Incorporate · By Province
You file Articles of Incorporation under the Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA) through the Ontario Business Registry. The government fee is $300, online filings are processed immediately, and there is no director-residency requirement. CorpStart prepares your Articles, by-law, and minute book and files for you, usually within 1 to 2 business hours.
You file Articles of Incorporation under the Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA) through the Ontario Business Registry. The government fee is $300, online filings are processed immediately, and there is no director-residency requirement. CorpStart prepares your Articles, by-law, and minute book and files for you, usually within 1 to 2 business hours.
Incorporating in Ontario means creating a separate legal entity under the Ontario Business Corporations Act, the OBCA. That entity, your corporation, can sign contracts, own property, open a bank account, and be taxed in its own right, which is exactly what separates it from a sole proprietorship where you and the business are legally the same person.
The mechanics are straightforward. You file Articles of Incorporation with the Ontario Business Registry, choose a numbered or named corporation, name at least one director and one shareholder, and provide an Ontario registered office address. The government fee is $300 for an online filing, and (this is the part people love) Ontario processes online incorporations immediately, so your corporation legally exists the moment the filing is accepted.
What you don't get automatically is the paperwork a bank and the CRA will ask for: the by-law, the organizing resolutions, share certificates, and registers. Those aren't filed with the government, but you need them, and that's most of what CorpStart assembles for you.
The Ontario government fee is $300 for an online Articles of Incorporation filing. On top of that, CorpStart charges a flat $279 service fee to prepare your Articles, By-law No. 1, organizational resolutions, share registers, and a complete digital minute book, and to file everything for you. That's $579 all-in for a numbered corporation, with a NUANS name search added only if you want a named corporation.
Timing is Ontario's quiet advantage. Because online OBCA filings are processed immediately on government acceptance, there's no waiting in a queue. CorpStart typically submits your filing within one to two business hours of receiving your completed questionnaire, and your Certificate of Incorporation and digital minute book land in your inbox the same day, ready for the bank.
There are no hidden annual government charges to simply exist, but every Ontario corporation must file an annual return to keep its information current, and it files a corporate tax return each year. Those are ongoing realities of being incorporated anywhere, not Ontario-specific surprises.
No, and this is one of the biggest reasons founders choose Ontario over a federal incorporation. Since July 5, 2021, Ontario removed its director-residency requirement entirely. Your directors can be non-residents of Canada, which matters enormously if you're a newcomer, a foreign founder, or a partnership where the majority of owners live outside Canada.
By contrast, a federal CBCA corporation requires at least 25% of directors to be resident Canadians (or at least one, if you have fewer than four directors). If your ownership group can't meet that bar, a federal incorporation simply isn't available to you without adding a resident director, while Ontario welcomes you as you are.
That single difference is why a lot of non-resident and newcomer founders who intend to operate in Ontario anyway skip the federal route and incorporate provincially.
If your business will operate mainly in Ontario, an OBCA corporation is usually the cleaner, cheaper choice. You pay one government fee ($300), you deal with one registry, and you have no residency requirement to satisfy. A federal corporation, by comparison, costs $200 to incorporate but then has to register extra-provincially in every province it carries on business in, including Ontario, which adds cost and paperwork you may not need.
Federal incorporation earns its keep when you want coast-to-coast name protection or you genuinely plan to operate across several provinces from day one. If you're a consultant, contractor, e-commerce seller, or local service business rooted in Ontario, that national name protection is often solving a problem you don't have.
A good rule of thumb: incorporate where you'll operate. Ontario-centred businesses are usually best served by an Ontario corporation, and you can always expand federally or register in other provinces later if the business grows in that direction.
You answer a short questionnaire: numbered or named, who the director and shareholder are, your Ontario registered office address, and your share structure. It takes about fifteen minutes, and we flag anything that looks off before you pay, not after.
We then prepare your Articles of Incorporation, By-law No. 1, organizational resolutions, and share registers, and file directly with the Ontario Business Registry. Because Ontario processes online filings immediately, most submissions go through within one to two business hours, and your complete digital minute book arrives the same day, delivering the exact documents your bank will ask for when you open a business account.
Three steps, no lawyer, no registry line-up.
Tell us about your corporation
Choose numbered or named, name your director and shareholder, and give an Ontario registered office address. About fifteen minutes.
We prepare and file
CorpStart drafts your Articles, By-law No. 1, and resolutions, then files with the Ontario Business Registry, usually within 1 to 2 business hours.
Open your business bank account
Your Certificate of Incorporation and digital minute book arrive by email the same day, ready for the bank and your first invoice.
Ontario (OBCA) vs. federal (CBCA) incorporation
| Factor | Ontario (OBCA) | Federal (CBCA) |
|---|---|---|
| Government fee | $300 (online) | $200 |
| Processing time | Immediate on acceptance | ~1 business day |
| Director-residency rule | None since July 5, 2021 | 25% or more resident Canadians (at least 1 if board under 4) |
| Name protection | Within Ontario | Coast-to-coast |
| Extra-provincial registration | Only if you expand out of province | Required in each province you operate, including Ontario |
| Best when you… | Operate mainly in Ontario | Operate across several provinces or want a national name |
What is the government fee to incorporate in Ontario?
The Ontario government fee for filing Articles of Incorporation online under the OBCA is $300. CorpStart adds a flat $279 service fee to prepare all your documents and file for you, so a numbered Ontario corporation is $579 all-in. A named corporation adds a NUANS name-search cost.
How fast can I be incorporated in Ontario?
Ontario processes online incorporations immediately on government acceptance, so there's no queue. CorpStart typically submits your filing within 1 to 2 business hours of receiving your completed questionnaire, and your Certificate of Incorporation and digital minute book arrive the same day, ready for the bank.
Do I need to be a Canadian resident to be a director of an Ontario corporation?
No. Ontario removed its director-residency requirement on July 5, 2021, so a non-resident of Canada can be a director. This makes Ontario a popular choice for newcomers, foreign founders, and ownership groups that can't meet the federal 25% resident-Canadian director rule.
Should I incorporate in Ontario or federally?
If your business will operate mainly in Ontario, an OBCA corporation is usually simpler and cheaper: one fee, one registry, no residency requirement. Federal incorporation is worth the extra step when you want coast-to-coast name protection or genuinely plan to operate across multiple provinces, since a federal corporation must still register extra-provincially in each province, including Ontario.
Numbered or named corporation in Ontario?
A numbered corporation (e.g. 1234567 Ontario Inc.) is the fastest and cheapest option and looks perfectly professional if you invoice under your own name. Choose a named corporation if you're building a brand or website. You can always add a name later through an amendment, so starting numbered is a safe default.
Ready to go incorporated?
$279 service fee + $300 Ontario government fee. Submitted to the Ontario Business Registry within 1 to 2 business hours, digital minute book the same day.
Start my corporationCorpStart is a document preparation service, not a law firm. The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal or tax advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed lawyer or accountant.