Tennessee tax deadlines are simpler for individuals than for businesses. Because Tennessee has no personal income tax on wages, salaries, or investment income — the Hall Income Tax on interest and dividends was fully repealed on January 1, 20211Tennessee Department of Revenue. HIT-1 Tennessee Income Tax on Interest and Dividend Income — residents only file a federal return each spring. Businesses, on the other hand, work through several separate state calendars: franchise and excise tax, business tax on gross receipts, sales and use tax, and property tax, each with its own due date.
Federal Deadlines for Tennessee Residents
The federal return for tax year 2025 is due April 15, 2026. If April 15 falls on a weekend or legal holiday, the IRS moves the deadline to the next business day.2Internal Revenue Service. When to File
Need more time? Filing Form 4868 gives you an automatic six-month extension to October 15.3Internal Revenue Service. Get an Extension to File Your Tax Return The extension covers only the paperwork. Any balance you owe is still due April 15, and interest and penalties start running the next day.
Quarterly Estimated Payments
Self-employed residents and anyone else without adequate withholding must make quarterly estimated payments to the IRS if they expect to owe $1,000 or more for the year.4Internal Revenue Service. Estimated Taxes This trips up a lot of Tennesseans, because there are no state paycheck withholdings prompting you to stay current. The 2026 quarterly deadlines:
- First quarter: April 15, 2026
- Second quarter: June 15, 2026
- Third quarter: September 15, 2026
- Fourth quarter: January 15, 2027
For corporations, the threshold is lower: estimated payments are required once expected liability reaches $500.4Internal Revenue Service. Estimated Taxes
FBAR
If you held foreign financial accounts totaling more than $10,000 at any point during the year, FinCEN Form 114 (the FBAR) is due April 15, with an automatic extension to October 15 if you miss it. You do not need to request the extension separately.5Internal Revenue Service. Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)
Franchise and Excise Tax
Franchise and excise tax is Tennessee’s main business-level tax. The excise portion taxes net earnings at 6.5%; the franchise portion runs $0.25 per $100 of net worth or the value of in-state real and tangible personal property, whichever is higher.6Tennessee Department of Revenue. Due Dates and Tax Rates7Tennessee Department of Revenue. FT-1 – Franchise Tax Computation The minimum franchise tax is $100 a year, even for inactive entities, and a return is still required.8Justia Law. Tennessee Code 67-4-2119 – Minimum Franchise Tax
The return is due on the 15th day of the fourth month after the tax year closes. For calendar-year filers, that is April 15. Fiscal-year filers count from their own year-end. Payment is due at the same time as the return.9Justia Law. Tennessee Code 67-4-2015 – Filing of Returns – Payment of Tax – Penalty
Quarterly Estimates
Businesses with a combined franchise and excise liability of $5,000 or more in both the prior and current year must pay quarterly estimates.6Tennessee Department of Revenue. Due Dates and Tax Rates Payments are due on the 15th day of the fourth, sixth, and ninth months of the current tax year, plus the 15th day of the first month of the following year. For calendar-year filers, that is April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
Underpayment of an installment carries a penalty of 2% per month, capped at 24%, plus interest.9Justia Law. Tennessee Code 67-4-2015 – Filing of Returns – Payment of Tax – Penalty The state interest rate is reset each July 1; from July 2025 through June 2026 it is 11.50%.10Tennessee Department of Revenue. Tax Rates and Interest Rate Late filing of the annual return brings its own separate penalties.
Business Tax and License Renewal
Tennessee also imposes a business tax on gross receipts, at rates roughly between 0.02% and 0.3% depending on classification. The return is due on the 15th day of the fourth month after the end of the fiscal year — April 15 for most businesses.11Tennessee Department of Revenue. Due Dates and Tax Rates
Your business license is tied to this filing. It expires on the 15th day of the fifth month after the end of the upcoming tax year. Once you file and pay through TNTAP, the state notifies your local jurisdiction, which reissues the license at no charge. Minimal-activity businesses can skip the state return and simply pay a $15 annual license fee to their local office.
Sales and Use Tax
The statewide rate is 7% on most tangible goods and taxable services, and 4% on groceries, with local add-ons of up to 2.75%.12Tennessee Department of Revenue. Due Dates and Tax Rates Returns and payments are due by the 20th of the month after the reporting period closes, whether you file monthly, quarterly, or annually.13Justia Law. Tennessee Code 67-6-504 – Returns and Payment
Out-of-state sellers without a physical presence must register once their Tennessee sales reach $100,000 in a 12-month period. The same threshold triggers collection obligations for marketplace facilitators, and a seller whose Tennessee sales all run through a facilitator already collecting tax does not need to register separately.14Tennessee Department of Revenue. Out-of-State Businesses and Nexus in TN
Property Tax
County property tax bills become due on the first Monday of October each year. Payment in full must reach the county by the last day of February to avoid interest. From March 1 forward, unpaid balances accrue interest at 1.5% per month, or 18% annually.
Tangible Personal Property Schedules
Businesses that own equipment, furniture, fixtures, or other tangible personal property must file a schedule with the county assessor by March 1 each year. Assessors mail the schedules by February 1, so the window is short. File on time and you have until September 1 of the following year to correct an error. Miss the March 1 date and the assessor issues a forced assessment; the right to amend is gone.15Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. Tangible Personal Property
Filing Through TNTAP
Tennessee requires businesses to file and pay state taxes electronically through the Tennessee Taxpayer Access Point (TNTAP) unless they hold a written waiver from the Department of Revenue.16Tennessee Department of Revenue. BUS-1 – Electronic Filing of Business Tax Returns and Payments Franchise and excise tax (Form FAE170), business tax, and sales and use tax all run through the same portal.17Tennessee Department of Revenue. E-filing Information TNTAP generates a confirmation number and electronic receipt at submission. Keep copies of both your state filings and your federal return; the state may ask for federal figures during a review, and matched records shorten the conversation.