Maksym Stepanenko
Managing Partner, Crystal Tax
International client projects since 2012: company structures, tax, immigration, DUNS and NCAGE. 50+ jurisdictions.
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Canada company registration for non-residents, turnkey: we choose a federal or provincial corporation, incorporate it, obtain the CRA Business Number and handle taxes and reporting.
Since 2012 · 50+ jurisdictions · federal and Ontario incorporation · accounting and Ukrainian CFC reports in one team
In brief
- Canada company registration means incorporating a corporation either federally under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) through Corporations Canada, or in a province, for example Ontario incorporation under the Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA) through the Ontario Business Registry.
- Under the CBCA at least 25 percent of the directors of a federal corporation must be resident Canadians, and if there are fewer than four directors, at least one of them must be a resident Canadian. Ontario removed its resident director requirement on 5 July 2021.
- We handle Canada company registration turnkey: choice of level and province, articles of incorporation and shares, the register of individuals with significant control (ISC), the Business Number and CRA program accounts, GST/HST, bank preparation and accounting.
- A corporation controlled by non-residents is not a CCPC and does not get the small business rate: the federal rate is 15 percent, and in Ontario the combined federal and provincial rate is 26.5 percent.
- Usually, in our experience, it takes 1–2 weeks from the contract to an incorporated corporation with a Business Number, and 4–10 weeks including a bank account. The timeline depends on the case, its details, the work of the authorities and force majeure.
Your situation
Pick the situation closest to yours: a short outline of the route and the first step.
I live in Ukraine and want to incorporate in Canada
If none of the directors is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, we usually go for Ontario incorporation, where a director may live abroad. We sort out Canadian taxes and the Ukrainian CFC report from the start.
Example. The owner of an IT company from Dnipro set up an Ontario corporation to contract with Canadian clients; one team handles the Canadian accounting and the CFC report.
Discuss this case →I live in Canada under CUAET and want to start a business here
We incorporate a corporation in your name and first check where you are tax resident, since this defines the tax rate and your obligations in Ukraine. Immigration status questions stay with specialists in that field.
Example. A family from Kharkiv who moved to Toronto incorporated for a renovation business; we first clarified their tax residency, then registered the company and GST/HST.
Discuss this case →I need a federal corporation with a name valid across Canada
A federal name works across the country, but the CBCA requires a director who is a resident Canadian. If such a director is among your partners or trusted persons, we complete federal incorporation and then register in the provinces where you operate.
Example. Partners, one of them a permanent resident of Canada, registered a federal corporation to sell in Ontario and British Columbia.
Discuss this case →I sell to Canada online: do I need to register for GST/HST
We check quarterly sales against the small supplier threshold, assess voluntary registration and set up return filing.
Example. A home goods store exceeded the threshold within two quarters after entering the Canadian market; GST/HST registration was completed before the deadline.
Discuss this case →I already have a Canadian company, reports are long overdue
We restore the books, file the missed T2 returns, annual returns and ISC information, and answer letters from the CRA and the registrar.
Example. The owner of a corporation set up through an online service had not filed for two years; after the books were restored, the company was brought into good standing and opened a bank account.
Discuss this case →I need a fintech company or an MSB in Canada
For payment and currency exchange businesses incorporation alone is insufficient: MSB registration with FINTRAC is required before operations begin. Buying a ready-made company with an active MSB registration is sometimes faster, details on the page Canadian MSB company for sale.
Example. A payment start-up team compared a new registration with buying a ready-made company holding an MSB registration and chose based on launch timing.
Discuss this case →What turnkey Canada company registration includes
Turnkey Canada company registration covers everything a working corporation needs, from choosing the level of incorporation to tax accounts, the bank and accounting. You send documents and make decisions, we do the rest.
Choosing the structure
- Analysis of the task: where the clients are, who the directors and owners are, where management will sit, how profits will be distributed.
- Choice between a federal CBCA corporation and a provincial one, most often in Ontario, taking the director requirements into account.
- Tax model: CCPC status or a regular corporation, tax on dividends to a non-resident, Ukrainian CFC rules.
- If a Canadian company does not fit the task, we suggest another jurisdiction, for example US company formation.
Incorporating the corporation
- Name: numbered or word name, name search, and a Nuans report for Ontario.
- Articles of incorporation: share classes, restrictions on share transfers, number of directors.
- Registered office in Canada and the first board of directors.
- Information on individuals with significant control (ISC) and the internal ISC register.
- Filing with Corporations Canada or the Ontario Business Registry and obtaining the certificate of incorporation.
- Extra-provincial registration of a federal corporation in the provinces where it operates.
Corporate documents
- By-laws, resolutions of the first directors meeting, issue of shares.
- Register of shareholders, register of directors, ISC register and minute book.
Tax accounts and launch
- CRA Business Number and the corporation income tax account.
- GST/HST assessment: whether registration is needed right away or after the threshold, opening the GST/HST account.
- Payroll account if you will have employees in Canada.
- Bank package: business description, source of funds, contracts, website, answers to the compliance questionnaire.
Bank account for a non-resident corporation
Opening an account for a Canadian corporation with no residents among its owners and directors is harder than incorporating the company itself. Major Canadian banks often ask for the director to visit in person and review the owners and source of funds in detail. We select a bank or payment institution for your profile, prepare the package and support the application until a decision is made. The decision belongs to the bank, so we give no guarantee that an account will be opened.
If you already live in Canada
Ukrainians living in Canada under temporary status, for example under the CUAET program, can start a business in Canada through their own corporation. For a federal corporation such a director does not count as a resident Canadian, so we more often choose Ontario or the province of residence. We separately review the owner's tax residency: if the owner has become a Canadian resident, the corporation may qualify as a CCPC with the small business rate, and the obligations in Ukraine change. Immigration status questions are outside this service.
Accounting and reporting in Canada
Bookkeeping and reporting for a Canadian corporation are part of our ongoing support, both for a company we incorporated and for one transferred to us for service.
- Bookkeeping, annual financial statements, the T2 return and calculation of tax instalments.
- GST/HST returns at the frequency assigned by the CRA.
- Payroll: deductions, remittances and annual slips for employees.
- Withholding tax on dividends and other payments to non-residents.
- Annual return and ISC information to Corporations Canada, annual return in Ontario.
- For a group of companies in different countries, international company accounting in one team.
- For owners who are Ukrainian tax residents, we prepare the Ukrainian CFC (controlled foreign company) report.
How long Canada company registration takes
Usually, in our experience, Canada company registration with a CRA Business Number takes 1–2 weeks from signing the contract, and the full launch with a bank account takes 4–10 weeks. The timeline depends on the case, its details, the work of the authorities and force majeure.
- Analysis and structure: 1–2 business days after a short description of the task.
- Documents and articles: a few days, depending on how quickly the details of directors and owners are collected.
- Incorporation: according to Corporations Canada, an online application for federal incorporation is processed in 1 business day, or in 4 business hours with the express service for an extra fee. In Ontario online registration is listed as immediate.
- Tax accounts: the Business Number and CRA accounts are set up right after incorporation; for GST/HST we first assess whether registration is needed.
- Bank account: the least predictable part, since the bank may ask for additional documents on the business, the owners and the source of funds.
Extra-provincial registration of a federal corporation is a separate step: for Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador it can be completed together with federal incorporation, and for British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec Corporations Canada offers a combined online filing after incorporation.
The registrar's official processing times cover only the review of a completed application. Document preparation, provincial registrations and bank checks run separately.
Timelines get longer in predictable cases: the owner is a company from another country and documents are needed for the whole chain; a federal corporation needs a director with the right status; the business involves payments, currency exchange or crypto assets. We name such points at the start.
After incorporation the corporation has its own deadlines: ISC information within 15 days of changes, the annual return, the T2 return six months after the end of the fiscal year, tax payments. We hand over a calendar with the dates together with the company documents.
Cost of Canada company registration
We calculate the cost of Canada company registration individually: it depends on the level of incorporation, the number of participants and what you need beyond the corporation itself.
- Federal or provincial corporation, and in how many provinces registration is needed.
- Number of directors and shareholders, their countries and documents.
- Owner is an individual or a company, multi-level structure.
- Non-standard articles: several share classes, a shareholder agreement.
- GST/HST, payroll, licensed activities through partners.
- How many bank applications will be needed and how complex the business profile is.
- Scope of accounting, reporting in Canada and the CFC report in Ukraine.
Government fees are paid separately at official rates, and we list them in the estimate. Annual maintenance of the corporation includes the address, accounting and reports; we assess its scope at once so the first-year budget is clear before incorporation. Describe your task in a few sentences and we will estimate the work within a business day. For a detailed review of the structure there is a 30-minute consultation for 100 euros.
Why clients trust us with Canada company registration
Five reasons business owners incorporate in Canada with us.
In business since 2012
We work in 50+ jurisdictions and know the requirements of registrars, the CRA and banks from our own cases, including filing ISC information with Corporations Canada, mandatory since 22 January 2024.
We deal with authorities, registrars and banks
Correspondence with Corporations Canada, the Ontario Business Registry, the CRA and the bank, and answers to their requests, are our job. From you we need documents and decisions.
We carry the case through to the result
If the registrar, the tax authority or the bank sends remarks, we address them at no extra charge.
One team for the whole structure
Corporation, bank account, accounting, Canadian taxes and Ukrainian CFC reports, with no need to look for separate contractors.
Contract and confidentiality
We work under a contract, and the confidentiality terms are set out in it.
Canada company registration: how we work
Canada company registration runs in six steps, and at each one you know what is needed from you.
- Task and structure. You describe the business, we propose the level of incorporation, the province, the share structure and the tax setup with Ukraine in mind.
- Contract and documents. We sign the contract and collect passports, proof of address and details of owners and controlling persons.
- Name and articles. We check the name, prepare the articles and the details of directors, the office and ISC.
- Incorporation. We file with Corporations Canada or the Ontario Business Registry, obtain the certificate and register in the required provinces.
- CRA and GST/HST. We obtain the Business Number, open the required tax accounts and, where needed, GST/HST and payroll.
- Bank and reporting. We prepare the bank package, complete the corporate documents and set up the reporting calendar.
Documents to incorporate in Canada
To incorporate in Canada as a non-resident you need passports of the directors and owners, proof of address and a clear description of the business; the exact list depends on the level of incorporation and the bank.
From each director
- Passport.
- Residential address and proof of address: a bank statement or a utility bill.
- Status in Canada, if any: citizenship or permanent residence. For a federal corporation this defines who can be a resident director.
From each individual with significant control
- Full name, date of birth, residential address, country of tax residence.
- Description of control: shareholding, votes, other rights.
- Address for service, if the home address should not appear in the public federal registry.
If the owner is a company
- Registry extract and constitutional documents of the owner.
- Ownership chart up to the ultimate beneficial owners and their documents.
About the business
- Description of activities, clients and countries.
- Source of start-up capital and expected turnover.
- Website, contracts or preliminary agreements, if you already have them.
Banks may ask for more: the owner's CV, proof of source of funds, tax residency information. We refine the list for the specific bank.
What you receive
- Certificate of incorporation and articles of incorporation.
- By-laws, directors resolutions, share certificates and the minute book with registers.
- CRA Business Number and tax account details.
- Confirmation of extra-provincial registration if the corporation is federal.
- Calendar of mandatory filings for the first two years.
Reference: federal incorporation in Canada or Ontario incorporation
A federal corporation and an Ontario corporation differ mainly in director requirements, name protection and the register of owners.
| Criterion | Federal CBCA corporation | Ontario OBCA corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Registrar | Corporations Canada | Ontario Business Registry |
| Resident directors | At least 25 percent of directors must be resident Canadians; with fewer than four directors, at least one | Requirement removed on 5 July 2021 |
| Name | Once approved, a word name can be used across Canada; a Nuans report is no longer needed for online incorporation | A word name requires an Ontario-biased Nuans report |
| Operating in other provinces | Registration is needed in each province where business is carried on; for Ontario it can be completed at incorporation | Operating in another province requires registration there |
| Information on owners | The ISC register is filed with Corporations Canada, part of the information is public | The ISC register is kept by the company and provided at the request of authorities |
| Annual filing | Annual return and ISC information within 60 days after the anniversary of incorporation | Annual return in the Ontario Business Registry |
| Government fee for online incorporation as of 27.09.2026 | 200 Canadian dollars | 300 Canadian dollars |
A resident Canadian under the CBCA is a Canadian citizen ordinarily resident in Canada, or a permanent resident, subject to the conditions of the Act. Temporary status, such as a work permit or CUAET, is outside this definition. For certain regulated industries the Act requires a majority of directors to be resident Canadians. The resident director of a federal corporation can only be your own partner or a trusted person, so for a team without Canadian residents we usually choose Ontario.
Reference: the ISC register and ownership transparency
Since 22 January 2024 federal corporations file information on individuals with significant control (ISC) with Corporations Canada, and part of this information is available in a public search.
- Who is an ISC: an individual who owns, controls or directs 25 percent or more of the shares, alone or jointly with others, or who has de facto control of the corporation without shares.
- When to file: at incorporation, within 15 days after a change to the register, and every year with the annual return.
- What is published: full name, the dates when the person became and ceased to be an ISC, a description of control and an address. The home address is published if no address for service is provided.
- Who sees everything: law enforcement and FINTRAC have access to all information filed.
- Ontario: since 1 January 2023 private corporations keep their own ISC register, update it at least once a year and within 15 days after changes, and provide it to authorities on request.
For an owner from Ukraine this means the company records must match the real structure: the register, the articles and the data held by the bank are checked against each other.
Reference: corporate taxes and reporting in Canada
A corporation incorporated in Canada is a Canadian tax resident and files a T2 return every year, even when no tax is payable.
| What | Where | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| T2 return | CRA | Six months after the end of the fiscal year |
| Balance of corporate income tax | CRA | Usually two months after year end; three months only for a CCPC meeting certain conditions |
| Instalments | CRA | Monthly or quarterly if tax for the current or previous year exceeds 3000 Canadian dollars; no instalments in the first year |
| GST/HST returns | CRA | For the reporting period assigned at registration |
| Annual return and ISC | Corporations Canada | 60 days after the anniversary of incorporation |
| Annual return | Ontario Business Registry | Every year, for Ontario corporations |
Corporate income tax rates. The federal rate after the general tax reduction is 15 percent. The 9 percent small business rate applies only to a CCPC on income up to 500 000 Canadian dollars. A corporation controlled directly or indirectly by non-residents is not a CCPC. Provinces add their own rate: 11.5 percent general rate in Ontario, 12 percent in British Columbia. Alberta and Quebec administer corporate income tax themselves, without the CRA.
Dividends to non-residents. Dividends and a number of other payments to non-residents are subject to Part XIII tax at 25 percent, and a tax treaty may reduce the rate. Withholding, remitting the tax and NR4 reporting are the corporation's obligations.
GST/HST. Registration is mandatory once taxable sales exceed 30 000 Canadian dollars over four consecutive calendar quarters or in a single quarter; below the threshold registration is voluntary. GST is 5 percent, and Ontario applies HST at 13 percent.
Reference: common mistakes when incorporating in Canada
Most problems after Canada company registration by a non-resident come from a few recurring mistakes that are easy to prevent at the start.
- A federal corporation without a resident director. The CBCA requires a resident Canadian on the board; a foreign national with a work permit does not meet this requirement.
- Operating in a province without registration. A federal corporation registers in every province where it carries on business; the rules differ by province, and usually this is where it has an address or telephone number or offers goods and services.
- A missed annual return. The registrar sends reminders and may then dissolve the corporation; revival is a separate procedure.
- Home address in the public registry. If no address for service is given for an ISC, the home address is published in the federal registry. The registered office address is public as well.
- Counting on the 9 percent rate. The small business rate applies only to a CCPC; a corporation controlled by non-residents pays the general rate.
- Dividends without withholding. On payments to a non-resident owner the corporation withholds tax and files reports; we confirm the rate under the applicable tax treaty.
- A forgotten GST/HST threshold. Once sales exceed 30 000 Canadian dollars in a quarter, registration takes effect no later than the day of the sale that exceeded the threshold; the registration application is filed within 29 days.
- Ukrainian CFC rules. An owner who is a Ukrainian tax resident files a controlled foreign company report with the Ukrainian tax authority, and it is convenient to prepare it together with the Canadian reporting.
We cover all of these points as part of incorporation and ongoing support: a deadline calendar, an address for service, tax calculations in both countries.
How to start
Describe your task in a few sentences: what the business does, who the owners are and where the clients are. We will reply within a business day, and on a free 10-minute call we will tell you whether a Canadian company suits you and which level of incorporation to choose.
Other services
Sources
Justice Laws — Canada Business Corporations Act, s. 105 (resident directors); Justice Laws — CBCA, s. 2 (definition of resident Canadian); Corporations Canada — Services, fees and processing times; Corporations Canada — ISC: File your information; Legislative Assembly of Ontario — Bill 213, repeal of OBCA s. 118(3); Ontario — Cost and time to register a corporation; CRA — Corporation tax rates; CRA — Type of corporation (CCPC); CRA — When to register for and start charging the GST/HST; CRA — T4061, Part XIII tax and NR4. Checked: 27.09.2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a non-resident register a company in Canada?
Federal incorporation in Canada or Ontario incorporation: which to choose?
How long does Canada company registration take?
Do I need to travel to Canada to incorporate in Canada?
What tax does a Canadian corporation with a non-resident owner pay?
When is GST/HST registration required?
What is the ISC register?
Do you guarantee that a bank account will be opened?
Do you handle accounting for a Canadian corporation?
What does a Canadian company file if it had no activity?
What should an owner from Ukraine do after Canada company registration?
How much does Canada company registration cost?
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