As an entrepreneur, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is what entity type to form. A lot of aspiring business professionals are drawn to the Limited Liability Company (LLC for short).
And it’s not surprising why: an LLC gives personal asset protection and a flexible taxation structure without compromising flexibility and easy business upkeep. Long story short, it’s easy to operate an LLC (okay, relatively; all business is a bit complicated).
However, if you’ve looked at the Tennessee Secretary of State’s business resources, you’ll quickly notice that not all LLCs are created equal. Tennessee distinguishes between standard LLCs and PLLCs.
Not sure what that means? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Tennessee PLLCs, including how they differ from LLCs, who can form one, and more importantly, how to get started.
Tennessee LLC vs. Tennessee PLLC: What’s the difference?
On the surface, LLCs and PLLCs seem really similar. And quite frankly, they have more similarities than differences. Most importantly, both LLCs and PLLCs have what’s commonly referred to as “limited liability” or “personal asset protection.”
We won’t give a long-winded explanation, but essentially, personal asset protection ensures that your private funds, your house, your car, and other assets can’t be claimed if your business is sued or defaults on a debt. In other business types (a sole proprietorship, general partnership, etc.), that can happen—and the consequences can be disastrous.
In general, almost anyone can form an LLC. However, many states, Tennessee included, don’t allow certain professions to form a standard LLC; they have to form a Professional Limited Liability Company instead (a Professional Corporation is also an option, but we won’t go into that here).
Here’s why: a PLLC combines elements of a standard LLC and a business like a partnership. Creditors cannot come after the personal assets of a PLLC’s members. However, the PLLC still allows for members to be sued for malpractice.
So if you’re an engineer and one of your designs causes an injury that gets you sued, you can be held accountable. But if another member is responsible for the malpractice, you’re not penalized.
Unlike a lot of states, Tennessee does not provide a detailed list of different professions that can form a PLLC. In fact, here’s the only guidance the state has to give: a PLLC applies to all professional services “that may be lawfully rendered only by a person licensed or otherwise authorized by a licensing authority in this state to render the service.” If that applies to your business, then you should form a PLLC.
Tennessee is also fairly lenient with the requirements for membership. Some states require every PLLC member (i.e., owner) to be licensed in the business’s stated profession. Tennessee, however, leaves it up to the individual licensing board. So long story short, attorneys have different membership requirements and so do cosmetologists and so on.
Does your business fall under the state’s description for PLLCs? If not, check out our guide for forming a Tennessee LLC. But if your profession’s service can only be rendered by a licensed profession, then this guide can help.
How to Set Up a Tennessee PLLC
Setting up a Tennessee PLLC might seem complicated on the surface, but if you know what to do, it’s a fairly straightforward process. In the rest of this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know for setting up your PLLC. By the time we’re through, you’ll have your business up and running.
If you’re busy and just want to hand off the PLLC formation, Incfile and Northwest are two good PLLC formation services that take care of it for you. Sadly, our favorite LLC service Zen Business does not (yet) offer professional LLC formation.
1. Ensure your professionals have the necessary licenses
Remember how we said that each individual licensing board gets to determine how many of your members must be licensed? You’ll need to do some research to learn what’s required for your industry. To do so, we recommend checking Tennessee Licensing resource page. This page can help you look up different types of licenses and direct you to the appropriate board for those licenses. From there, you should verify your industry’s membership requirements, apply for any needed licenses, and ensure that your members do the same!
2. Choose a name for your PLLC
Technically speaking, you can take care of this step while you’re handling licenses. And if you’re like us, you’ll want to give it plenty of thought. Thankfully, Tennessee doesn’t have a ton of rules on what your name has to be. For starters, your name cannot be the same as the name that’s already in use in the state. You can use a Business Name Availability Search to check availability.
Tennessee also requires your business name to include one of the following designations:
- Professional Limited Liability Company
- Professional Limited Company
- Limited Liability Professional Company
- Professional LLC
- PLLC
- PLC
- LLPC
- P.L.L.C.
- P.L.C.
- L.L.P.C.
For more information on naming requirements in Tennessee, check out the state’s Business Name Availability Guidelines page or our TN LLC naming guide.
As long as you meet those two requirements, just about any name is fair game. Your own creativity is the only limit. That said, we recommend that you pick a name that’s memorable, easy to say and spell, and gives your customers an idea of what services your business provides. Last but not least, pick a name that you and your members like—at the end of the day, it’s your business!
If you’ve thought of the perfect name but you’re not quite ready to use it to form your business, you can reserve it by filing an Application for Name Reservation form. There’s a $20 fee for this filing. Once complete, the application will ensure that your name is protected for 120 days.
3. Appoint a registered agent
Every registered business, regardless of type, is required to appoint a registered agent in Tennessee. Essentially, a registered agent acts as the point of contact between the state and your business. Any official communications—whether that’s a reminder to file your annual report or service of legal process against your business—will be delivered to your registered agent, not your business.
You can serve as your own registered agent, but we recommend that you appoint someone else. It simplifies your life and keeps your personal address off the public record (an agent’s address is listed as public information). We have a few recommended services, too. For more information on registered agents and what the role includes, look here.
You are required to list your registered agent on your Articles of Organization, so don’t skip this step!
4. File your Articles of Organization
Once you’ve taken care of licenses and appointing your registered agent, it’s time to officially form your business! You can do so by filing the Articles of Organization. In Tennessee, PLLCs use the same form as a standard LLC. The only real difference in your filing process is an additional section to fill out. Thankfully, it takes very little extra time and effort.
In general, this document informs the state about your business, including what profession you’re involved in, who the members are, how the business will be managed, contact information, the name and address of your registered agent, and more.
Tennessee is a bit unique when it comes to the filing fee for LLCs and PLLCs. Instead of charging a flat rate for the document, Tennessee requires you to pay a $50 fee for each member of the PLLC. That said, there’s a $300 minimum (and a $3,000 maximum). You can file by mail or online. Once the state processes and approves your Articles, your business will be an official entity in the state of Tennessee!
What’s next: Maintaining your Tennessee PLLC
Your PLLC is now an official entity within the state. Exciting stuff, right? Take a deep breath, congratulate yourself on your hard work…and then get back to it, because there’s more to be done.
Honestly, forming the business is the relatively easy part. There are plenty of ongoing requirements you’ll need to take care of. Failing to do so could cost you your good standing in Tennessee (or just make life more difficult than it needs to be).
Let’s jump into what you should do after filing your Articles of Organization.
1. Draft an operating agreement
Unlike a corporation, which must file bylaws with the state, an LLC or a PLLC is not required to file an agreement with the state. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to write one. All PLLCs should draft an LLC operating agreement.
The document itself doesn’t need to be complicated; long story short, it should dictate how your business operates. But writing one at the outset will help down the road. For example, an agreement can detail how new members join the business, how they buy out, how profits are distributed, the rights and responsibilities of each member, and more. By setting these policies out in the beginning, you can set yourself up for success.
An operating agreement is also essential if you intend to get a business bank account; most banks request a copy of your agreement when you open an account.
2. Get general business licenses
Don’t confuse this step with the professional licenses we’ve listed above! As a PLLC, industry-specific licenses are part of the game. You can’t technically exist without those. However, it’s not uncommon for states to also require a general business license.
Tennessee does have a general business license, and at first glance, it can be a little complicated. For starters, the general license is administered by cities and counties, not at the state level. And to apply for one, you’ll need to be registered for taxes. Once you do, you’ll need to get either the standard business license or a minimal activity license. The main difference is in your business’s gross receipts: businesses with more than $10,000 in gross receipts get the standard business license. We also recommend double-checking the state’s licensing resources to ensure you haven’t missed any other licenses.
3. File for an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
If you plan on having employees—even if it’s just one or two—then you’ll need to obtain an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Technically, you can hire someone to file this form for you, but we recommend doing it yourself. It’s free to do on your own, and (unlike a lot of IRS tax forms) pretty easy to file.
Please note that you need to complete the filing in one sitting, so be sure to have your Taxpayer Information Number (the SSN for most people) on hand. Once you complete the filing online, you’ll receive your number almost immediately.
4. Look into business insurance
You’re a licensed professional. You’ve taken the exam, or you’ve worked hard to obtain the certifications needed for your trade. But don’t assume that your license alone will protect you from all the things that can go wrong while running your business.
Ideally, nothing too drastic will happen, but just in case, it’s a good idea to obtain liability coverage for your business. Tennessee does not require you to have a general business policy, but we recommend it.
However, Tennessee does require all businesses with one or more employees to obtain workers’ compensation insurance (with a few limited exceptions). This policy protects both you and your employees if and when there’s an accident on the job. You can learn more at the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Last but not least, you should get a business auto policy for any company-owned vehicles (if applicable).
5. Complete annual filings
Every year, your PLLC will have two primary annual filings: taxes and annual reports. Almost every state requires both types, but the exact timing and procedures for them varies from one state to the next. Let’s talk about taxes and annual reports in Tennessee.
Annual taxes
One of the biggest advantages to a PLLC is that you can choose your taxation structure. You get to elect to be taxed as a corporation (the business itself pays the taxes) or as a pass-through entity (the tax burden passes through to the members, who pay the tax as individuals).
Prior to filing, all PLLCs must register with the Tennessee Department of Revenue. That will help set you up for taxes both now and in the future. Once that’s done, you’ll be ready to pay annual taxes. The most well-known ones are the income taxes. Technically, there’s not a traditional corporate or personal income tax. Instead, there’s a business excise tax (6.5%). Tennessee also has a franchise tax, which has a much smaller impact. Learn more about these taxes here.
If your business is also involved in the sale of a qualifying good or service, you’ll need to collect and pay the state sales tax. Currently, there’s a 7% rate statewide. We could also dig into all the other miscellaneous tax types that could apply to your business, but we don’t want to make this guide tedious! For a fuller look at taxes in Tennessee, check out the Tennessee Department of Revenue and the Tennessee Business Tax Guide.
Annual reports
All PLLCs in Tennessee must also file an annual report; it’s a different form than your annual tax return. Essentially, the document updates the state about the current standing of your business, from your finances to your registered agent and several things in between.
In Tennessee, the annual report is due four months after the close of your business’s fiscal year. And like the Articles of Organization filing fee, Tennessee charges a per-member filing fee of $50. But the minimum charge is $300. It’s important to file this report on time, since failing to file can cost you your good standing with the state. And in extreme cases, the state could administratively dissolve your business.
6. Set up a business bank account
One of the biggest advantages to a PLLC is the fact that your personal assets are protected (with the exception of malpractice). However, those assets are only protected if you keep your personal funds and your business funds completely separate. Mixing them is a major legal no-no.
To keep them separate, you’ll need to get a business bank account. As an added bonus, you’ll be able to get checks and debit cards for your business, which makes it easier to buy supplies for your business. Plus, a lot of people are more comfortable writing checks to a business than they are writing a check to “John Smith.” It gives you another level of credibility with your clients.
Conclusion
By permitting professionals to form PLLCs, Tennessee provides you with unique opportunities: liability protection, opportunities to work with fellow owners, flexible taxation, the reputability of a registered business, and more. Setting up a PLLC isn’t a walk in the park, but by following the steps in this guide, it doesn’t have to be difficult. We hope this guide has helped you do just that, and we wish you the best as you start a PLLC in TN.