s
starttheapp
Launch Blueprint
americas

Incorporate a Startup in CanadaFederal / Ontario

Stable, low-tax, and bilingual access to North America. Strong R&D credits via SR&ED.

Key incorporation facts for Canada

Time to incorporate
1 - 5 days
Estimated setup cost
C$200 - C$700
Corporate tax rate
15% federal + 11.5% ON
Ease of remote setup
Yes
Annual compliance: T2 Corporate Return + Annual Return + HST filings \u00b7 Currency: CAD \u00b7 11 required materials / 19 total

12-step launch checklist

From pre-launch name reservation through first annual filing.

  1. 01
    NUANS name search and reservation
    Pre-Launch
  2. 02
    File Form 1 (Articles of Incorporation) federally via Corporations Canada
    Incorporation
  3. 03
    File Form 2 (Registered Office) and Form 6 (Directors)
    Incorporation
  4. 04
    Pass organizing resolutions and issue founder shares
    Incorporation
  5. 05
    Register Ontario extra-provincial (if federally incorporated)
    Incorporation
  6. 06
    Obtain CRA Business Number + RC/RT/RP accounts
    Tax
  7. 07
    Register for HST once turnover approaches C$30,000
    Tax
  8. 08
    Open Canadian business bank account
    Banking
  9. 09
    Register with WSIB if hiring employees
    Compliance
  10. 10
    Set up PIPEDA-compliant privacy policy and CASL consent flows
    Compliance
  11. 11
    Apply for SR&ED if doing eligible R&D
    Tax
  12. 12
    File first T2 corporate return + annual return
    Compliance

Legal & Incorporation

Federal incorporation through Corporations Canada plus the basic constituting documents under the CBCA.

Articles of Incorporation (Form 1)

PDF

CBCA Form 1 to incorporate federally with Corporations Canada.

formREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

Online Filing Centre (Federal)

PORTAL

Submit Form 1, Form 2 (registered office), and Form 6 (directors) online in one workflow.

guideREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

Ontario Business Registry

PORTAL

Register an Ontario-incorporated corporation or extra-provincial registration if federally incorporated.

guideREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

By-Laws Template (Canadian)

DOCX

General by-laws governing meetings, officers, and share issuance for a CBCA corporation.

templateREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

Unanimous Shareholders Agreement (USA)

DOCX

Founders agreement - critical for vesting, transfer restrictions, and decision rights.

templateREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

Tax & Banking

CRA business number, HST registration, and provincial employer accounts.

CRA Business Number Registration

PORTAL

Get your 9-digit business number, plus RC (corp tax), RT (HST), RP (payroll) program accounts.

guideREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

HST/GST Registration

PORTAL

Required once revenue exceeds C$30,000 in 4 consecutive quarters. Voluntary below.

guideREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

SR&ED Tax Incentive Guide

PORTAL

Refundable R&D tax credit (up to 35%) - one of the most generous in the world for early startups.

guideOpen resource \u2192

Ontario Employer Health Tax (EHT)

PORTAL

ON payroll tax (1.95% above exemption) for any employer with Ontario remuneration.

guideREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

RBC / TD Business Account Checklist

LINK

Documents required by major Canadian banks to open a corporate operating account.

guideOpen resource \u2192

Regulatory & Licenses

Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA), provincial workplace safety, and insurance requirements.

PIPEDA Compliance Guide

PORTAL

Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act - core federal privacy law.

guideREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

Quebec Law 25 (if QC users)

PORTAL

Provincial privacy law - stricter than PIPEDA, applies if you have any Quebec users.

guideOpen resource \u2192

WSIB (Workplace Safety) Registration

PORTAL

Ontario WSIB coverage required for most employers within 10 days of hiring.

guideREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

CASL Anti-Spam Compliance

PORTAL

Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation - strictest in the world. Get express consent before marketing.

guideREQUIREDOpen resource \u2192

Local Infrastructure

Banking, payments, accelerators and government innovation programs available to Canadian founders.

Innovation Canada Funding Finder

PORTAL

Searchable database of all federal and provincial grants, loans, and tax credits for startups.

guideOpen resource \u2192

Stripe Canada / Moneris

PORTAL

Domestic card acquiring with Interac and CAD settlement.

guideOpen resource \u2192

Wealthsimple Tax / FreshBooks

PORTAL

Canadian-built bookkeeping and corporate tax filing tools.

guideOpen resource \u2192

MaRS Discovery District (Toronto)

PORTAL

One of the largest innovation hubs in North America - mentoring, capital, and workspace.

guideOpen resource \u2192

Creative Destruction Lab

PORTAL

Objective-based seed-stage accelerator out of Rotman School (Toronto).

guideOpen resource \u2192

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to incorporate in Canada?
Setup typically costs C$200 - C$700, with a 15% federal + 11.5% ON corporate tax rate.
How long does it take to incorporate in Canada?
Incorporation usually completes in 1 - 5 days.
Can I incorporate remotely in Canada?
Yes, Canada supports fully-remote incorporation.
What annual compliance applies to a Federal / Ontario?
T2 Corporate Return + Annual Return + HST filings

Ready to incorporate?

Open the interactive launch blueprint for Canada: track your progress, compare with other jurisdictions, ask the AI Launch Copilot, and download a personalised PDF plan.

Open Interactive Blueprint