North America · Inc / Corp
Cost to register a company in Canada
Incorporating in Canada is cheap; running a non-resident-owned corporation properly is where the cost sits. The government fee is modest — C$200 online federally, roughly C$350 in British Columbia and around C$300 in Ontario — with no notary and no minimum capital to lock up. The unavoidable annual stack for a foreigner is a registered/records office address in the province, an accountant for the mandatory T2 return and books, and the small annual returns. If you incorporate federally instead of provincially, add the recurring cost of a nominee/resident director to satisfy the 25% rule — a real expense that disappears entirely if you incorporate in BC or Ontario.
- Country
- Canada
- Topic
- Cost breakdown
- Reviewed
- June 2026
By the Lanzamo Editorial Team · Reviewed June 2026 · How we research
| Item | One-time | Recurring | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government incorporation fee | $150-$260 | — | Federal C$200 online (C$250 paper); British Columbia ~C$350; Ontario ~C$300. USD equivalents shown. |
| Name search / name approval | $10-$50 | — | Federal NUANS report ~C$13.80; BC Name Request ~C$30. Skipped entirely if you use a numbered company. |
| Notary / apostille | — | — | Not required — Canadian incorporation needs no notarial deed, unlike a German GmbH or Dutch BV. |
| Registered / records office address | — | $110-$400 | C$150-C$500/yr from a local agent or law firm; mandatory in-province address for registry and CRA mail. |
| Resident / nominee director (federal only) | — | $0 or $1,500-$3,000 | $0 if you incorporate in BC/Ontario (no residency rule). Federal/AB/SK/MB incorporations need a resident-Canadian director, often a paid nominee. |
| Accountant — T2 return + books | — | $900-$2,500 | C$1,200-C$3,500/yr typical for a small non-resident-owned corporation; covers the federal T2 (and Quebec/Alberta return if applicable) and bookkeeping. |
| GST/HST registration & returns | $0 | $0-$700 | Registration is free, but a non-resident with no permanent establishment may have to post a CRA security deposit; ongoing cost is the accountant's fee for returns once registered. |
| Corporations Canada annual return (federal) | — | $9 | C$12/yr for federal corporations; provincial corporations pay their own annual filing instead. Separate from the T2 tax return. |
| Incorporation agent / service package | $200-$800 | — | Bundles name search, filing, registered office and minute book — what most non-residents actually buy to do it remotely. |
Realistic all-in first year
$600 – $5,500
After year one the incorporation and setup fees fall away and recurring cost settles into the registered/records office (~$110-$400/yr), the accountant for the T2 and books (~$900-$2,500/yr), and the small annual return (~$9 federal). For a BC or Ontario company with no resident-director cost, budget roughly $1,100-$3,000 a year ongoing — call it about $3,000-$9,000 over three years all-in. If you incorporate federally and pay for a nominee resident director, add roughly $1,500-$3,000 every year, which is the single biggest reason non-residents choose BC or Ontario over a CBCA federal company.
Frequently asked questions
What's the absolute minimum to start a Canadian corporation?
Roughly the government fee plus a registered office: about C$200 federally or ~C$350 in BC, plus an in-province address service from ~C$150/yr (you can't use a foreign address). A numbered company skips the name-search cost. So a bare-bones DIY incorporation is around C$350-C$500 / ~$250-$370 — but realistically add an accountant once you start trading and filing a T2.
Why might a federal incorporation cost much more to run than a BC one?
Because federal (CBCA) incorporation requires 25% of directors to be resident Canadians. A non-resident with no Canadian co-director must hire a nominee/resident-director service, commonly $1,500-$3,000 a year. British Columbia and Ontario have no such rule, so that cost is zero — which usually makes a provincial incorporation cheaper to maintain despite a slightly higher upfront filing fee.
Are there hidden recurring fees I should expect?
The unavoidable ones are the registered/records office renewal, the accountant for the mandatory T2 and bookkeeping, and the small annual return (C$12 federal or the provincial equivalent). Watch two extras specific to non-residents: a possible CRA security deposit to register for GST/HST, and — if you went federal — the annual resident-director cost.
Do I have to deposit share capital?
No. There is no minimum paid-in capital in Canada. The standard structure is a single common share with a nominal value — a formality, not cash you must wire to a Canadian bank before incorporating. This is a real advantage over jurisdictions like Germany, where a GmbH requires substantial paid-up capital.
Sources
- Corporations Canada — incorporate a business corporation (official)
- Province of British Columbia — incorporated companies (no director-residency rule)
- CRA — Register for a GST/HST account (non-resident security)
- CRA — Non-resident GST/HST enquiries and registration
- CRA — Rates for Part XIII (non-resident) withholding tax
- CRA — Required withholding on amounts paid to non-residents for services (Regulation 105, IC75-6)
- PwC Tax Summaries — Canada corporate income tax (federal 15% + provincial)
- PwC Tax Summaries — Canada corporate withholding taxes
- DLA Piper — director-residency rules in Canada (federal vs provincial)
- EY — 2026 Canadian corporate income tax rates (active business income)
More on Canada
Comparing Canada with other countries?
See Canada next to 12 other startup-friendly jurisdictions — fee, tax, capital and the resident-director catch — in one table.
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