FAQ

General information

• 1. What are the benefits of incorporation?
• 2. What are the benefits of incorporating at the federal level?
• 3. What are the advantages of incorporating online?
• 4. What are the steps that have to be followed when incorporating online?
• 5. Where can I get more information about incorporating?
• 6. What kinds of businesses can incorporate under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA)?
• 7. Who can form a corporation?
• 8. Is a lawyer needed to incorporate?
• 9. If I decide to incorporate, what next?
• 10. How long does it take to get incorporated?
• 11. How long does it take to incorporate a CBCA corporation online?
• 12. Do online documents have to be signed?
• 13. Do I have to get a corporate seal?
• 14. If a company incorporates at the federal level, do they need to register anything with the provinces?
• 15. Do I have to incorporate federally and provincially?
• 16. I am a lawyer: Why can't Corporations Canada provide the advice I am seeking?
• 17. Where can I obtain a copy of the CBCA (or another Act) and its Regulations?
• 18. Can I file with the Director the required financial statements in U.S. GAAP (Generally accepted accountant principles)?
• 19. What percentage of directors must be resident Canadian?
• 20. How can I provide feedback to Corporations Canada?
• 21. Can I subscribe to a mailing list to receive information from Corporations Canada?
• 22. If I register to Corporations Canada's list, will my email address be kept confidential?
• 23. Will I be flooded with emails if I subscribe to this mailing list?
• 24. What is a trade-mark?
• 25. What is National Instrument 45-106?
• 26. What are the effects of National Instrument 45-106 on the CBCA?
• 27. Do I need to make retroactive amendments to my articles in order for my corporation to be considered a private issuer under National Instrument 45-106?
• 28. A corporation subject to a provincial act can make retroactive corrections/amendments to its articles; my corporation is a CBCA corporation, and I would like to make such retroactive corrections/amendments. How do I proceed?
  or
  I have been advised to make retroactive corrections to my corporation's articles. How do I proceed?

Sole Proprietor / Partnership

• 1. Is it better to incorporate or to register (as a sole proprietor/partnership) one's business?
• 2. Where may I register a sole proprietorship or partnership?

Not-for-profit

• 1. How does one incorporate a not-for-profit corporation?
• 2. How do you get a charity registration number?

Corporate Name

• 1. How do I choose a name for my corporation?
• 2. What is a NUANS® name search report?
• 3. Where can I obtain a NUANS® name search for my proposed corporate name?
• 4. How can I protect my corporate name?

Corporate Name Training

• 1. Who is the training for?
• 2. What is the Electronic Training on Federal Corporate Name Granting?
• 3. Why should I take this training?
• 4. Will taking the training ensure that my name will be accepted?
• 5. Why do I have to read more than 120 pages to propose an acceptable corporate name?
• 6. Why should I go to your electronic training if I've already taken your name training seminar?
• 7. What's the advantage of the electronic training over your name-training seminar?
• 8. I don't have Internet access. How can I get the training?

Fees

• 1. How much does it cost to incorporate?
• 2. How much does transaction X cost?
• 3. Why are online transactions less expensive than regular transactions?
• 4. Is it safe to pay fees online?

Compliance

• 1. What could happen to a corporation if there are no directors (i.e., it is directorless)?
• 2. I have just resigned from the board of directors of a corporation, can I sign and file the required Form 6 (Changes Regarding Directors)?
• 3. What is the deadline for filing your first Annual Return (Form 22)?
• 4. Can a corporation have a P.O. Box (Postal Office Box) as the Registered Office address?
• 5. Can a corporation be a director on the Board of Directors?
• 6. Can a corporation incorporate another corporation?
• 7. What are the penalties for filing forms late?
  (i.e. the Annual Return (Form 22), Change of Registered Office Address (Form 3) and Changes Regarding Directors (Form 6))
• 8. Is the annual return the same as my tax return?
• 9. Who can sign the forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 22?