Company Registration

Before anything is filed, one decision matters more than the rest.

A sole proprietorship is simple and cheap. You and the business are the same legal entity, which means business income is taxed as personal income and you're personally liable for business debts.

A partnership works similarly with two or more people, and needs a written agreement covering contributions, profit splits, decision-making, and what happens when someone wants out. The absence of that agreement is one of the most reliable ways to destroy both a business and a friendship.

A corporation is a separate legal entity. It provides liability separation, access to the small business tax rate on retained earnings, flexibility in how you pay yourself, and a structure buyers and investors understand. It also brings ongoing filing obligations and cost.

We walk through the trade-offs against your actual situation — income level, risk exposure, growth plans, and whether you intend to sell one day — rather than defaulting to the answer that generates the most work.

Federal incorporation gives you name protection across Canada and the right to operate nationwide, but requires extra-provincial registration in each province where you actually do business, plus Canadian residency requirements for directors.

BC provincial incorporation is simpler and cheaper if you plan to operate primarily within the province, with name protection limited to BC.

The right answer depends on where you'll realistically do business over the next several years — not where you imagine expanding someday.

We handle the full sequence: NUANS or BC name search and reservation, articles of incorporation, share structure setup, director and officer registration, incorporation filing, minute book preparation, and the CRA business number.

Share structure is the part most often rushed. Getting it right at incorporation costs nothing extra; changing it later — to add a family member, bring in a partner, or qualify for the capital gains exemption — requires a reorganization and professional fees.

Incorporating doesn't automatically register you for anything else. We set up the accounts you actually need: GST/HST, payroll if you'll have employees, PST for BC businesses selling taxable goods or services, import/export if applicable, and WorkSafeBC registration.

Corporations have annual obligations that are easy to forget and unpleasant to miss: annual reports to the corporate registry, corporate income tax returns within six months of year end, minute book maintenance, and updates when directors, addresses, or share ownership change. A corporation that fails to file its annual report can be struck from the register.

We can handle these as an ongoing service, so the reminder isn't a letter telling you you're already late.

Sole proprietorship and partnership name registration — required in BC if you operate under anything other than your own legal name.

Extra-provincial registration — required when a corporation from one province does business in another.

Business licences — municipal licensing requirements vary by city and by activity.