| Town of Arlington 5854 Airline Road Arlington, TN 38002 (901) 867-2620 Monday-Thursday: 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Friday: 8:00 AM-4:00 PM |
State of TN: Department of Revenue 3150 Appling Road Bartlett, TN 38133 (901) 213-1400 Monday-Thursday: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Friday: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM |
| Shelby County Clerk's Office Downtown Office 150 Washington Ave. Second Floor Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 222-3059 Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:15 PM |
Shelby County Clerk's Office East Branch Office 1075 Mullins Station Road West Wing Memphis, TN 38134 (901) 222-6960 Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:15 PM |
Frequently Asked Questions for Businesses:
- How do I start a business in Arlington?
- Where can I find the APPLICATION?
- What class would my business fall under?
- Are there any other businesses with the name I am interested in?
- Is there any other helpful information for starting a business in Tennessee?
- What if I want to operate a business out of my home?
How to Apply for a Business License
Bring a completed Application form to Town Hall, located at 5854 Airline Road, Arlington, TN 38002, along with a $15 fee (payable by cash or check ONLY). Please make checks payable to Town of Arlington.
For in-state businesses: If your in-state location has gross receipts of more than $3,000 but less than $10,000, you must obtain a minimal activity license from your county and/or municipal clerk. A standard business license is needed from your county and/or municipal clerk if your gross receipts are $10,000 or more. You are not allowed to operate until your required license is obtained and posted in your business’ location. If gross receipts are less than $3,000, no license is required.
For out-of-state businesses that are not contractors: If you are an out-of-state taxpayer with substantial nexus to Tennessee and engaged in this state for business tax purposes, you must register with the department and remit business tax on any gross receipts from sales of $10,000 or more annually in any county in Tennessee. You do not need a local business license issued by a county.
Business Classifications:The following explains the various business Classifications, including some examples of each. If you have questions about State classifications, you may find additional information from the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
Class 1A - Businesses in the 1A classification are selling the following products or provide the following services:
- Food and beer for home consumption, except for retail sales of delicatessens and candy
- Services performed by food brokers
Class 1B - Businesses in the 1B classification are selling the following products:
- Building materials, builder's hardware
- Electrical supplies
- Farm equipment
- Glass
- Hardware
- Heating and air conditioning equipment
- Lumber
- Paint
- Plumbing
- Roofing materials
- Service station sales of tangible personal property except for gasoline, diesel fuel and motor oil
- Tools
- Wholesale sales of gasoline and diesel fuel
Class 1C - Businesses in the 1C classification are selling farm, nursery and related products including:
- Bulbs
- Feed
- Fertilizer
- Grain
- Hay
- Nursery stock
- Seeds
- Other farm, lawn and garden tools and supplies
Class 1D - Businesses in the 1D classification provide retail sales of gasoline, diesel fuel and motor oils.
This classification involves sales of tangible personal property. Any business selling tangible personal property that is not specifically named or described in this or any other classification will use this classification.
Class 2 - Businesses selling the following items are specifically included in Classification 2:
- Advertising specialties
- Boats, marine supplies and outboard motors
- Clothing, including shoes, hats, underwear and related articles for personal wear or adornment, except persons selling retail clothing to individual order
- Coal, wood, ice, fuel oil and liquefied gas
- Florists
- Nurseries
- Home furnishings, including retail sales of radios, televisions, record players, stereos, sound reproducing equipment, musical instruments, phonographic records, pianos and sheet music
- Household furniture, floor coverings and related products, draperies, curtains, upholstery, china, glassware and metal ware for kitchen and table use, miscellaneous home furnishings, such as brooms, brushes, lamps and shades, electric and gas stoves, refrigerators and other household appliances
- Mobile homes and campers
- Motorcycles and go-carts
- Motor vehicles, parts and accessories, tires and batteries
- Prescription drugs and patent medications
- Restaurants that prepare food and drinks, including alcoholic beverages for consumption on and/or off the premises
Sellers of these types of tangible personal property are classified under Classification 3 include:
- Antiques, including antique furniture, furnishings and objects of art
- Architectural supplies
- Artist paints and supplies
- Artificial flowers
- Awnings
- Baby carriages
- Bait
- Banners
- Binoculars
- Books
- Cameras, film and other photographic supplies and equipment
- Candy
- Cigars, cigarettes, tobacco and smoking supplies
- Clothing made to individual order
- Coins
- Delicatessens
- Electric razors
- Fireworks
- Flags
- Gemstones
- Gifts and novelty merchandise, souvenirs and miscellaneous small art goods, such as greeting cards and holiday decorations
- Hearing aids
- Jewelry, diamonds and other stones mounted in precious metals, rings, bracelets, brooches, sterling and plated silverware, watches and clocks
- Leather goods
- Luggage
- Office supplies, including stationery, accounting and legal forms, office forms and supplies, pens and pencils, school supplies and writing supplies
- Optical lenses and other related tangible personal property dispensed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist in conjunction with professional services rendered to patients
- Orthopedic and artificial limbs
- Pawn shops
- Pet foods
- Pets
- Piers and floats
- Rock and stone specimens
- Rubber stamps
- Sporting goods and equipment, including stores that sell bicycles, bicycle parts and accessories
- Stamps
- Swimming pools
- Telescopes
- Tents
- Theater programs
- Trophies
- Trunks
- Typewriters
- Toupees, wigs and wiglets
- Toys, games and hobby kits and supplies
- Accounting services
- Architecture
- Banks, building and loan associations, mortgage bankers and other similar organizations
- Camps and trailer parks where charges are made only for rental of real property. Persons who rent trailers to transients or sell tangible personal property or make separate charges for specific services furnished are not exempt.
- Charitable
- Domestic
- Educational
- Educational research agencies
- Engineering
- Insurance companies and holding companies
- Legal
- Lessors of agricultural, forestry, mining, oil, public utility and airport properties
- Medical, dental and allied health services to human beings, except services to persons engaged in making dentures and artificial teeth
- Non-profit membership organization services that are for the promotion of the interests of the members
- Operators of residential and non-residential buildings other than hotels, motels and rooming houses
- Public utilities as defined in Tenn. Code Ann. Section 65-4-101
- Religious
- Surveying
- Veterinary services
- Constructing, building, erecting, repairing, grading, excavating, drilling, exploring, testing or adding to any building, highway, street, sidewalk, bridge, culvert, sewer, irrigation or water system, drainage or dredging system, levee or levee system or any part thereof, railway, reservoir, dam, power plant, electrical system, air conditioning system, heating system, transmission line, pipeline, tower, dock, storage tank, wharf, excavation, grading, water well and any other improvement or structure or any part thereof
- Exterminating services
- Installing personal property
- Sales of livestock, poultry or other farm products, excluding sales by persons who directly produce and sell such products
Class 5 - Industrial loan and thrift companies required to obtain a certificate and a license under Tenn. Code Ann. Title 45, Chapter 5 are subject to business taxation under Classification 5.
More information can be found by visiting the State website: https://www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/business-tax.html