How to incorporate in Ontario

This guide is for one task: setting up an Ontario business corporation yourself, online. You do not need a lawyer or a filing company to do it. The official route comes first, then the steps in the order the registry expects them.

The official route

Ontario corporations are created in the Ontario Business RegistrySource. What you need to get in: Paid; needs Ontario.ca Login and an Ontario Business AccountSource.

The government charges $300Source to file the articles of incorporation.

Law firms and filing companies will do this for you, but you pay for their time on top of the government charge. Third-party filing services may charge more than the government fee.Source

Before you start

Pick a numbered or a named company. A numbered company takes a number the registry hands out instead of a name. Is that allowed in Ontario? YesSource It is the quickest choice, and you can trade under a different name later by registering it.

For a named company, get the name report first. What Ontario asks for: An Ontario-biased NUANS report from a private NUANS vendorSource. The registry does not sell this report itself, so the price is Set by the NUANS vendorSource. Order the Ontario-biased version; a report weighted toward another jurisdiction is the wrong one.

Look the name up yourself as well. The registry’s own searchSource shows who is already registered. Cost of a basic look: FreeSource.

Set up your logins as you go. The filing system walks you through creating them; there is no separate sign-up to do in advance.

Step by step

  1. Choose a numbered name or order an Ontario-biased NUANS reportSource. If you went with a number, there is nothing to order and you can move on.
  2. Start a Business Corporation registrationSource. Sign in to the registry and pick the business corporation option from the list of things you can register.
  3. File the articles and paySource. Fill in the articles, attach the name report if you have one, and pay the fee shown above. Online filings are processed straight away.
  4. File the Initial Return within 60 days of incorporatingSource. This first return tells the registry who runs the new corporation and where its offices are.
  5. Report any later change to the corporation's information within 15 daysSource. A new director or a move of office counts, and the filing for it is a notice of change.

After you incorporate

Keep your company key safe. Every filing for an existing business needs its company key, even when an intermediary files for you.Source If you lose it, the company key request toolSource sends it again (Free; no login neededSource).

File the annual return every year. The fee for it: FreeSource

Know which number is which. The 9-digit Ontario Business Identification Number is not the same as the CRA Business Number.Source You get the tax number separately from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Proving the company exists. Banks and landlords sometimes ask for proof. A profile report costs $8Source and a certificate of status costs $26Source.