Guides & Articles for Canadian Entrepreneurs
Plain-language guides on incorporation, compliance, and corporate maintenance to help you make informed decisions about your business.
Incorporation Guides
Step-by-step guides to incorporating your business federally or provincially in Canada.
Compliance & Maintenance
How to keep your corporation in good standing: annual returns, record-keeping, and more.
Jurisdiction Comparisons
Federal vs. provincial, and starting a business in Ontario: understand the differences before you choose.
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Incorporation Guides
NUANS Reports for Law Firms and Law Clerks: A Procurement Guide
Corporate search pricing has moved sharply against Canadian law firms since 2022. This is a practical look at what a name search should cost a firm, how to order one without a search-house membership, and how to handle the disbursement.
Compliance & Maintenance
Articles of Amendment in Ontario: When You Need Them and How to File
Changing an Ontario corporation's name, share structure or number of directors means filing Articles of Amendment. Here is what they cover, the shareholder approval required, the $150 government fee, and how the filing works.
Compliance & Maintenance
Ontario Initial Return: What It Is and How to File It
Every new Ontario corporation must file an Initial Return within 60 days of incorporation. Here is what goes on it, how to file it, what it costs, and how it differs from the annual return and the Notice of Change.
Incorporation Guides
Your Corporate Name Was Refused. What Now?
A clean NUANS report and a refused name are not a contradiction. Here are the four grounds examiners actually refuse on, and the five routes back, including the one most people never consider.
Incorporation Guides
NUANS Report Alberta: When You Need One and How to Get It
Alberta requires an Alberta NUANS report for a named corporation, and unlike Ontario it wants the full report handed in, less than 91 days old, through a registry agent. Here is which filings need one and how to order it.
Incorporation Guides
NUANS Report Ontario: How to Order One and File It
Ontario accepts only an Ontario-biased NUANS report, dated within 90 days, and the government never checks your name for you. Here is which filings need one, how to order it, and exactly what to enter on the Ontario Business Registry.
Incorporation Guides
How to Read a NUANS Report, Line by Line
A NUANS report is a list of names with codes beside them and no verdict at the bottom. Here is what each part means, how an examiner reads it, and how to tell a fatal conflict from background noise.
Jurisdiction Comparisons
Which Canadian Jurisdictions Actually Require a NUANS Report?
Most articles list seven or eight provinces. The real answer, according to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, is three provinces, and a federal incorporation no longer needs one. Here is the jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction breakdown.
Compliance & Maintenance
Corporate Tax Rates in Canada and the Small Business Deduction
The low small business tax rate is one of the main reasons people incorporate. Here is how corporate tax rates work in Canada and what the small business deduction really does.
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Incorporation Guides
- NUANS Reports for Law Firms and Law Clerks: A Procurement Guide
- Your Corporate Name Was Refused. What Now?
- NUANS Report Alberta: When You Need One and How to Get It
- NUANS Report Ontario: How to Order One and File It
- How to Read a NUANS Report, Line by Line
- Professional Corporations in Canada: How They Work
- How to Incorporate Yourself: A Guide for Freelancers and Contractors
- Holding Company in Canada: What It Is and How It Works
- Named vs Numbered Corporation: Which Should You Choose?
- LLC in Canada: Why You Cannot Form One (and What to Do Instead)
- How to Incorporate a Business in Canada (Federal)
- What Are Articles of Incorporation?
- How to Register a Sole Proprietorship in Ontario
- How Much Does It Cost to Incorporate in Ontario?
- How to Register a Business in Ontario
- Sole Proprietorship vs Corporation in Canada: Which Is Right for You?
- What Is a NUANS Name Search, and Do You Need One?
Compliance & Maintenance
- Articles of Amendment in Ontario: When You Need Them and How to File
- Ontario Initial Return: What It Is and How to File It
- Corporate Tax Rates in Canada and the Small Business Deduction
- Shareholder Agreements in Canada: What They Are and Why They Matter
- Salary vs Dividends: How to Pay Yourself From Your Corporation
- How to Open a Business Bank Account in Canada
- How to Confirm a GST/HST Number
- How to Get a CRA Business Number
- How to Dissolve a Corporation in Ontario
- What Is a Minute Book, and Why Does Your Corporation Need One?
- How to Get a GST/HST Number in Ontario
- Business Number vs Corporation Number: What's the Difference?
- Corporate Annual Returns in Canada: A Complete Guide
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We're regularly publishing new guides on incorporation, compliance, and running a Canadian corporation.
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