Self-employed in Nashville, TN: taxes and retirement for 2026

What consultants, freelancers, content creators, entrepreneurs, gig workers, tipped workers and tradespeople in Nashville, TN need to know this year: local taxes, Tennessee income and estimated tax rules, and how to save for retirement without an employer plan.

Guides for Nashville

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Nashville local rules

Local income tax: No city income tax in Nashville.
Tennessee business tax / Nashville-Davidson County business tax license: Every Tennessee business with more than $3,000 in taxable receipts needs a business license from the county clerk (and city, where the city levies business tax). Businesses with more than $3,000 but less than $100,000 in gross receipts need only a minimal activity license, renewed yearly, and do not register for or pay business tax. Businesses with $100,000 or more need a standard license and must register, file a return and pay at least the $22 minimum business tax to the Tennessee Department of Revenue.
Davidson County business tangible personal property (Tax Schedule B): Businesses in Davidson County must file Tax Schedule B with the Assessor of Property by March 1 each year (March 2 in 2026), reporting equipment such as computers, hand and power tools, furniture and vehicles registered to the business or to an individual operating as a business. Not filing leads to a forced assessment and a penalty.
City business license: Yes, if taxable receipts are over $3,000 a year (Tennessee DOR). The Davidson County Clerk issues the business tax license or minimal activity license; the fee is $30 inside Nashville city limits (Urban Services District) or $15 elsewhere in Davidson County (General Services District).
Also worth knowing: No city or county income tax (Tennessee is listed among states with no individual income tax; Tax Foundation 2026, secondary). The $3,000 license threshold comes from Tennessee DOR article BUS-13 (https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360057134532-BUS-13-Business-Licenses-Overview); the Davidson County Clerk page lists only the fees. No local gig-worker or freelancer pay ordinances were found.

Tennessee rules that apply in Nashville

State income tax (2026): Tennessee has no state income tax on wages or self-employment income. Tennessee does not tax wages or self-employment income. Its only individual income tax, the Hall tax on interest and dividends, was repealed for tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2021.
Tennessee business tax (gross receipts): A tax on gross receipts, owed per county and city where you have $100,000 or more in sales; you then need a standard business license and must file returns. Between $3,000 and $100,000 you only need a $15 minimal activity license and do not pay the tax. The rate depends on the business classification and is a fraction of 1%: for example, 0.1875% for Classification 3 retailers (which includes many service businesses), 0.1% for Classification 4 contractors, and lower rates for wholesalers. The minimum is $22 per location ($44 inside a city that also levies the tax).
Tennessee franchise and excise tax: Applies to corporations, LLCs, LPs and business trusts, not to unincorporated sole proprietors. A single-member LLC owned by an individual is taxed as its own entity, because Tennessee only disregards SMLLCs owned by a corporation. Excise tax is 6.5% of net earnings and franchise tax is 0.25% of net worth, with a $100 minimum franchise tax for registered entities.
Tennessee professional privilege tax: A flat $400 a year, due June 1, for people licensed in Tennessee as attorneys, securities agents, broker-dealers, investment advisers or lobbyists. You pay it only once even if you hold more than one of these licenses.
Minimum wage (2026): Federal $7.25 an hour; tipped cash wage $2.13 an hour. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law, so the federal $7.25 applies to FLSA-covered employers. Tipped employees (more than $30 a month in tips) can be paid a $2.13 cash wage if tips bring them to $7.25 (U.S. DOL table, last updated July 1, 2026).
Marketplace contractor law (Public Chapter 648, 2018): Effective July 1, 2018, people who find work through an app or online marketplace are independent contractors, not employees, if the platform meets set conditions. The conditions include a written contractor agreement, no required hours, freedom to use other platforms and take other work, no required supplies or equipment, and no control over how the work is done. It does not cover rideshare (TNC) drivers or construction services.
IRS 20-factor worker classification test (Public Chapter 337, 2019): Since January 1, 2020, Tennessee uses the 20 factors in IRS Revenue Ruling 87-41 to decide whether a worker is an employee or a contractor. This applies to state wage and hour law, unemployment insurance, workplace safety (OSHA) and drug-free workplace programs. Workers' compensation keeps its own existing factors.
Voluntary Portable Benefit Plan Act (Public Chapter 131, 2025): Lets companies, including app-based companies, voluntarily pay into portable benefit accounts for independent contractors without that counting toward employee status. The accounts can fund health insurance, income replacement insurance, life insurance and retirement benefits. Any withholding from the worker's pay must be in a clear written agreement, and the worker must opt in and can opt out at any time.

Questions

Is there a local income tax in Nashville?

No city income tax applies in Nashville. Tennessee has no state income tax on wages or self-employment income.

What local business taxes apply to self-employed self-employed people in Nashville?

Tennessee business tax / Nashville-Davidson County business tax license: Every Tennessee business with more than $3,000 in taxable receipts needs a business license from the county clerk (and city, where the city levies business tax). Businesses with more than $3,000 but less than $100,000 in gross receipts need only a minimal activity license, renewed yearly, and do not register for or pay business tax. Businesses with $100,000 or more need a standard license and must register, file a return and pay at least the $22 minimum business tax to the Tennessee Department of Revenue. Davidson County business tangible personal property (Tax Schedule B): Businesses in Davidson County must file Tax Schedule B with the Assessor of Property by March 1 each year (March 2 in 2026), reporting equipment such as computers, hand and power tools, furniture and vehicles registered to the business or to an individual operating as a business. Not filing leads to a forced assessment and a penalty.

Do I need a business license to freelance from home in Nashville?

Yes, if taxable receipts are over $3,000 a year (Tennessee DOR). The Davidson County Clerk issues the business tax license or minimal activity license; the fee is $30 inside Nashville city limits (Urban Services District) or $15 elsewhere in Davidson County (General Services District).

Do self-employed people in Tennessee pay state income tax?

Tennessee has no state income tax on wages or self-employment income. Tennessee does not tax wages or self-employment income. Its only individual income tax, the Hall tax on interest and dividends, was repealed for tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2021.

Are there other Tennessee taxes for self-employed self-employed people?

Tennessee business tax (gross receipts): A tax on gross receipts, owed per county and city where you have $100,000 or more in sales; you then need a standard business license and must file returns. Between $3,000 and $100,000 you only need a $15 minimal activity license and do not pay the tax. The rate depends on the business classification and is a fraction of 1%: for example, 0.1875% for Classification 3 retailers (which includes many service businesses), 0.1% for Classification 4 contractors, and lower rates for wholesalers. The minimum is $22 per location ($44 inside a city that also levies the tax). Tennessee franchise and excise tax: Applies to corporations, LLCs, LPs and business trusts, not to unincorporated sole proprietors. A single-member LLC owned by an individual is taxed as its own entity, because Tennessee only disregards SMLLCs owned by a corporation. Excise tax is 6.5% of net earnings and franchise tax is 0.25% of net worth, with a $100 minimum franchise tax for registered entities. Tennessee professional privilege tax: A flat $400 a year, due June 1, for people licensed in Tennessee as attorneys, securities agents, broker-dealers, investment advisers or lobbyists. You pay it only once even if you hold more than one of these licenses.

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Sources

Facts researched from official sources and independently re-checked; last verified October 2026, next scheduled review 2027-01-02. Educational information for 2026, not tax, legal or investment advice. Rules change; check the official sources listed and a tax professional for your situation. Gigaverse AI, Inc. is a financial technology company, not a bank, and not itself a registered investment adviser or broker-dealer.