Tennessee LLC or Wyoming LLC?
If you run your business in Tennessee, here's what each route costs in state fees.
The short answer
For a business that operates in Tennessee, forming in Wyoming costs about $340 more over five years in state fees alone — before paying for a registered agent in Wyoming.
Form in Tennessee
Tennessee
Articles of Organization (Form SS-4270)$300
Annual Report$300 / yr
Franchise tax$100 / yr
Excise tax$0
Year one$400
Each year after$400
5-year total$2,000
Form in Wyoming, register in Tennessee
Wyoming
Articles of Organization$100
Annual Report (with license tax; see state_taxes)$0
Annual report license tax$60 / yr
Tennessee (foreign registration)
Application for Certificate of Authority, Limited Liability Company (Form SS-4233)$300
Annual Report$300 / yr
Franchise tax$100 / yr
Excise tax$0
Year one$500
Each year after$460
5-year total$2,340
What the fees don't show
- Forming in Wyoming while operating in Tennessee means two sets of reports and two sets of deadlines, adding about $60 a year.
- You need a registered agent with a street address in Wyoming. If you don't have one there, that's a paid service every year.
- Out-of-state formation makes the most sense when you raise outside investment, operate in many states, or have a specific legal reason — not as a default.
State fees only, from each state's official fee pages. Not legal or tax advice.