NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is warning businesses and charitable organizations across the state to be on alert for misleading third-party mail and email solicitations related to required annual business filings.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, reports are increasing statewide from businesses that have received official-looking correspondence from an unaffiliated entity known as the Tennessee Business Filing Center. The mailers and emails offer to file annual business reports on behalf of organizations but charge significantly higher fees than the state’s official filing system.
“Our office has seen a steady increase in complaints from businesses about this misleading mailer requesting hundreds of dollars in fees to file annual reporting documents,” Hargett said. “This situation is similar to what we have seen in recent years, and we want all Tennessee businesses to know we provide this very same service at substantially lower costs.”
Tennessee law requires business entities to file an annual report with the state by April 1 each year. These filings update or confirm key business information on record and are necessary for organizations to maintain “active status” and legally operate in Tennessee.
Hargett emphasized that businesses should carefully review any correspondence that appears to come from the state.
“All business owners should be wary of any correspondence that attempts to look like it is from the State of Tennessee,” he said. “These groups are not affiliated with us, and we ask recipients of these unaffiliated communications to report them to us, so we can notify the proper authorities.”
The Secretary of State’s office noted that legitimate annual reports for businesses and charities can be filed directly through the state’s official Tennessee Charity and Business Filing System (TNCaB), which offers the same services without unnecessary third-party fees.
- Entities needing to file annual reports can do so through the Secretary of State’s Tennessee Charity and Business Filing System (TNCaB) by clicking here.
- You can contact the Division of Business and Charitable Organizations to report suspicious activity by calling (615) 741-2286 or emailing TNSOS.corpinfo@tn.gov.
- To file a complaint with the Attorney General’s office, call (615) 741-3491 or visit Attorney General & Reporter (tn.gov).
