A tax levied at the state level against businesses and partnerships chartered within that state. In some states, companies with operations in that state may also be liable for the tax even if they are chartered in another state. This is a privilege tax that gives the business the right to be chartered and/or operate within that state.

The amount of franchise tax in any given state can differ greatly depending on the tax rules within each state. Some states will calculate the amount of franchise tax owed based on assets or net worth of the business, while other states look at the capital stock of the company.