- Canadian business. Confident beginnings.
NUANS reports, business name searches and incorporation for federal and provincial corporations across Canada.
prepared for you
Your corporation, filed right.
Preliminary results only. Final approval rests with the registry and, where required, a NUANS report.
WHY CANADIAN FOUNDERS CHOOSE US
Incorporating is rarely one form. Your name search, NUANS report and Articles all connect, and we stay with your corporation long after it’s registered.
Get our free guide to Canadian naming rules: distinctive, descriptive and legal elements.
NUANS for federal, Ontario and Alberta; name approval for BC, Quebec and others.
Answer plain-language questions and review every detail before we submit anything.
Unsure about share structure, directors or which filing fits? Ask us before you order.
Annual returns, corporate amendments, minute books, seals and share certificates.
BUSINESS REGISTRATION SERVICES IN CANADA
Choose by stage: incorporate a new company, register a business name, keep your corporation in good standing with annual filings, or order the minute books and seals it needs.
Already incorporated? Register extra-provincially to operate legally in another province, whether that’s Ontario, BC, Alberta or beyond.
Registering your business name does not give you trademark rights. File your name or logo with CIPO to protect it across Canada.
Copyright exists automatically, but a CIPO registration certificate is evidence of ownership if your code, designs or writing are copied.
Select a province or federal incorporation to compare your packages.
ONTARIO INCORPORATION PACKAGES
Compare three incorporation packages for Ontario. Government fees are included, with more options available in the next steps.
Core incorporation documents to start your corporation.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
1-hour superfast business registration is available. You can customize this package in the next steps.
Incorporation with electronic bylaws and a minute book.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
1-hour superfast business registration is available. You can customize this package in the next steps.
An expanded package with the additional services listed below.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
1-hour superfast business registration is available. You can customize this package in the next steps.
Still deciding how to structure your business?
FEDERAL INCORPORATION PACKAGES
Compare three incorporation packages for Federal. Government fees are included, with more options available in the next steps.
Core incorporation documents to start your corporation.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Numbered corporations can be registered in 1 hour and named corporations in 2 hours. More options are available in the next steps.
Incorporation with electronic bylaws and a minute book.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Numbered corporations can be registered in 1 hour and named corporations in 2 hours. More options are available in the next steps.
An expanded package with the additional services listed below.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Numbered corporations can be registered in 1 hour and named corporations in 2 hours. More options are available in the next steps.
Still deciding how to structure your business?
ALBERTA INCORPORATION PACKAGES
Compare three incorporation packages for Alberta. Government fees are included, with more options available in the next steps.
Core incorporation documents to start your corporation.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
2-hour super express service is available. Other services are shown in the next steps. Final documents are sent by email.
Incorporation with electronic bylaws and a minute book.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
2-hour super express service is available. Other services are shown in the next steps. Final documents are sent by email.
An expanded package with the additional services listed below.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
2-hour super express service is available. Other services are shown in the next steps. Final documents are sent by email.
Still deciding how to structure your business?
BRITISH COLUMBIA INCORPORATION PACKAGES
Compare three incorporation packages for British Columbia. Government fees are included, with more options available in the next steps.
Core incorporation documents to start your corporation.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Numbered companies can be registered in 2 business hours. Customize your package with a minute book and bylaws, GST/HST account, corporate seal and other options in the next steps.
Incorporation with electronic bylaws and a minute book.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Numbered companies can be registered in 2 business hours. Add advanced or customized minute books and bylaws, a GST/HST account, corporate seal and other options in the next steps.
An expanded package with the additional services listed below.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Numbered companies can be registered in 2 business hours. Customize your package with a minute book and bylaws, GST/HST account, corporate seal and other options in the next steps.
Still deciding how to structure your business?
QUEBEC INCORPORATION PACKAGES
Compare three incorporation packages for Quebec. Government fees are included, with more options available in the next steps.
Core incorporation documents to start your corporation.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Numbered corporations can be incorporated in 2 business hours and named corporations in 2 hours after name approval. Customize your package in the next steps.
Incorporation with electronic bylaws and a minute book.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Numbered corporations can be incorporated in 2 business hours and named corporations in 2 hours after name approval. Customize your package in the next steps.
An expanded package with the additional services listed below.
Package starts from
Government fee included.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Numbered corporations can be incorporated in 2 business hours and named corporations in 2 hours after name approval. Customize your package in the next steps.
Still deciding how to structure your business?
BUSINESS STRUCTURES IN CANADA
Compare Canada’s four main business structures on liability, taxes and cost. The structure you pick decides who is responsible for debts, how profits are taxed and which filings you’ll owe each year.
Limits personal liability
One owner, simplest setup
Two or more co-owners
Mission over profit
FOR GROWTH, INVESTORS AND PROTECTION
A corporation is a separate legal entity that owns assets, signs contracts and files its own tax return. Incorporate federally for name protection across Canada, or provincially if you’ll operate in one province.
Files a T2 return. A CCPC may get the small business rate on its first $500,000 of active income.
Growing businesses, hiring, raising investment or building a company you may sell.
FOR SOLO FOUNDERS STARTING SMALL
A sole proprietorship is you doing business, with no separate legal entity. It’s quick and inexpensive to set up. If you trade under a name other than your own legal name, most provinces require you to register it.
Profit is added to your personal income. Register for GST/HST once sales pass $30,000.
Freelancers, consultants and low-risk side businesses testing an idea.
FOR TWO OR MORE CO-OWNERS
Canada recognizes general partnerships, limited partnerships (LP) and limited liability partnerships (LLP). LLPs are usually reserved for regulated professions such as lawyers and accountants. Most partnerships register their name with the province.
In a general partnership, each partner can be personally liable for all partnership debts.
The partnership pays no income tax. Each partner reports their share on a personal return.
Co-founders with a written agreement on profit split, decisions and exits.
FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS, CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS
A non-profit corporation pursues a social, community or recreational purpose rather than profit for its members. Federal non-profits are formed under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act; Ontario uses the ONCA.
Members and directors are generally not liable for the organization’s debts.
Usually exempt from income tax, but some must file an annual T1044 return with CRA.
Not automatic. Issuing donation receipts requires a separate CRA charity application.
WHAT IS A DBA IN CANADA?
In Canada, a "doing business as" name is called an operating or trade name. Sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations can all register one, but it doesn't create a company or limit your personal liability.
Compare the basics with FedDev Ontario’s business structure guide. A legal or tax professional can help assess the implications for your circumstances. Non-profit and charity status explained by the CRA.
Three details. One smooth filing.
INCORPORATION CHECKLIST
Have three things ready and your application is quick to complete: a name, your directors and shareholders, and an address for the company.
Not sure about a detail? Leave it with us. We review every order before filing and contact you if something is missing or a name is likely to be refused, so avoidable rejections don’t cost you time.
Your proposed name plus one backup, or choose a numbered company (e.g. 1234567 Canada Inc.) and skip the NUANS report.
Names and addresses of each director and shareholder, and how the shares will be divided.
A street address (not a P.O. box) in the province where the company is registered.
NUANS PRE-SEARCH VS NUANS REPORT
A pre-search is a quick check to test names before you commit. A NUANS report is the official search document most registries require with your incorporation application. Using each one at the right time saves you money.
Reports are also jurisdiction-specific: an Ontario filing needs an Ontario-biased report, not a federal one. Tell us where you’re registering and we’ll order the right one.
Run a pre-search on each name on your shortlist to catch obvious conflicts early. It's the fastest way to narrow your options before paying for a full report.
The official search your registry expects with your application. It compares your name with existing Canadian corporations, business names and trademarks, and is valid for 90 days.
A NUANS report isn't approval by itself. A report with no close matches gives your name its best chance with the registry.
HOW IT WORKS
Order online from anywhere in Canada. We handle the name search, government filing and paperwork, and keep you updated at every stage.
Pick your province and package, then answer a short online questionnaire about your company. Not sure which option fits? Call or chat with us first, with no obligation.
Our team orders the right NUANS report for your jurisdiction, prepares your incorporation documents and submits them electronically to the government registry for you.
Your Certificate and Articles of Incorporation arrive by email with your corporation number. In most provinces you’ll also get a CRA business number, so you can open a bank account and start trading.
FOR EXISTING CORPORATIONS
Every Canadian corporation has ongoing legal obligations: yearly filings, updates when directors or addresses change, and records kept current.
Missing them can lead to penalties, loss of good standing or even dissolution by the government. We know the rules for your jurisdiction and file on your behalf, so a busy year never puts your company at risk.
Something changed? Here's the filing you need.
ONGOING CORPORATE FILINGS
Each change has its own form and deadline, and filing the wrong one can delay your update or leave your public record out of date.
Have your corporation number and legal name ready when you order. We check your corporation’s public profile first, so every filing matches the registry exactly.
An annual return is not a tax return. It updates your registry details; your T2 is filed separately with CRA.
Federal corporations file within 60 days of their anniversary date; Ontario corporations within six months of year-end.
Report new directors, officers or a new registered office address, usually within 15 days of the change.
Needed to change your corporate name, share classes or restrictions, or to switch from a number to a name.
Order a corporate profile report or a certificate of status, often requested by banks, lenders and buyers.
Corporations must keep their records up to date. Replace a lost minute book, add share certificates, or protect your name and logo with a trademark filing.
WHY TRUST NUANS SEARCH CENTRE
Handing over your company’s legal filings takes trust. So we make it easy to check who we are: a NUANS member listed by the Government of Canada, and a team you can call before you pay anything.
Speak directly with our team in Brampton, Ontario. Call before you order to ask which service fits, or for an update on a filing already in progress.
Nuans Search Centre Inc. appears in the Government of Canada’s NUANS member directory under the code NScntr. Anyone can check it in under a minute.
Entrepreneurs, doctors, realtors and non-profits across Canada have trusted us with their names, filings and records. Many return every year for their annual filings.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Quick answers to what Canadian founders ask us most about NUANS reports, incorporation costs, timelines and what happens after you register.
A NUANS report is the official Canadian name search document that compares your proposed business name against existing corporations, business names and trademarks. NUANS stands for Newly Upgraded Automated Name Search and is run by Corporations Canada. Most registries require it before they’ll approve a named corporation.
You need one to incorporate a named company federally or in Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island. British Columbia, Quebec and some other provinces use their own name approval systems instead. You don’t need one at all if you incorporate as a numbered company.
Our packages start at $99, plus government filing fees of $200 for a federal online incorporation or $300 in Ontario. A NUANS report is priced separately when you need one. Your full total, including every fee, is shown before you pay.
Once your application is filed, federal and Ontario online incorporations are often approved within one business day. NUANS reports are usually ready the same day. Delays mostly come from name issues, which is why checking your name first saves time.
Incorporate provincially if you’ll operate mainly in one province; it’s simpler and usually cheaper. Choose federal incorporation if you plan to operate across Canada or want stronger name protection nationwide. A federal company still registers in each province where it does business.
A NUANS report is valid for 90 days from the date it’s issued. If you don’t file your incorporation within that window, you’ll need a new report. It’s best to order it when you’re ready to file.
A numbered company uses its corporation number as its legal name, such as 1234567 Canada Inc., and needs no NUANS report. It’s the fastest way to incorporate. You can switch to a name later by filing Articles of Amendment.
The registry will explain why, usually because the name is too similar to an existing one, too general, or missing a distinctive word. We’ll help you adjust it and try again. Or you can incorporate as a numbered company now and add a name later.
No. Canadian law doesn’t require a lawyer for a standard incorporation, and we prepare and file it for you. We’re not a law firm, though, so for custom shareholder agreements or complex tax planning, speak with a lawyer or accountant.
Set up your minute book with bylaws and initial resolutions, issue shares to the owners, and keep a register of individuals with significant control. Then register for any CRA accounts you need, such as GST/HST or payroll, and open a business bank account.
Yes, but it must register in each province where it carries on business. A provincial corporation files an extra-provincial registration. A federal corporation files a simpler registration or initial return, depending on the province.
