Tennessee EIN: No Wage Tax, Jobs4TN UI and TNTAP Sales Tax
Last updated November 1, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team
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After your EIN in Tennessee
| Account | Agency | Number you get | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| State income tax withholding | None | Tennessee does not tax wages | Not needed |
| Unemployment insurance | Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development | Employer account number, 8 digits | Jobs4TN Employer e-Services |
| Sales tax | Tennessee Department of Revenue | Sales and use tax Certificate of Registration | TNTAP |
Tennessee Department of Revenue accounts carry a 10-digit account ID, printed on the Department's letters, and each business location gets its own 10-digit location ID. When you register or file on TNTAP you choose which ID to enter, and your FEIN is one of the accepted options.
Unemployment premiums are handled by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, not the Department of Revenue. Every employer in Tennessee must complete its online registration, and an employer found liable is assigned an eight-digit employer account number, separate from the EIN.
Also on the Tennessee list
- Register with the Tennessee Department of Revenue on TNTAP for franchise and excise tax. Tennessee applies both to LLCs, not only corporations, and the registration asks for the EIN.
- File the annual report with the Secretary of State by the first day of the fourth month after the LLC's fiscal year ends, which is April 1 for a calendar-year company.
Agency sites checked November 1, 2026 · All 50 states
What is different about Tennessee
- Tennessee is one of the few states that applies its franchise and excise taxes to LLCs, not only to corporations. A new Tennessee LLC has a Department of Revenue account to open on TNTAP from the date of formation, and the franchise tax has a minimum that is owed even in a year with no activity.
- The Tennessee Secretary of State assigns a nine-digit control number, zero-padded on the left, that the annual report and every certificate request require. It is printed on the filed articles and is the first thing the online annual report screen asks for.
- Tennessee LLC annual reports are due by the first day of the fourth month after the fiscal year closes, April 1 for almost everyone, and the state filing fee scales with the number of members. The Secretary of State's annual report is separate from the Department of Revenue's franchise and excise return, and the two have different deadlines.
- Most Tennessee businesses also need a business tax license from the county clerk, and from the city if it is inside city limits, for the state's gross receipts business tax. It is issued locally but the return is filed with the Department of Revenue, again under the EIN.
Before you apply
The SS-4 must match the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations filing; its SOS control number (for example 000123456) is a state index, not a tax ID.
Tennessee EIN questions
How do I get an EIN number in Tennessee?
File IRS Form SS-4 after the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations approves any formation filing; there is no Tennessee EIN application. Then register with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (Jobs4TN Employer e-Services) for unemployment insurance and the Tennessee Department of Revenue (TNTAP) for the sales and use tax Certificate of Registration.
Does Tennessee have state income tax withholding?
No. Tennessee does not tax wage income, so there is no state withholding account to open. The payroll registration Tennessee does have is unemployment insurance, with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development through Jobs4TN Employer e-Services. The Hall income tax on interest and dividends was repealed effective January 1, 2021.
Where do I register for Tennessee unemployment insurance?
With the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, online through Jobs4TN Employer e-Services. It assigns an employer account number, 8 digits, a separate number from the EIN.
Do I need a Tennessee sales and use tax Certificate of Registration?
Only if you sell what Tennessee taxes. The Tennessee Department of Revenue issues it through TNTAP, and your returns are filed under its number, not the EIN.
Is there a Tennessee EIN or state tax ID number?
No. The EIN is federal and comes from the IRS. Tennessee's own numbers are the nine-digit control number on your Secretary of State filing and the account numbers the Department of Revenue assigns on TNTAP for franchise and excise tax and, if you sell taxable goods, sales tax. The TNTAP registration asks for the federal EIN, so it comes first.
Do Tennessee LLCs really pay franchise and excise tax?
Yes. Most states reserve franchise and excise taxes for corporations, but Tennessee applies both to LLCs, and the franchise tax has a minimum that is owed even in a year with no activity. The return goes to the Department of Revenue under the EIN and is separate from the annual report filed with the Secretary of State, which has its own deadline.
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Related guides
Neighboring states
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Sources
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Business Services
- Tennessee Department of Revenue, franchise and excise tax
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development: Unemployment insurance tax
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development: Tax and insurance
- Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development: Jobs4tnui.tn.gov
- Tennessee Department of Revenue: 360058139252 SUT 10 Sales and Use Tax Account Registering for an Account
- Tennessee Department of Revenue: 360059954591 TNTAP Registration 7 Registering a New Business in TNTAP
- Tennessee Department of Revenue: Registration
- Tennessee income tax: 360057595051 GEN 34 Income Tax Withholding
- Tennessee income tax: Hall income tax
- Tennessee: 360059910591 About TNTAP 7 TNTAP ID Types
You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.