Incorporate your business. Get the structure right from day one.
Most DIY incorporations end up with one class of common shares and zero room for tax planning. We set up your OBCA or CBCA corporation with the share structure, CRA accounts, and minute book that actually match how you'll run the business.
Book a Free ConsultationWhat you get
OBCA or CBCA incorporation -- we'll tell you which one fits and why
NUANS name search and reservation (or a numbered company if you'd rather skip the naming process)
Articles of Incorporation with a share structure built for real tax planning -- common, preferred, voting classes
CRA Business Number and program accounts: RT for HST, RP for payroll, RC for your T2 corporate return
Organizational resolutions, director and officer appointments, and your first-year minute book
Shareholder register, share certificates, and by-laws -- the paperwork your bank will ask for
A compliance calendar so you know exactly what's due and when
First-year T2 tax planning: salary vs. dividend mix, the small business deduction, and CCPC positioning
How it works
1
We talk through your situation
Book a free call. We'll look at your income, your plans, and your risk exposure. Sometimes sole proprietorship still makes more sense -- and we'll say so.
2
We build and file everything
NUANS search, articles with the right share classes, filing with the Ontario Business Registry or Corporations Canada, and your CRA Business Number with program accounts. Usually done within 5-10 business days.
3
You're up and running
You get a minute book, compliance calendar, and a first-year tax plan. You'll know exactly how to pay yourself -- salary, dividends, or both -- and when everything is due.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to incorporate a business in Ontario?
Government fees first: an OBCA incorporation costs $300 online through the Ontario Business Registry. A federal CBCA is $200 through Corporations Canada, plus roughly $330 for extra-provincial registration in Ontario. You'll also need a NUANS name search -- about $13.80 federally, $30-$75 provincially -- unless you go with a numbered company. On top of that, we charge a flat professional fee that covers the full setup: NUANS, articles, share structure, resolutions, minute book, and CRA accounts. We'll quote that on your free consultation call.
What is the difference between provincial (OBCA) and federal (CBCA) incorporation in Canada?
OBCA is Ontario-only. Your corporate name is protected inside Ontario, and that's it. CBCA gives you national name protection -- useful if you plan to operate in other provinces or want stronger brand coverage. But federal corps still need to register extra-provincially in Ontario, which means extra filings and fees. One more thing: CBCA requires at least 25% of your directors to be Canadian residents. Ontario dropped that rule in July 2021, so OBCA has no residency requirement for directors. For most local owner-operated businesses, OBCA is simpler and cheaper. We'd point you to CBCA if national brand protection or multi-province plans matter to you.
Should I incorporate or stay as a sole proprietor?
It depends on what you earn and what you spend. A CCPC (Canadian-Controlled Private Corporation) pays about 12.2% on the first $500,000 of active business income in Ontario. Your personal rate at higher income can top 53%. So if you're earning more than you personally spend and want to keep money inside the business, incorporation saves real tax. But if you're under roughly $100,000 and spending most of it, sole proprietorship is simpler and cheaper. One warning: TOSI rules (Tax on Split Income, introduced in 2018) limit how much you can save by paying dividends to family members. Those dividends only help if the family member meets specific tests -- otherwise CRA taxes them at the top rate. We run the numbers for your situation before we recommend anything.
What are the tax advantages of incorporating in Ontario?
The big ones: the Small Business Deduction (SBD) drops your rate to about 12.2% on the first $500,000 of active business income. You defer personal tax on anything you leave inside the corporation -- you only pay personal rates when you take money out as salary or dividends. You can split income by paying salary to family members who genuinely work in the business. And if you sell, the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption shelters $1,016,836 (2024 figure) on qualifying small business corporation shares. You also get access to Individual Pension Plans, Health Spending Accounts, and capital dividend account planning. The catch? Passive investment income above $50,000 inside the CCPC starts eating into your SBD. And TOSI rules limit dividend sprinkling to family.
How long does it take to incorporate a business in Ontario?
The filing itself is fast. OBCA is usually approved the same business day. CBCA takes about one business day. The real time goes into the setup before you file: choosing named vs. numbered, running NUANS, designing your share structure, appointing directors and officers, and drafting the articles. After filing, we register your CRA Business Number and program accounts -- RT for HST, RP for payroll, RC for your T2 corporate return -- and build out the minute book. Most clients go from first call to fully operational corporation in about 5-10 business days.
Do I need a lawyer or accountant to incorporate my business?
Legally? No. You can file OBCA or CBCA articles yourself. But here's what we see all the time: someone files DIY, ends up with one class of common shares, and two years later can't split income, pay dividends flexibly, or claim the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption without restructuring -- which triggers tax. An accountant-led setup gets the share structure and CRA accounts right the first time. That keeps income splitting, salary vs. dividend decisions, and an eventual QSBC share sale on the table. A lawyer is worth adding if you have multiple unrelated shareholders, need a shareholder agreement, or have complex voting and liquidation preferences.