An Ontario Corporation is a legal entity registered with Service Ontario, which allows its owners (shareholders) to operate the business legally with limited liability advantage. It is also known as Ontario Standard Company or Limited Liability Corporation. Prior to registering an Ontario corporation, Articles of Corporation must be prepared in accordance with Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA). Once a customer place an order with us, our lawyers prepare standard Aticles of Corporation (Class A voting shares and Class B non-voting shares) for the customer at free of cost. If a customer wants to have customized Articles of Corporation for a specific need of the business, our lawyers can do so at an additional fee. Our customers do not need to put any manual signature as the Governmnet has granted us the access to register the corporation with Electronic Singature consent.
RecommendedRegular Package$175
+ Government Fee
Documents Included:
- View Articles of Incorporation
- View Certificate of Incorporation
- View CRA Business Number
- View Corporate Tax ID (RC)
- View Minute Book & Bylaws: Electronic
Add-On: You have option to add other services (such as minute book binders, initial return, HST account, WSIB, corporate seal, share certificates etc.) in next steps.
Premium Package$375
+ Government Fee
Documents Included:
- View Articles of Incorporation
- View Certificate of Incorporation
- View CRA Business Number
- View Corporate Tax ID (RC)
- View Minute Book & Bylaws: Electronic
- View Filing Initial Return: Electronic
- View Securities Register: Electronic
- View GST Account Set up (RT)
- View Payroll Account Set up (RP)
- View Import-export Account (RM)
- View One Year Service Support
Add-On: You have option to add other services (such as minute book binders, domain name, WSIB, corporate seal, share certificates etc.) in next steps.
Named Corporation VS Numbered Corporation
For a named corporation, you may propose a name for your corporation and we will obtain the Name Approval from the Government. To obtain the Name Approval, the Governmnet requires a NUANS Search Report from Corporations Canada or its member. If you have already obtained it, you have option to upload it. If you have not obtained it by yourself, we are a member of Corporations Canada and therefore, we can obtain it on be half of you. The order form will allow you to choose the right options. On the other hand, you cannot choose a name for a numebered company. The corporate registry system of the Government will assign a corporation number for your company which will be used as the name for your corporation.
Eligibility and Requirements
- Residency Requirement: Minimum 25% of the directors (1 out of 4) must be either Canadian citizen or Canadian resident/PR.
- Age Requirement: One or more individuals above the age of 18 can incorporate Ontario Corporation. To add an individual as a shareholder to the corporation, the indovidual must be at least 18 years of age.
- Adress In ontario: The corporation must be registered in Ontario at a physical or legal address (CANNOT be PO. Box or an UPS store or such in nature). The address of the director or shareholder or officers can be in or out of the province. Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will send all relevant documents including Business Number to the registered address of the corporation. In case a customer do not have a physical or legal address or, do not want to pubcicize the address, we provide registered address and mail scanning service at additional fees.
- Directors: The corporation must have at least one individual as a director. Another corporation cannot be in the role of the director. The maximum number of directors are 10.
- Articles of Corporation: Prior to registering an Ontario corporation, Articles of Corporation must be prepared in accordance with Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA). Once a customer place an order with us, our lawyers prepare standard Aticles of Corporation (Class A voting shares and Class B non-voting shares) for the customer at free of cost. If a customer wants to have customized Articles of Corporation for a specific need of the business, our lawyers can do so at an additional fee.
Functions and Features:
- Corporations can conduct any lawful business as well as the actions necessary to conduct the business, like entering contracts, owning assets, borrowing money, hiring employees, and setting up a bank account of its own.
- An Ontario Corporation allows to add an operating name under it so that the company can operate under different names. This type of registration is called Master Business License registration. A corporation is issued a new CRA business number which is a unique number generated by CRA that recognizes the corporation to Canada Revenue Agency.
- The corporate name is protected in the province of Ontario.
- Initial Returns must be filed within 60 days from the date of incorporation. It is not a tax filing rather listing the names of all the directors of the corporation, their address for service and date they were elected/appointed Failure to file Initial returns can cancel the corporation.
Other Filing with Incorporation
- Initial Return: Every Ontario corporation must file Initial Return (alternatively known as Form 1) with Service Ontario within first 60 days of incorporation. It is not a tax filing rather listing the names of all the directors of the corporation, their address for service and date they were elected/appointed. Initial Return is a MANDATORY filing and failure to file Initial Return can cancel the corporation.
- CRA Program Accounts Registration:
- CRA Business Number: Your corporation must obtain a CRA Business Number. This is NOT the "business registration number". This is a 9 digit identification number of your business provided by Canada Revenue Agency. Your corporation needs this number to do any filing with CRA. We offer this in package or out of package.
- Corporate tax Account (RC Number): This the RC number, usually comes as RC0001 after the 9 digit business number. This number functions as a Social Insurance Number (SIN) for your corporation. Regardless the income (profit or loss or no sales), the corporation must file a corporate tax return (even 0 amount) with CRA. The corporate tax account number is used for this purpose. We offer this in package or out of package.
- HST Account Number (RT Number): Every Ontario corporation (unless exempted), must collect HST amount on be half of the Governmnet during the sales of the goods and services. The corporation must register an HST account number with CRA to collect HST legally. The sales receipts/invoices must show the HST number on it. When the corporation buys the supplies or equipments, it also pays the HST amount. This HST amount could be claimed back from CRA through the HST account number. We offer HST account registration service this in package or out of package.
- Payroll Account (RP Number): If the corporation have any employee, it must pay the employee through payroll account. If the owner himself or a family member, wants to take some money from the corporation as an employee, the corporation must pay it through the payroll account. We offer payroll account registration service in package or out of package.
- Import Export Account (RM Number): If your Ontario corporation imports goods into Canada or exports goods to other countries, you MUST register for an import-export program account. Canada Revenue Agency will use this import-export program account number to process customs documents.
- WSIB Account Registrations: If your Ontario corporation has any employee (including family members and sub-contractors), generally the corporation needs a WSIB account (unless exemted). WSIB account registration is mandatory if your business involves with the following:
- Construction business.
- Restaurant or bar.
- agriculture or manufacturing business.
- trucking or transportation industry.
- homeowner or private resident hiring a domestic employee, such as a babysitter, nanny, cook, gardener, handy person, housekeeper, maid, etc.
- Any of the follwing businesses:
- bank, trust and insurance company.
- trade unions.
- private schools or private day cares.
- travel agency.
- photographers.
- barbers and many hair salons (with exceptions).
- funeral directing and embalming.
Update and Maintenance
- Filing Corporation Update: Business Corporations Act requires all Ontario corporations to keep their information up to date by filing the appropriate records update(s) within 15 days of any change. This includes:
- Changes in director(s).
- Change in the registered address of the corporation.
- Change in the mailing address of the corporation.
- Change in shareholders (owners).
- Change in officers (CEO, President, Secretary etc.).
- Change in address of director/officer/sharehodler.
- Change in residency status of director(s).
- Change in legal name (because of marriage or other reasons) of director/officer/shareholder.
- Change in title/designation of officer(s).
- Filing Annual Return.
- Filing HST Return.
- Corporate Tax Return.
- Filing WSIB Return.
- Adding Trade Name/DBA.
- Trademarking it.
- Expanding it to Other Provinces.