So, You're Thinking of Incorporating

Canada Business Corporations Act

Reasons why you should consider federal incorporation

… Here's Why You Should Do It

Whether you choose to incorporate federally, or in one of Canada's provinces and territories, incorporation offers many benefits to your company. For example, incorporating allows you to:

limit your liability;
lower your tax rates;
improve your access to capital and grants; and
establish a separate legal entity.

While you can enjoy these benefits no matter where you incorporate, federal incorporation offers a number of additional advantages:

Easy Online Applications

file your online incorporation application and have it processed by the end of the next business day;
save your partially-completed application and return to it later;
receive your certificate of incorporation in PDF format, making it easy to print a copy to keep on hand as proof of your incorporation;
file required documents such as annual returns and notices of changes in your corporation's mailing address or directors.

Protection, Flexibility, Recognition

Protection for your corporation name: Corporations Canada ensures the uniqueness of an acceptable name. When your corporation name is approved, you have the right to use that name to carry on business across Canada.
Flexibility: Federal incorporation gives you the right to locate and operate your business anywhere in Canada.1 That means you can relocate or expand into any province or territory. You can also hold your meetings anywhere in the world, or even electronically, if you prefer.
Recognition: Federal incorporation is seen as a sign of distinction around the world. That means your corporation will be recognized anywhere in the world as a Canadian company. This increased recognition can help facilitate business opportunities in other countries.

High Quality Service

Corporations Canada's service representatives are available from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET), Monday to Friday (excluding holidays). We answer most telephone calls within two minutes, and reply to email messages within 24 hours. You can reach us toll-free at 1-866-333-5556, or by email at corporationscanada@ic.gc.ca.
Corporations Canada offers a variety of complimentary services – such as pre-approval of a proposed corporation name – all of which will save you time and money. A number of low-cost services, such as providing copies of documents and certificates of compliance are also available.
The Corporations Canada website features an easy-to-use online database where public information on federal corporations is available for viewing.

… Here's How You Can Do It

Filing for Federal Incorporation Incorporating your company federally is easy. Here's how it works:

You will be required to register your company separately in each of the provinces or territories where you carry on business (a fee may be required). Registration is not the same as incorporation.

Step 1

Choose a Name

Unless you would prefer to have a numbered corporation, the first step in incorporating your company is to choose a name.

Remember that your corporation name will have to meet certain requirements before it is approved by Corporations Canada.
You can arrange for the name you select to be approved either before you file your articles of incorporation (pre-approval), or at the time of filing.
A NUANS Name Search Report is an essential part of choosing a corporate name. This report can be ordered from a search house or from the NUANS Name Search System www.nuans.com. A list of search houses is available on the Corporations Canada website.
For additional information on this topic consult the section "Choosing a Name" in our website.

Step 2

Apply for a Certificate of Incorporation

Your application for incorporation must be accompanied by the following documents, examples of which are available on our website:

Articles of Incorporation.
Initial Registered Office Address and First Board of Directors.
Payment of $200 (when applying online) or $250 (when applying by paper).

Additional Information

You may wish to consult our Guide to Federal Incorporation to gain a better understanding of the incorporation process and what it means to be federally incorporated. You can also Contact Us for further information about this or any other incorporation-related subject.