How to Incorporate a Business in Canada

To put it simply, incorporation is the process by which your business becomes its own legal entity, separate from you. That separation is what protects your personal assets, helps with tax planning, and gives your business a stronger footing as it grows.

Many entrepreneurs picture incorporation as something only large companies do, but that’s not true. Solo founders, small teams, and businesses preparing to raise funding can all benefit from having a formally registered corporation. It can secure your business name, help your business access financing, apply for government grants, and open business bank accounts.

If you’re unsure where to begin, you’re not alone. Incorporation has a few moving parts, but once you understand the steps, it becomes far easier to navigate. This guide walks you through how it works: requirements, timelines, costs, and what to expect with federal vs. provincial registration.

Key takeaways

• Incorporating creates a separate legal entity that protects your personal assets, enhances credibility, and may offer tax advantages and better access to funding.
• To incorporate in Canada, you’ll choose a structure, select a name, file Articles of Incorporation, appoint directors, pay government fees, and keep ongoing corporate records compliant.
• Federal and provincial incorporation both work for most businesses, but each comes with different naming rules, fees, and administrative requirements.

How to incorporate your business in Canada

Incorporation involves choosing a business structure (corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship), naming your company, filing your Articles of Incorporation, appointing directors, and registering at the federal or provincial level. You’ll also need to set up your corporate records and meet ongoing compliance requirements. 

Below, we’ll walk you through what each step means, what forms you’ll need, and how to stay compliant once your corporation is officially set up.

1. Choosing a business name

Choosing a name for your business can be stressful, but ultimately, it’s a fun exercise. Keep in mind, you can always incorporate as a numbered company (ex. 12345678 Canada Inc). Then you can choose a name at a later date, or if you don’t have a public-facing business, operate without a legal name. But most entrepreneurs are excited to give their business a name and have it legally registered.

First, decide on what you would like to call your business. Remember that this is your formal legal name. It’s not necessarily the same as your brand name.

Next, make sure your business name satisfies three legal requirements. It must have (1) a distinctive element, (2) a descriptive element, and (3) a legal ending:

[Distinctive] + [Descriptive] + [Legal Ending]

For example: Rhino Ice Cream Inc.

Bonus step: trademark search. Incorporation also provides access to intellectual property protection (patents, trademarks) under Canadian law. Have a look through Canadian trademarks to see if anyone else has registered a trademark on your desired name. You can conduct a free search with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

One final note about trademarks: they are tied to specific goods or services. This means that you may still be able to use a registered trademark if that’s your desired name, so long as your intended use is in a different industry.

If you incorporate through Ownr, we handle all required NUANS searches so you don’t have to worry about conducting your own business name search in advance.

2. Choose your incorporation jurisdiction

You can incorporate your business at the federal level (Corporations Canada) or in the province (e.g., Ontario, BC). We’ll provide more detail about the differences below, but for most entrepreneurs, both jurisdictions are appropriate.

3. Filing Articles of Incorporation with the government

After you’ve decided on your name, you’ll need to submit Articles of Incorporation to the appropriate provincial or federal body. For this step, you’ll need to determine your share class structure, along with deciding on the company’s initial directors.

With Ownr, we automatically file your initial registration documents with the government by collecting all required information during your onboarding. Learn everything you need to know about articles of incorporation.

4. Pay incorporation fees

The federal and provincial governments charge a fee for incorporation, so be prepared to pay this when you file your Articles of Incorporation.

5. Company formation documents

Filing documents with the provincial or federal corporate registry is only half of what’s required when incorporating your business. You also need to create and sign all of your company formation documents: Corporate Bylaws, Shareholder and Director Resolutions, Director Consents, Share Subscriptions, and Share Issuances.

There are significant risks if you fail to obtain these documents and set up your company properly from the start. Potential risks include having no owners in your business (because shares were never issued to shareholders) and the inability to have investors. These risks can increase over time and will cost more to fix than if your company was set up properly from the start.

We often get the question: are company formation documents (otherwise known as minute book documents) really necessary? The short answer is yes. This Government of Canada article goes into detail about the different documents that a corporation must prepare and keep.

With Ownr, we prepare all company formation documents for you instantly. Based on the information you provide during the onboarding process, our technology tailors all documents for your business, sends them out for eSignature, and once signed, saves them all in your Ownr account.

When are you ready to incorporate?

There are two main drivers when considering whether to incorporate your business: limited liability and taxes.

Limited liability

The benefits of limited liability cannot be overstated. By incorporating, you will separate your personal and business obligations. This is crucial, as an Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada study concluded that only about 70% of all small businesses survive beyond their first five years.

If you incorporate and your business is unsuccessful, your personal assets will remain protected and untouched. If you do not incorporate and operate your business as a sole proprietorship or a partnership, you will remain personally responsible for the debts of the business – which can put your personal property (like your home, car, and computers) all at risk.

NOTE: There are times when directors can remain personally liable for a business’s debts if certain preconditions are met. The most common examples include:

1. Unpaid employee wages and vacation pay: Up to six months’ wages and 12 months’ vacation pay.
2. Employee source deductions and remittances: Includes source deductions for employee income taxes, EI and CPP contributions.
3. GST/HST remittances: This includes GST/HST that has been collected by the corporation but was not remitted to the government.

Tax advantages

In Canada, corporations are taxed differently from individuals, and the structure offers potential tax advantages, including income splitting and limited liability for shareholders. Whenever you can leave some money in the corporation, rather than transferring it to your personal account, you can reduce the taxes you pay.

How you choose to pay yourself can also have tax advantages.. You can pay yourself in salary, dividends, or a combination of both depending on what will result in the lowest tax burden.

For example, in Ontario, a Canadian Controlled Private Corporation (a corporation owned primarily by Canadian residents) pays a tax rate of 13.5% on the first $500,000 of income each year, and 26.5% for all income beyond that. As a business owner, if you are able to leave money in the company, and not take it all out for personal expenses, you can increase the value of your company’s assets and pay less in taxes. This means that the money you leave in your company could be used to invest into the business in various ways. For example, to spend on marketing, buy new equipment, purchase additional inventory or hire new staff.

What are the benefits of incorporating?

On top of limited liability and tax advantages, incorporation provides official documentation that confirms your business is recognized as a corporation. Here are four other clear benefits of incorporating your business:

Raising capital

If you want investors to invest in your company, you’ll need to be incorporated. Without incorporation, you will not have shares to sell to investors.

Improving professional image

When working with clients, your business comes across as more professional when it is incorporated. Invoices are sent with your incorporated business name (ending in Inc., Ltd. or Corp.). This communicates to your clients that you have thought about the long-term viability of your business and take your obligations seriously.

Transferable shares

Corporations can be transferred among individuals by simply selling or transferring shares. This makes long-term succession planning considerably easier.

Continuous lifespan

Corporations are not limited to the lifespan of the owners. They can exist indefinitely.

How to incorporate your business in Canada

Setting up a corporation is manageable if you break it down into discrete tasks. Let’s take a look at the steps to incorporate a business in Canada. By following each one, you’ll be able to incorporate your business and correctly adhere to legal requirements from the beginning, saving yourself the trouble of having to deal with potential mistakes down the line.

Choosing a business name

Choosing a name for your business can be stressful, but ultimately, it’s a fun exercise. Keep in mind, you can always incorporate as a numbered company (ex. 12345678 Canada Inc). Then you can choose a name at a later date, or if you don’t have a public-facing business, operate without a legal name. But most entrepreneurs are excited to give their business a name and have it legally registered.

First decide on what you would like to call your business. Remember that this is your formal legal name. It’s not necessarily the same as your brand name.

Next, make sure your business name satisfies three legal requirements. It must have (1) a distinctive element, (2) a descriptive element, and (3) a legal ending:

[Distinctive] + [Descriptive] + [Legal Ending]

For example: Rhino Ice Cream Inc.

Bonus step: trademark search. Have a look through Canadian trademarks to see if anyone else has registered a trademark on your desired name. You can conduct a free search with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

One final note about trademarks: they are tied to specific goods or services. This means that you may still be able to use a registered trademark, if that’s your desired name, so long as your intended use is in a different industry.

If you incorporate through Ownr, we handle all required NUANS searches so you don’t have to worry about conducting your own business name search in advance.

Choose your incorporation jurisdiction

You can incorporate your business at either the federal or the provincial level. We’ll provide more detail about the differences below, but for most entrepreneurs, both jurisdictions are appropriate.

Filing Articles of Incorporation with government

After you’ve decided on your name, you’ll need to file the initial registration forms with the government. For this step, you’ll need to determine your share class structure along with deciding on the company’s initial directors.

With Ownr, we automatically file your initial registration documents with the government, by collecting all required information during your onboarding. Learn everything you need to know about articles of incorporation.

Pay incorporation fees

The federal and provincial governments charge a fee for incorporation, so be prepared to pay this when you file your Articles of Incorporation.

Company formation documents

Filing documents with the provincial or federal corporate registry is only half of what’s required when incorporating your business. You also need to create and sign all of your company formation documents: Corporate Bylaws, Shareholder and Director Resolutions, Director Consents, Share Subscriptions, and Share Issuances.

There are significant risks if you fail to obtain these documents and set up your company properly from the start. Potential risks include having no owners in your business (because shares were never issued to shareholders) and the inability to have investors. These risks can increase over time and will cost more to fix than if your company was set up properly from the start.

We often get the question: are company formation documents (otherwise known as minute book documents) really necessary? The short answer is yes. This Government of Canada article goes into detail about the different documents that a corporation must prepare and keep.

With Ownr, we prepare all company formation documents for you instantly. Based on the information you provide during the onboarding process, our technology tailors all documents for your business, sends them out for eSignature, and once signed, saves them all in your Ownr account.

How much does it cost to incorporate a business in Canada?

The cost to incorporate in Canada will vary according to your location. The total cost to incorporate with Ownr can be between $599 and $699, depending on your jurisdiction. This includes all government fees, name search fees, company formation documents as well as 12 months on the Ownr platform. Get started and incorporate in minutes with Ownr.

Another option for incorporation is to go directly to the government. It’s important to note that the prices listed here are highly unlikely to be the total cost of your incorporation. Completing government filings yourself may still incur paperwork and other legal costs, such as hiring a lawyer, to ensure compliance with provincial and federal labour laws, environmental regulations, and industry standards.

It’s also worth remembering that Ggovernment prices will vary based on your jurisdiction and type of incorporation:

British Columbia: Incorporation in British Columbia costs $350 CAD, plus an additional $30 charge for name approval.

Alberta: Incorporation in Alberta costs $275 CAD, along with a name approval fee of $30. Incorporation is done through agents who generally charge an additional fee of $150 or more.

Saskatchewan: In Saskatchewan, it costs $265 CAD to incorporate, plus a fee of $60 for a search report for named corporations.

Manitoba: The government incorporation fee in Manitoba is $350 CAD, plus a search report fee of $45 for named corporations.

Ontario: In Ontario, it costs $300 CAD to incorporate a business online or by mail. There is an additional $60 fee to register your business name.

Quebec: Incorporation in Quebec costs $378 CAD, with an additional $25 charged for the business name search.

New Brunswick: In New Brunswick, it costs $290 CAD to incorporate, which includes a government fee of $260 plus a name search report fee of $30.

Nova Scotia: The fee to incorporate in Nova Scotia is $200 CAD, plus a $70 fee for a name search report.

PEI: It costs a total of $305 CAD to incorporate in PEI, which covers the government fee and the name search report fee.

Newfoundland: In Newfoundland, the fee to incorporate is $300 CAD plus a $30 charge for a name search report.

Yukon: Incorporation in the Yukon costs $345 CAD, which covers a basic government charge and a corporation name search fee.

Is compliance causing you stress and you’re looking for an easier way? Incorporate with Ownr and save additional fees for government filings. With our one-stop solution, you receive with your provincial incorporation:

• A full year of our Online Minute Book plan
• Company name registration
• Company organization documents & share issuances
• Access to Ownr Perks

Federal versus provincial incorporation

In Canada, you have the option of incorporating provincially or federally. If you choose federal, you’ll also need to register the company in the province where your business is located.

The differences between incorporating provincially or federally are often exaggerated. Both allow the company to operate in all provinces and service clients from anywhere in the world.

The main benefit to incorporating a federal corporation is that it provides your company with increased name protection. Your business name will be registered throughout Canada (rather than just one province).

One other difference between a federal and provincial corporation is the requirement for the directors of the corporation to be Canadian residents. Federal corporations require that at least 25% of the directors of a corporation must be resident Canadians. There are no Canada director residency requirements for Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and several other provinces and territories.

One of the downsides of federal corporations is that in some jurisdictions, they can take extra work to register and, depending on the province, can cost more money. With Ownr, however, we’ve automated all the additional paperwork for federal corporations in Ontario, and it is actually less expensive to incorporate a federal corporation than an Ontario provincial corporation.

After incorporation: ongoing obligations

After incorporation, your company will need to stay compliant with government requirements, which may include obtaining a Business Number (BN) from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) if you haven’t registered for one already.

Many business owners find that using an online platform for managing a corporation simplifies this ongoing compliance work, providing digital tools for record-keeping and automating annual filing reminders. There are three main things that every company is legally required to keep up-to-date:

Minute book and share records

You are required to keep your company documents in an organized manner. This can be in an old fashioned paper binder, or, like we do at Ownr, through a secure online minute book.

Company updates

Any time your company details change (for example, when you want to add a new director or change your registered address), you are obligated to file forms with the government and prepare corporate resolutions which officially approve the company changes.

Ownr takes care of all this paperwork on an ongoing basis: automatically preparing and filing forms with the government, preparing the required corporate resolutions, gathering e-signatures, and securely storing all documents within your account.

Post-incorporation steps

Each year, your company is required to file annual returns and keep corporate records up to date in order to stay compliant. Associated fees for filing annual returns range from $20 for a federal corporation to $50 for an Alberta corporation.

You’ll also need to prepare annual shareholder and director resolutions, even if you’re a single-person corporation. These are all mandatory documents in order for your business to stay compliant. If you fail to file the annual return, the government can dissolve your company.

Ready to start your business? Ownr has helped over 145,000 entrepreneurs hit the ground running quickly—and affordably. If you have questions about how to register or incorporate your business, email us at [email protected].

Frequently asked questions

How many shares should I issue when incorporating in Canada?

There is no hard rule about how many shares you should issue when incorporating in Canada, and you can technically issue just one share. Many newly incorporated small businesses start with anywhere between 100 to 10 million shares, which can be issued to others in the future.

What’s the best way to incorporate a business?

The best way to incorporate a business is by filing with your local provincial government, the federal government, or a third party platform with extra benefits like Ownr.

What documents are needed to incorporate a company?

To incorporate your company, you will need your Articles of Incorporation, company formation documents, and in some cases, a NUANS report.

How long does it take to incorporate in Canada?

Incorporating in Canada doesn’t take very long. Once all documents and fees are submitted, approval can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

What’s the difference between corporation and incorporation?

A corporation is a business structure that creates a new legal entity for the business, while incorporation is the process of setting up a corporation.

What’s the difference between inc and ltd?

Both “inc” and “ltd” are corporate suffixes that are commonly used in the names of corporations. Inc stands for incorporated, while ltd stands for limited.

What’s the difference between incorporated and limited?

An incorporated business is a distinct legal entity, separate from its owners. A limited liability company is an American business structure that isn’t used in Canada, while the term “limited company” is rarely used to refer to corporations in some Canadian provinces.