Countries/Canada/Canada Business Setup
Canada · Business Setup
Canada Business Setup.
Federal or provincial, Ontario or BC — incorporate cleanly the first time.
Canada offers federal and provincial incorporation across ten provinces and three territories. Choice of province, vehicle and corporate residency matter for tax, immigration and banking. We coordinate through regulated Canadian counsel.
What it is
The full picture, in plain language.
Canada business setup covers federal (Canada Business Corporations Act) and provincial incorporation, CRA registrations (BN, GST/HST, payroll, import-export), banking and corporate filings.
Vehicles include CBCA federal corporation, OBCA Ontario, BCBCA British Columbia, ULCs (Alberta, BC), branches and LPs.
Who it's for
Designed for these situations.
International founders entering Canada
Operating subsidiary or holding company as the Canadian base.
US-Canada cross-border groups
Where Canadian incorporation supports cross-border tax and labour mobility.
Tech and life-sciences scale-ups
Accessing SR&ED credits and the Canadian talent pool.
Family holding structures
Canadian holdco above Canadian operating companies and investments.
Benefits
What the right structure delivers.
Stable G7 jurisdiction
Strong institutions, transparent registries, common law (outside Quebec).
SR&ED tax credits
Generous R&D refundable credits for qualifying businesses.
USMCA access
Free trade access to US and Mexican markets under USMCA.
Banking access
Established corporate banking via Big Five (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC).
Talent pool
Strong tech, financial services and engineering talent.
Immigration linkages
Corporate establishment supports several immigration pathways for principals and key staff.
The process
Step by step — nothing hidden, nothing skipped.
- 01
Vehicle & province
Week 1Federal vs provincial, Ontario vs BC vs Alberta, ULC vs Corp, residency of directors.
- 02
Incorporation
Weeks 1-2Articles, registered office, statutory registers, NUANS name search.
- 03
CRA registrations
Weeks 2-3Business Number, GST/HST, payroll, import-export accounts.
- 04
Banking
Weeks 3-8Corporate account with a Big Five or international bank.
- 05
Provincial sales tax & WSIB
Weeks 3-4Province-specific registrations (e.g. WSIB for Ontario employers).
- 06
Year-1 governance
OngoingAnnual returns, statutory registers, T2 corporate tax filing.
Timeline
What a typical engagement looks like.
Weeks 1-2
Vehicle, incorporation, name search.
Weeks 2-4
CRA registrations, provincial filings.
Weeks 4-8
Banking, operational setup.
Year 1
T2 return, annual filings.
Documents required
The evidence pack we will ask for.
Director and shareholder ID
Per CBCA / provincial KYC.
Parent company documents (if corporate parent)
Certificate, register, board resolution.
Registered office address
Real Canadian address required.
Source of funds
For corporate banking.
Costs & fees
What you should budget for.
Canadian incorporation is modestly priced; banking and accounting form the bulk of Year-1 cost.
Federal incorporation fee
CAD 200 (online)
Provincial incorporation fee
CAD 300 - 500
Province-dependent.
Registered office service
CAD 800 - 2,000 / year
Year-1 accounting & T2
From CAD 3,500
Via Canadian CPA.
Morifar coordination fee
From CAD 6,000
Structure design, partner coordination, banking introduction.
FAQs
Questions we are asked, and the honest answers.
Federal or provincial?+
Federal for name protection nationwide and flexibility; provincial often simpler for single-province operations.
Director residency?+
Federal CBCA requires 25% Canadian-resident directors (or fewer if total directors ≤4 — at least one). BC and Alberta have no Canadian-resident director requirement.
Is GST/HST mandatory?+
Above CAD 30,000 in revenue, yes. Below, voluntary registration is often advantageous.
What is SR&ED?+
Scientific Research & Experimental Development tax credit — refundable for qualifying CCPCs at up to 35% of eligible expenditure.
Common mistakes
What we see go wrong — so it doesn't happen to you.
Federal without considering director residency
CBCA's 25% rule can force inconvenient directorships. BC may be cleaner for foreign-controlled groups.
Late CRA registration
Triggers penalties and complicates the first year's filings.
Missing SR&ED in Year 1
Technical businesses leave material credits unclaimed without proper documentation from day one.
No GST/HST registration
Voluntary registration often unlocks input-tax recovery; missed opportunity for many service businesses.
Explain like I'm 10
The simplest version of the whole thing.
Setting up a company in Canada means picking which province to register in, telling the tax office who you are, and opening a bank account. We help with all of it.
Related services
Private consultation
Discuss canada business setup with the team.
A confidential first conversation — no obligation, no sales pitch. We listen, map your situation, and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.
Request a consultation