Is it cheaper to form an LLC in Rhode Island than Tennessee?

Rhode Island's filing fee is lower ($150 vs $300), but that's not the full picture: operating in Tennessee means also registering as a foreign LLC there ($300) and paying a Rhode Island registered agent. Realistic first-year cost is roughly $600 for the Rhode Island route versus $300 for forming in Tennessee.

Can I form my Tennessee business in Rhode Island?

Yes. Any Tennessee business can form its LLC in Rhode Island. But if the business operates in Tennessee, it must also register there as a foreign LLC ($300 filing fee) and maintain a registered agent in Rhode Island, so you take on two states' fees and filings instead of one.

Does Rhode Island have better asset protection than Tennessee?

Not meaningfully. Both states provide charging-order protection for LLC members, and neither offers a decisive asset-protection edge for a typical small business. Sound insurance and clean separation of business and personal finances matter more in practice.

State Comparison

Tennessee LLC vs Rhode Island LLC (2026)

Compare Tennessee LLC vs Rhode Island LLC on filing fees, taxes, privacy laws, and annual costs. Find out which state is actually better for your business.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: August 13, 2026

For most businesses, forming an LLC in Tennessee beats Rhode Island. Tennessee runs $700 in year one and $400/yr after; Rhode Island runs $600 and $450/yr. See the full breakdown below.

Verdict: Tennessee wins for most businesses

For most Tennessee-based businesses, forming locally in Tennessee is the smarter choice. You avoid paying fees in two states and managing compliance in both. Rhode Island only makes sense if your business genuinely operates there, and even then the total costs deserve a hard look.

Ready to file? Our affiliate partner ZenBusiness files your Tennessee LLC formation paperwork, from $0 + state fee.

Start your Tennessee LLC with ZenBusiness →

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no cost to you · compare all formation services. MyStateLLC is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

Factor	Tennessee	Rhode Island
Filing Fee	$300	$150
Processing Time	Not published by the state	Within 2 business days
Annual Report Fee	$300	$50
Annual Report Due	April 1	May 1 (window opens Feb 1)
State Income Tax	No	Yes
Anonymous LLC	No	No
Publication Requirement	No	No
Foreign LLC Cost (if forming out-of-state)	N/A, you're in your home state	$300 + registered agent ~$150/yr

Full fee breakdown for either state: Tennessee LLC cost and Rhode Island LLC cost.

Business Climate: Tennessee vs Rhode Island

Factor	Tennessee	Rhode Island
5-year business survival rate	46.4% (#45 of 51)	48.1% (#38 of 51)
Business application growth (2026 YTD (Jan to Jul) vs 2025 YTD (same months))	+19.9% YoY (#16 of 51 by volume)	+10.9% YoY (#49 of 51 by volume)

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics · U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (BFS)

See the full 50-state survival ranking.

Compare LLC Costs: Tennessee vs Rhode Island

State A

State B

Tennessee

✓ Cheaper Long-Term

Formation fee$300

Annual report fee$300

State entity tax$100/yr, Franchise and Excise Tax

Report dueApril 1

Processing timeNot published by the state

Late penalty$0

Rhode Island

✓ Cheaper Upfront

Formation fee$150

Annual report fee$50

State entity tax$400/yr, Annual charge (minimum corporate tax)

Report dueMay 1 (window opens Feb 1)

Processing timeWithin 2 business days

Late penalty$25

Total Cost

Tennessee

Rhode Island

1 Year

$700

$600

3 Years

$1,500

5 Years

$2,300

$2,400

Will you operate outside your home state?

Costs include every mandatory state charge: the filing fee, the report fee (annualised where a state files biennially), any state entity-level tax shown in its own row above, a one-time publication cost where a state requires publication, and any one-time registration charge a state requires before the LLC may trade. Annualising makes the 1, 3 and 5 year rows a cost of ownership rather than a payment schedule: a biennial state charges its whole report fee in the years it falls due and nothing in between. Entity-level taxes that only apply after a corporate election, or above an owner or income threshold, are excluded and flagged on the state's own cost page. New York's publication cost is carried at a $250 floor, roughly $200 of newspaper cost in a low-cost county plus the $50 Certificate of Publication fee. No county-clerk-designated New York City newspaper publishes a rate card, so the four-figure NYC estimates in wide circulation cannot be traced to a primary source and are not asserted here; budget for materially more than the floor if you file in a NYC county. Montana's annual report is free when filed by April 15 and $35 after, a waiver the Secretary of State applies at its discretion. Every fee was verified against the state's own fee schedule, statute, or revenue authority on 29 July 2026. Excludes registered agent and legal fees. For informational purposes only, not legal or tax advice.

Filing Fees & Formation Costs

Tennessee charges $300 to form an LLC, while Rhode Island charges $150. Rhode Island is $150 cheaper upfront. The cost that usually gets overlooked: if you form in Rhode Island but operate in Tennessee, you must also register as a foreign LLC in Tennessee (a $300 filing) and maintain a registered agent in Rhode Island (typically around $150 per year). That puts the realistic first-year cost of the Rhode Island route at roughly $600, versus $300 for simply forming in Tennessee. Only one side of this comparison is knowable: Rhode Island publishes within 2 business days, while Tennessee publishes no standard processing time, so the two can't be ranked against each other on speed.

Taxes: Tennessee vs Rhode Island

Tennessee has no personal income tax, while Rhode Island taxes individual income. Since pass-through LLC profits are taxed where you live and operate, a Tennessee-based owner keeps Tennessee's no-income-tax benefit either way. Forming in Rhode Island adds no tax advantage. Tennessee imposes a franchise & excise tax on LLCs: $100 minimum franchise tax plus 6.5% excise tax on net earnings.

Privacy & Asset Protection

Neither Tennessee nor Rhode Island offers anonymous LLC formation: both states require owner or manager information on public filings. Rhode Island's foreign application and annual report disclose the LLC's members or managers. Business owners who prioritize privacy typically form a holding company in a state like Wyoming or New Mexico instead. Both states provide charging-order protection for LLC members, and for most small businesses the practical difference in asset protection between the two is minimal.

Annual Maintenance Costs

Tennessee LLCs file an annual report ($300, due April 1), and Rhode Island LLCs file an annual report ($50, due May 1 (window opens Feb 1)). If you form in Rhode Island while operating in Tennessee, you maintain filings in both states, Rhode Island's report plus Tennessee's equivalent for your foreign registration, and pay a Rhode Island registered agent roughly $150 per year. That brings ongoing costs of the Rhode Island route to roughly $500 per year, versus about $300 to keep a domestic Tennessee LLC in good standing. One more recurring cost to budget for: Tennessee imposes a franchise & excise tax on LLCs: $100 minimum franchise tax plus 6.5% excise tax on net earnings.

When Rhode Island Actually Makes Sense

Forming in Rhode Island makes sense in a few specific situations: your business genuinely operates in Rhode Island, with a real office, employees, or property there, or you're relocating to Rhode Island in the near future and accept taking on Rhode Island's personal income tax, which Tennessee doesn't levy. For a typical small business based in Tennessee, none of these usually apply. Registering a Rhode Island LLC to do business back home means $300 in Tennessee foreign-registration fees, on top of Rhode Island's $150 formation fee, while Tennessee's own annual report runs $300 a year and is due April 1. When in doubt, form where you actually do business.

Frequently Asked Questions

: Rhode Island's filing fee is lower ($150 vs $300), but that's not the full picture: operating in Tennessee means also registering as a foreign LLC there ($300) and paying a Rhode Island registered agent. Realistic first-year cost is roughly $600 for the Rhode Island route versus $300 for forming in Tennessee.
: Yes. Any Tennessee business can form its LLC in Rhode Island. But if the business operates in Tennessee, it must also register there as a foreign LLC ($300 filing fee) and maintain a registered agent in Rhode Island, so you take on two states' fees and filings instead of one.
: Not meaningfully. Both states provide charging-order protection for LLC members, and neither offers a decisive asset-protection edge for a typical small business. Sound insurance and clean separation of business and personal finances matter more in practice.
: Tennessee, for most. Forming where you operate keeps costs and compliance simple. Rhode Island is worth considering only if you actually do business there or have investor requirements that point there.
: Only one side of this comparison is knowable: Rhode Island publishes within 2 business days, while Tennessee publishes no standard processing time, so the two can't be ranked against each other on speed. Only 19 of the 50 states publish anything about non-expedited turnaround at all. Whichever you pick, remember that forming in Rhode Island while operating in Tennessee means you're not fully set up until the Tennessee foreign registration is also processed, so the out-of-state route is rarely the faster path end to end. If your timing is genuinely fixed, buy the state's expedite tier rather than relying on a standard turnaround.

Comparison chart of forming an LLC in Tennessee versus Rhode Island, contrasting filing fees, annual report cost and ongoing obligations across 8 factors. On balance this guide favours Tennessee. — Tennessee and Rhode Island side by side on the factors that decide where to form. Source: MyStateLLC 50-state cost dataset, verified against each Secretary of State's published fee schedule, July 2026.

More State Comparisons

Tennessee vs South Carolina →Tennessee vs South Dakota →Tennessee vs Texas →Tennessee vs Delaware →Rhode Island vs Delaware →

Tennessee LLC Guide →Rhode Island LLC Guide →

📎

Embed this comparison, free

Add the Tennessee vs Rhode Island cost calculator to any page. Works in WordPress, Squarespace, Webflow, and any HTML site.

<iframe src="https://www.mystatellc.com/tools/compare-states?embed=1&stateA=TN&stateB=RI" width="100%" height="720" frameborder="0" style="border:0;max-width:900px;display:block;margin:0 auto;" title="Tennessee vs Rhode Island LLC Cost Comparison" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p style="text-align:center;font-size:.8125rem;color:#6b7280">Source: <a href="https://www.mystatellc.com/llc/compare/tennessee-llc-vs-rhode-island-llc">MyStateLLC, Tennessee vs Rhode Island LLC Comparison</a></p>