow these steps if you want to start your Tennessee LLC:
- Step 1: Come up with a name for your Tennessee LLC
- Step 2: Hire a registered agent in Tennessee
- Step 3: Create theTennessee Certificate of Formation
- Step 4: Construct your Tennessee LLC Operating Agreement
- Step 5: Get your EIN
- Step 6: Decide on the type of your LLC in the Tennessee department
- Step 7: Draft your Tennessee LLC yearly report
FAQs
How Long is the Tennessee LLC formation Process?
The Tennessee LLC formation process is 3-7 business days long by mail. Meanwhile, online filings are accepted right away because you may download your documents as soon as they are approved.
What's the Total Cost of Creating a Tennessee LLC?
The total cost of creating a Tennessee LLC is $308. This amount is payable to the Tennesse secretary of state. The Tennessee Secretary of State levies a minimum filing fee of $50 for each LLC member that is included in the file.
Must I Hire an LLC Service in Tennessee?
Yes, you must hire an LLC service in Tennessee if you don't want to deal with the paperwork required for Tennessee LLC formation. But according to the Secretary of State, you can start your own business and finish the procedure without using LLC services.
What Is the Best LLC Service in Tennessee for You?
As a small business owner just starting out, you ought to work with a trustworthy and affordable LLC service provider with a successful track record, excellent customer support, and quick turnaround.
With more than 5 years of experience, ZenBusiness has demonstrated that it does not prioritize costs over customer satisfaction.
We were able to quickly set up our new business using some of their excellent customer services tools, such as guided operating agreements, order tracking, and a fully customizable business website.
Additionally, ZenBusiness unquestionably offers extensive service features, first-rate customer care, and speedy turnaround.
Our #1 Recommendation
ZenBusiness
- Features numerous LLC formation packages
- Butter smooth compliance
- Speedier delivery
- Package features are affordable
- Customer feedback online is outstanding
- Get the BEST PRICE until the end of September
- Formation of non-profit business is not supported
