How to Register a Business in Canada Outside Quebec
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Until now, every Milesopedia guide on starting a business assumed you live in Quebec. If you are launching in Ontario, British Columbia or Alberta, the Quebec enterprise register (REQ) does not apply to you: the registries, the steps and the fees are different.
This guide covers the decisions that come first when you register a business in Canada outside Quebec: which legal structure to use, whether to incorporate federally or provincially, how to register in the three largest provinces, and how to get your CRA business number. The fees and steps below come from the official government sites linked in each section.
Once the business exists, the usual next step is a dedicated card for expenses. Our ranking of the best business credit cards compares the options.
Choose your legal structure first
Your structure decides who is liable for the debts, how income is taxed and which registry you deal with. You can change it later, but turning a sole proprietorship into a corporation means new paperwork and, in most cases, a new bank account.
Sole proprietorship
You and the business are the same legal person. Business income goes on your personal tax return, and you are personally responsible for the business's debts. It is the simplest and cheapest way to start. In Ontario and British Columbia, you only have to register if you operate under a name other than your own legal name.
Partnership
Two or more people (or corporations) do business together. A general partnership registers with the province the same way a sole proprietorship does. Each partner reports a share of the income personally, and in a general partnership each partner can be held responsible for the partnership's debts. A written partnership agreement is not a registry requirement, but we recommend writing one: it settles who owns what before a disagreement does.
Corporation
A corporation is a separate legal person. It signs contracts, owns assets, borrows money and pays its own income tax. Shareholders are generally not liable for its debts, although lenders often ask a small business owner for a personal guarantee anyway. In exchange, a corporation costs you more to set up and to maintain: articles of incorporation, a corporate tax return every year and an annual filing with the registry.
Our guide to choosing a legal form was written for Quebec, but its discussion of liability and taxation applies in the rest of Canada too.
Federal or provincial incorporation?
If you incorporate, you choose between Corporations Canada, under the Canada Business Corporations Act, and your province's registry.
Federal incorporation costs $200 online through Corporations Canada, with a processing time of 1 day. Express service, in 4 business hours, costs $100 more. The corporate name search is now part of the online application, and the federal annual return costs $12 online.
The catch: a federal corporation must also register in each province or territory where it carries on business. Corporations Canada reduces the double work in two ways:
- Ontario: when you incorporate federally, Corporations Canada fills in the Ontario forms with the information you already gave.
- Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan: Corporations Canada offers a faster online registration path to these provinces.
Provincial fees still apply where the province charges them. In British Columbia, for example, registering an extraprovincial company costs $350 plus a $30 name approval fee.
Provincial incorporation keeps you with a single registry. It makes sense if you sell mainly in one province. If you expand later, your provincial corporation registers in the new province, exactly as a federal corporation would.
A simple rule: if you plan to operate in two or more provinces from the start, federal incorporation saves you a step at incorporation time. If you plan to stay in one province, a provincial corporation is simpler to manage.
| Step | Federal (Corporations Canada) | Ontario | British Columbia | Alberta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Register a sole proprietorship or partnership name | Not applicable | $60 online, valid 5 years | $40 + $30 name request | Government fee + registry agent service fee |
| Incorporate | $200 online (1 day), +$100 for express | $300 online | $350 + $30 name request | Government fee + registry agent service fee |
| Name search for a named corporation | Built into the online application | Ontario-biased Nuans report | Name request ($30) | Alberta Nuans report (90 days) |
| Register a federal corporation in the province | Not applicable | Initial return, no fee online | $350 + $30 name approval | Government fee + service fee, no Nuans needed |
| Annual filing | $12 online | No fee online | $43.39 | See the registry agent catalogue |
Registering in Ontario
Every Ontario registration goes through the Ontario Business Registry, which asks you to create an Ontario.ca login and an Ontario business account. The fees below come from the province's cost and service time page.
- Sole proprietorship or partnership: register the business name if you operate under a name other than your own. It costs $60 online, processing is immediate, and the registration is valid for 5 years. Renewing it costs another $60.
- Ontario corporation: articles of incorporation cost $300 online, processed immediately ($300 and 15 business days by mail).
- Name search: a named Ontario corporation needs an Ontario-biased Nuans name search report, ordered from a private search firm. Ontario does not accept a federally biased report. A numbered company skips this step.
- Federal corporation: it files an initial return as an extra-provincial corporation, at no cost online.
- Every year: the annual return of an Ontario corporation has no fee when filed online.
Registering in British Columbia
BC Registries handles names and registrations online. The fees below come from the province's forms and fees page.
- Under your own name: a sole proprietor doing business under their own legal name does not need to request a name or register with the province.
- Under another name: first request and reserve the name for $30 (priority service costs $100 plus the filing fee). The reservation lasts 56 days after approval. Registering the sole proprietorship or general partnership then costs $40, for a total of $70. The province mails you a statement of registration and your business number.
- B.C. company: incorporation costs $350 plus the $30 name request, so $380.
- Every year: a B.C. company files an annual report, which costs $43.39.
Registering in Alberta
In Alberta, you file through an authorized Corporate Registry service provider, usually a registry agent. The provider charges a government fee and its own service fee, so the total varies from one agent to the next. The province publishes these fees in its registry agent product catalogue.
- Trade name or partnership: you need a trade name registration when you do business under a name other than your own. A Nuans business name report is recommended but not mandatory.
- Alberta corporation: a named corporation needs an Alberta Nuans report. It reserves the name for 90 days and must be less than 91 days old when you file. A numbered name, such as "1234567 Alberta Ltd.", needs no report.
- Federal corporation: it must register in Alberta if it carries on business there, for example through an office, an agent or advertising with an Alberta address. A corporation formed under the Canada Business Corporations Act does not need an Alberta Nuans report, but it must appoint an agent for service in Alberta.
Get your CRA business number
The business number (BN) is the identifier the Canada Revenue Agency uses for your tax accounts. According to the CRA, you need one when:
- you register for a GST/HST, payroll or other CRA program account;
- you incorporate your business;
- you want to bid on federal government contracts.
An unincorporated business only needs a BN when it opens a CRA program account. In practice, many sole proprietors get one the day they register for the GST/HST.
You often receive a BN without asking for it. Federal incorporation generates one, and so does registering or incorporating with Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island or Saskatchewan. Otherwise, you register through Business Registration Online (BRO). Since July 14, 2026, BRO is only available after you sign in to your CRA account.
GST/HST: the $30,000 threshold
Registering the business and registering for the GST/HST are two separate steps. Under CRA rules, you must register once your taxable revenue passes $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters. Below that, you are a small supplier and registration is optional.
There is one notable exception: taxi drivers and commercial ride-sharing drivers must register from their first fare, whatever their revenue. Quebec businesses follow a different process with Revenu Québec, covered in our GST/QST registration guide.
Separate your business spending
Keeping business expenses apart from personal ones makes bookkeeping and input tax credit claims much easier. A sole proprietor can choose to do it. A corporation has to, because its money is not yours.
A business credit card also earns points on spending you would do anyway: advertising, software, travel. Our article on business cards for the self-employed lists cards that ask for no personal income, and our breakdown of business and personal card combinations shows how to pair them.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $199 | |||
| $199 | |||
| $0 |
Conclusion
Outside Quebec, starting a business comes down to three choices: a structure, a jurisdiction and a registry. A sole proprietor working under their own name can often start without registering anything with the province. A corporation, federal or provincial, costs between $200 and $380 to create in Ontario, British Columbia or federally, plus the Nuans report where one is required. In Alberta, the total depends on the registry agent you choose.
Fees change, so confirm them on the official pages linked above before you file.
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Frequently asked questions about registering a business outside Quebec
Do I have to register a sole proprietorship in Ontario?
Only if you do business under a name other than your own legal name. In that case, you register the business name with the Ontario Business Registry. It costs $60 online, processing is immediate and the registration is valid for 5 years. Renewal costs another $60. If you work under your own name, you can start without a provincial registration, but you may still need a CRA business number for the GST/HST.
Is federal incorporation better than provincial incorporation?
Neither is better in every case. Federal incorporation costs $200 online and suits a business that will operate in several provinces from the start. However, a federal corporation must still register in each province where it does business. A provincial corporation keeps you with a single registry, which is simpler if you stay in one province.
How much does it cost to incorporate in British Columbia?
Incorporating a B.C. company costs $350, plus $30 for the name request, for a total of $380. A B.C. company also files an annual report every year, which costs $43.39.
Do I need a business number as a sole proprietor?
Only when you open a CRA program account, such as a GST/HST or payroll account. Since many sole proprietors register for the GST/HST, most end up with one. In British Columbia and Ontario, registering a business name can also generate a business number automatically.
Can I avoid the Nuans name search?
In Ontario and Alberta, yes: a numbered corporation, such as "1234567 Alberta Ltd.", does not need a Nuans report. A named corporation does, and the report must come from the right province. Ontario refuses a federally biased report, and Alberta requires an Alberta report that is less than 91 days old.
When do I have to register for the GST/HST?
Once your taxable revenue exceeds $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters. Below that threshold, you are a small supplier and registration is optional. Taxi and commercial ride-sharing drivers must register from their first fare.
