Registering your business
As a prospective entrepreneur or new business owner, you are no doubt aware of the importance of spreading the word about your organization. In addition to informing potential customers about your business, you must let the government know about your plans.
You may need to register with several different levels of government for many different reasons. This document provides an overview of the key registration requirements that may apply to your business.
On this page:
Before registering
Before registering your business, you must think about what form of business you want to start and what you want to call your business.
- Naming your business
Choose the right name for your business. Your business name should be unique and easy to remember, and should describe the products and services you provide.
- Corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship?
Find out which type of business structure is right for your business: incorporation, a partnership, a sole proprietorships or a cooperative.
- Registered charity vs. non-profit organization
Understand the differences between charitable and non-profit organizations as per Canada's Income Tax Act.
Business Number
- Business Number (BN)
Your Business Number is your single account number for dealing with the federal government regarding taxes, payroll, import/export and other activities.
- NEQ - Quebec Enterprise Number
Simplify and speed up your dealings with the various Quebec government departments and organizations by registering with the Registraire des entreprises [Quebec enterprise registrar].
Provincial and territorial business registration
Most provincial and territorial governments require that you register your business with them.
- Establishment of an extra-provincial limited partnership (New Brunswick)
Find out about the rules, procedures and fees to file a declaration for an extra-provincial limited partnership.
- New West Partnership Trade Agreement
If your business is located in British Columbia, Alberta, or Saskatchewan, this agreement can save you time as it allows for a seamless business registration between provinces.
- Corporate Registry
To conduct business in Alberta, register your cooperative, corporation, extra-provincial company, non-profit company, society, trade name and/or partnership.
- BC Business Registry
This website will guide you through the steps of registering your sole proprietorship or general partnership business in BC.
- Corporate Online
This website will take you through the steps to incorporate your business in BC or to register an extraprovincial business in BC.
- Name Requests Online
Submit a business or corporate name for approval by B.C. Registry Services.
- Establishment of a limited partnership (New Brunswick)
Find out about the rules, procedures and fees to form a limited partnership in New Brunswick.
- Registration of an extra-provincial corporation (New Brunswick)
Find out about the rules, procedures and fees for registering an extra-provincial corporation in New Brunswick.
- Private Occupational Training Certificate of Registration
Find out how to register your private occupational training business in NB.
- Incorporation / registration of a business
Find out about the rules, procedures and fees for registering a provincial corporation in New Brunswick.
- Registry of Companies (Newfoundland and Labrador)
In Newfoundland and Labrador, you must register with the Registry of Companies if you decide to incorporate provincially.
- Corporate Registry — Business Corporations — Extra-Territorial Registration (Northwest Territories)
Are you currently operating a corporation outside the Northwest Territories and interested in expanding your company into the Northwest Territories? Find out the requirements to register your business in the Territory.
- Access Nova Scotia
Find out how to register your business, obtain permits and licences, and get information on other programs and services.
- Registry of Joint Stock Companies
Register your business or research existing corporations and partnerships.
- Business corporations — Extra-territorial companies (Nunavut)
Find out how to register your corporation in Nunavut as an extra-territorial business.
- Legal registries (Nunavut)
Learn more about registering a business in Nunavut.
- Partnerships and Business Names - (Nunavut)
If you are doing business in Nunavut you may need to register your partnership or business name there.
- Corporate Registries: Societies
Learn how you can incorporate your non-profit society in Nunavut.
- Extra-provincial domestic corporations operating in Ontario
If your business was incorporated federally or in another province/territory, you must tell the Ontario government you are doing business in Ontario.
- Business name registration information (Ontario)
Register your business name online, in person or by mail.
- Limited partnerships (Ontario)
Find out if a limited partnership is right for your business.
- Collection agency licensing
Find out how to register and license your collection agency in Ontario.
- Corporate services — Business name registration
Register your business name in Prince Edward Island to prevent other organizations from using the same business name.
- Register my company to do business on P.E.I.
Are you looking to do business in P.E.I., but are incorporated elsewhere? If so, you must register as an extra-provincial corporation.
- Cooperatives Act (in French only)
Learn about the Cooperatives Act and regulations that govern non-financial cooperatives.
- Creating a non-profit corporation or organization
Learn the major steps for establishing a non-profit corporation or organization in Quebec.
- Enterprise registrar
If you have a business operating in Quebec, you must register with the enterprise register and declare your organization's legal form.
- NEQ - Quebec Enterprise Number
Simplify and speed up your dealings with the various Quebec government departments and organizations by registering with the Registraire des entreprises [Quebec enterprise registrar].
- Registration of a charitable organization
Find all the information you need to register a charity in Quebec.
- Revenu Québec – Business Portal
Is your company based in Quebec? This business portal provides information on income tax, consumption taxes, and more, to help you meet your fiscal obligations.
- Setting up a cooperative (in French only)
Do you want to create or start a cooperative? If so, this site provides useful information about starting a cooperative.
- Forming a co-operative in Saskatchewan
Find out how to register a co-operative in Saskatchewan, including information on fees and required forms.
- Registering a sole proprietorship or partnership in Saskatchewan
Find out how to register your business name as a sole proprietorship or partnership in Saskatchewan, including the fees, the forms required and the turn-around time.
- Business registration in the Yukon
In order to register your business in the Yukon, you will need to contact Corporate Affairs.
Incorporation
If you decide to incorporate your business, you can incorporate federally or provincially.
Federal incorporation allows you to do business under the same name in all provinces and territories, although you may still need to register your business in individual provinces and territories. If you do plan to do business in more than one province or territory now or in the future, you should consider incorporating federally. Before doing so, you need to complete a NUANS name search.
- NUANS Corporate name search
Compare your proposed business name to the names of existing businesses to see if it is unique.
Federal incorporation
- Federal business incorporation
Access convenient online or paper methods of incorporating your business federally.
- Guide to Federal Incorporation
Step by step guidelines to help you incorporate your business and set up an appropriate structure.
- Create/Maintain a Cooperative
Find out what a cooperative is and how to create and maintain one.
- Keeping your corporation in good standing: Reporting obligations
Find out how to keep your federally incorporated company in good standing.
- Steps to follow to revive a corporation
Find out how you can revive a dissolved federal corporation and restore it to its pre-dissolution legal status.
Provincial or territorial incorporation
- Corporate Registry
To conduct business in Alberta, register your cooperative, corporation, extra-provincial company, non-profit company, society, trade name and/or partnership.
- BC Business Registry
This website will guide you through the steps of registering your sole proprietorship or general partnership business in BC.
- Incorporation / registration of a business
Find out about the rules, procedures and fees for registering a provincial corporation in New Brunswick.
- Incorporation of non-profit companies (New Brunswick)
Find out about the rules, procedures and fees for incorporating a not-for-profit company in New Brunswick.
- Registry of Companies (Newfoundland and Labrador)
In Newfoundland and Labrador, you must register with the Registry of Companies if you decide to incorporate provincially.
- Corporate Registry — Co-operative Associations
Are you looking to establish and incorporate a co-operative within the Northwest Territories? Find out the rules pertaining to starting your venture and what is needed to remain compliant with the law.
- Corporate Registry — Business Corporations
Are you looking to incorporate your business? Find out how you can register to do business in the Northwest Territories.
- Corporate Registry — Societies
Are you interested in starting a society or non-profit organization? Find out the benefits of incorporation and what you are required to do at the territorial and federal levels.
- Business incorporation and registration
Incorporate your business provincially through the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies.
- Business corporations — Territorial corporations (Nunavut)
Find out how to incorporate as a territorial business in Nunavut.
- Ontario Business Incorporation
Incorporate your Ontario business online, in person, or by mail.
- Professional corporations
Find out how you can incorporate your practice in Ontario for specific regulated professions.
- Making changes to your corporate information
Find out how to make changes to the information about your Ontario corporation, including its name, address and number of directors.
- Reviving your corporation
You may be able to revive your Ontario corporation if it was involuntarily dissolved within the past 20 years.
- Incorporate a business (Quebec)
Learn the steps to incorporate your business in Quebec, especially the forms to be filled out and the application process.
- Incorporating Your Business in Saskatchewan
Find out how to incorporate your business in Saskatchewan, including the fees, the forms required and the turn-around time.
- Registering an extra-provincial corporation in Saskatchewan
If you own an out-of-province corporation and are doing business in Saskatchewan, you will have to extra-provincially incorporate your business in Saskatchewan.
- Forming a non-profit corporation in Saskatchewan
Find out how to register your non-profit corporation in Saskatchewan, including the fees, the forms required and the turn-around time.
Permits and licences
You may also require specific permits and licences from the federal, provincial or municipal governments, depending on your location, industry sector, and specific activities that you plan to conduct. Use our permits and licences search to find out which permits and licences might apply to your business.
- Permits and licences
Use our search tool to find out what permits and licences your business may need from the federal, provincial and municipal governments.
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