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Incorporation · Ontario & federal
Incorporate your business — set up properly from the first filing.
Incorporation — federally or in any province — and the CRA accounts — with the minute book, books set-up and a December year-end as optional add-ons — handled by the firm that will keep the books and file your first T2. One conversation, no hand-offs.
Should I incorporate?
It's a numbers question before it's a paperwork question.
A corporation is a separate taxpayer. In Ontario it pays about 11.7% on its first $500,000 of active business income for a December 31, 2026 year-end, and about 11.2% from 2027 (the Ontario small-business rate fell from 3.2% to 2.2% on July 1, 2026, prorated across a year that straddles that date); the top personal rate is 53.53%. That gap is only useful if you can leave money in the corporation — if you spend everything the business earns, incorporating mostly adds cost.
Reasons it usually makes sense
- You earn more than you need to live on. Retained income is taxed at the small business rate and invested or held inside the corporation.
- You want to separate the business from yourself. Contracts, leases and debts sit with the corporation. (Professional negligence and personally guaranteed loans still follow you.)
- Customers or contracts require it. Some clients and agencies only deal with incorporated suppliers.
- You're planning for a sale, a partner, or family involvement. Shares can be structured for it from day one.
Reasons to wait
- The business is small or part-time and you spend what it earns.
- You expect losses in the first year or two — inside a corporation they can't offset your other personal income.
- You'd be incorporating to split income with family: the tax on split income rules have narrowed that considerably since 2018.
Physicians and other regulated professionals have their own rules — see why and when a physician should incorporate, including with student loans.
Weighing it up? Should you incorporate your business in Ontario? works through the arithmetic, the cases where it does not pay, and what a corporation costs to run each year.
Ontario, federal or another province?
Ontario — the usual choice for a business operating in Ontario. Filed through the Ontario Business Registry; the name is protected in Ontario.
Federal — name protected across Canada; a little more annual paperwork, and the corporation still registers in Ontario to operate here. Worth it if you'll trade under the name in other provinces.
Another province — if the business will be based outside Ontario, we prepare and file there too; the registry and the fees differ by province and are quoted before we start.
Government filing fees are $300 for Ontario and $200 federally — see what it costs.
Already a sole proprietor?
The business, its equipment and its goodwill can usually move into the new corporation on a tax-deferred basis with the right election. We plan the transfer so the switch doesn't trigger tax.
What we do
From the name search to the first payroll run.
The steps below are the sequence we follow for every incorporation. Most Ontario filings are complete within a few business days of the decision.
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Decide, with your numbers
Income, spending, debt and plans on one page. If incorporating doesn't pay for itself, we'll say so.
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Name or number
A numbered corporation is fastest and can carry a business name. For a named corporation we run the NUANS name search and check the name is available.
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Articles and share structure
Share classes that fit what you're planning — an owner-operator, a spouse or family member, a future partner, or the specific share provisions a professional corporation has to have.
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File and register
Articles filed with Ontario or Corporations Canada, the Ontario registration for a federal corporation, and the CRA business number with corporate tax, HST and payroll accounts opened as needed.
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Minute book and organization
By-laws, organizational resolutions, share certificates and the registers, kept up to date each year with the annual resolutions and the Ontario annual return.
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Set up the books and the year-end
Books set up with a chart of accounts built for the business, a December 31 year-end so the corporation and your personal return run on one calendar, and a first-year plan for salary and dividends.
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Professional corporations
For physicians, dentists and other regulated professionals we prepare the articles to the regulator's requirements and give you the incorporation documents your College asks for. The Certificate of Authorization application itself you file with the College — we don't do that part.
After incorporation
What changes on day one.
- A separate bank account for the corporation — no mixing with personal money.
- Invoices, contracts and leases in the corporation's name.
- HST registration once sales pass $30,000 in four consecutive quarters (or earlier by choice).
- Payroll if you or anyone else takes a salary — remittances on the 15th, T4s by the end of February.
- Deadlines of its own: the T2 six months after year-end, the balance two or three months after, the Ontario annual return, and instalments once tax passes $3,000. The Deadline tools page shows yours.
- Your personal return still matters. Salary and dividends come out to you and are taxed on your T1 — which is why we prepare both together.
Already incorporated?
If someone else filed your articles, we can still take on the minute book, open the CRA accounts, set up the books and plan the first year. Call 647-870-8498.
What it costs
One fixed fee, government fee included.
An Ontario numbered corporation is from CA$599 — our fee and the $300 government filing fee together, with nothing added at invoice time. Named, federal and professional corporations take more work (the NUANS report, the Ontario registration, the regulator's application), so we quote those after a short call.
What the $599 covers
- The decision meeting — your numbers, and whether incorporating pays
- Articles and a share structure that fits: owner-operator, spouse or family, or professional-corporation shares
- Filing the articles with Ontario
- CRA business number with the corporate tax, HST and payroll accounts you need
Add-ons, quoted separately
- Minute book: by-laws, organizational resolutions, share certificates and registers
- Books set up, a December 31 year-end and a first-year salary and dividend plan
- Named corporations (NUANS report), federal incorporation with Corporations Canada, and professional corporations
Call 647-870-8498 for the number for your situation.
Government fees (2026)
| Fee | Filing |
|---|---|
| $300 | Ontario incorporation, filed online |
| $200 | Federal incorporation, filed online |
| $0 | Ontario registration of a federal corporation |
| $15–80 | NUANS name report, named corporations only |
| Varies | Regulator's Certificate of Authorization for a professional corporation |
Government fees change from time to time; we confirm them when we quote.
Common questions
What people ask before incorporating.
Do I need a lawyer to incorporate?
Not for a standard incorporation. We prepare and file the articles, open the CRA accounts and, if you want one, set up the minute book. If you need a shareholder agreement between unrelated partners, or legal advice on a dispute or a complex ownership structure, that is a lawyer's work and we'll tell you so.
How much does it cost?
An Ontario numbered corporation is from CA$599, including the $300 government fee. The minute book, books set-up and first-year planning are optional add-ons, quoted separately. Named, federal, professional and out-of-province corporations are quoted after a short call. The What it costs section lists the government fees separately.
Named or numbered?
A numbered corporation (for example, 1234567 Ontario Inc.) is faster and cheaper and can register a business name to trade under. A named corporation puts the name on the articles and protects it. Many small businesses start numbered and register the trade name.
How long does it take?
Ontario online filings are usually complete within a few business days of the name search; federal filings are similar. Opening the CRA accounts and the bank account adds a week or two.
Can I move my existing business into a corporation?
Yes. Equipment, inventory and goodwill can usually transfer on a tax-deferred basis with the right election, so the switch doesn't create a tax bill. We plan the transfer and file the election.
Which year-end should the corporation have?
We recommend December 31 for most owner-managed corporations. It lines up with your personal return, so salary, dividends, RRSP room and instalments are planned on one calendar.
Do you handle professional corporations?
Yes — medicine professional corporations and other regulated professions. The articles have to meet the regulator's requirements, and we prepare them. The Certificate of Authorization is a separate application you make to your College; we don't file it, but we give you the incorporation documents it requires. Physicians: see the physicians page for when it makes sense.
General information about incorporating in Ontario, not advice for your situation. Share structure and shareholder agreements are legal work; we bring in a lawyer where one is needed.
Ready to incorporate, or not sure yet?
Either is a good reason to call 647-870-8498.