Is this the right structure?
- An operating business or subsidiary that needs separate corporate ownership and share rights.
- Owners who have checked Canadian corporate residence and the home-country treatment of dividends.
From entity choice to an operating setup
We assess how the entity fits your ownership, business activity and international plan, then coordinate the formation work included in your proposal.
Before filing
Resolve the legal form, owner-country implications, local activity and banking requirements.
Implementation
Coordinate provider instructions, documents and agreed registrations, with clear responsibilities.
Handover
Deliver the agreed records and establish renewal, filing and administration responsibilities.
Requirements to resolve first
Understand the setup cost
The figures below are the stated authority charges and conditions. Our professional fee, registered-agent or address services, document work and other external costs are quoted separately.
| Item | Amount | When | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of incorporation | CAD 300 | once | Ministry filing fee. A named corporation also needs an Ontario-biased NUANS report purchased separately; a numbered name avoids that search.Source 1 |
Formation process & timing
Authority processing and document preparation have different dependencies. The selected filing service and complete documents determine the timetable.
01Choose the name, shares and directorsBefore submission
02File the articlesOnline: immediate service standard for a complete filing
Submit through the Ontario Business Registry with the required director and capital particulars. Provider preparation and corrections add time.
Document checklist
Track your preparation in this browser. Final requirements depend on the route and filing authority.
Ongoing obligations & costs
What needs particular attention
Foreign ownership does not remove Canadian tax residence
Canadian incorporation generally creates deemed Canadian residence; any treaty exception requires its own analysis.Source 10
Registry and tax filings are separate
The provincial annual return is filed through OBR and is not the corporation’s income-tax return.Source 3
Why work with Offshore Capitalist?
We connect the formation with your personal and business tax position, management, banking and practical operations. The proposed jurisdiction must serve the wider plan. Where a different legal form or destination would fit better, the advisory scope can include that comparison.
Your engagement defines the work, local-provider responsibilities and handover before implementation begins.
Discuss your company setup
Tell Tijana and the team where you live, what the business does, who owns it and which countries it will operate in. We will assess the fit and outline the next step.
Start a free inquirySources & research notes7 references
Official-source research checked 2026-10-13.
Confirm in your scope
- Confirm beneficial-ownership records, tax registrations and any sector or extra-provincial permissions in the implementation scope.
- Ontario — business registration routes and fees
- Ontario — registry service times and charges
- Ontario — registry renewals and annual returns
- Ontario — articles of incorporation instructions, January 2025
- Ontario — enacted Bill 213, director-residency repeal
- Ontario — annual-return filing notice
- CRA — residency of a corporation