Helpful PDF Guides - View All

Business Registration

Registering your business name

One of your first tasks when setting up a new business will be to register it. Our staff can provide you with all the information you need.

What are the steps to register my business?

Step 1 – Name Approval Form
Download Name Approval Form (or “Name Search” Form). Read Information Sheet on top page of forms for Name Requirements paying particular attention to the Firm Names Section.

Step 2 – Business Name Search
Prior to submitting your name approval form, Small Business BC has microfiche machines that you can access in-person, free of charge, to search that the name you have chosen is available and not being used by another BC Incorporated company.

Step 3 - Complete Name Approval Form
It’s best to fill out all 3 name choices to increase chances for approval of desired name.

The Corporate Registry will only examine the request until a name is approved - if your first choice is approved they do not search the remaining two.

Your name must have two components:

  • The first part of your name must start with a distinctive non-descriptiveword or phrase. e.g.: a geographical location, your name, a made up word or phrase, or initials.
  • The second part of your name must describe what type of business you are in, e.g.: shoe store, investments, or doggy wash. A name that would meet the criteria would be John's Shoe Store or Vancouver Doggy Wash. Names that would not be approved are The Shoe Store or The Doggy Wash.

Incorporating a company you must add a third component called the corporate designation: e.g. Limited, Ltd., Corporation, Corp., Incorporated, Inc. When registering a Sole Proprietorship or Partnership, a corporate designation is not used.

Step 4 – Submit Your Name Approval Form:
(For Sole Proprietorship or Partnership and Incorporation)

Visit: Small Business BC
Basic Fee: $44.50 (including tax) Accept cash, MasterCard, Visa or Debit card
Name approval results within 1 business day

or

Mail to: Names Unit, Registrar of Companies
PO Box 9431 Stn, Prov Govt,
Victoria BC V8W 9V3
Basic Fee: $30 registration (including tax) Accept cheque or money order, made out to the “Minister of Finance”. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Name approval results within 2 -3 weeks

Step 5 - Register your Business Name
Once your business name is approved, this name will be reserved for56calendar days. During this time you must submit your declaration form for a Sole Proprietorship or Partnership or file your Incorporation papers.

Register your Sole Proprietorship or Partnership business:

  1. Register your business online.
    • OneStop Business Registry enables proprietorship and partnership businesses to register online with multiple public sector agencies in one step.
    • Basic Fee: $40 (Registration application process conducted immediately)

  2. Register your business in-person at Small Business BC

  3. Register your business by mail:

    • Ministry of Finance, Corporation and Personal Property Registries
    • PO Box 9431 Stn, Prov Govt,
    • Victoria BC V8W 9V3
    • Basic Fee: $40 (including tax) Accept cheque or money order, made out to the “Minister of Finance”. Please do not send cash in the mail.
    • (Registration application process conducted in 2 -3 weeks)
    • Download Sole Proprietorship and General Partnership form

Register your Incorporation business:

For more information visit, Incorporating a Business

Along with registering your business name, you’ll also need to comply with other legal requirements related to provincial and federal taxation, the Worker’s Compensation Board, labour laws, business records and more.

For more details, Click here to download the Small Business BC basic business Legal Requirements Checklist.

Step 6 - Obtain Your Business Number
Once you have registered for your business you must obtain a Business Number (BN or GST number) for the purpose of:

  • corporate income import/export
  • employee payroll deductions
  • Optional if your annual business revenue is not expected to exceed $30,000.00

If you conduct business as a proprietorship or a partnership, report your share of gross and net profits (or losses) for business' fiscal period on your individual tax return (T1).  For an incorporated company, file a corporation tax return within six months of the end of the corporation's fiscal period.

To obtain your BN quickly, visit the Vancouver office at 1166 W. Pender or the Surrey office at 9755 King George Hwy.You can also call: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) toll free at 1-800-959-5525. Or http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca (For 2-3 week turnaround). For more information, visit the Canada Revenue Agency