Federal incorporation protects your name across all 10 provinces and 3 territories. Provincial only protects in one province - competitors can use identical names elsewhere.
Federal vs Provincial Registration
Federal: CAD 200 online. Protects name nationwide.
Can operate in all provinces with one registration.
Provincial: CAD 60-360 depending on province. Protects name in that province only.
Choose this if you'll never expand beyond your home province.
Most startups choose federal for name protection.
Federal Name Approval (NUANS)
You'll need a NUANS report before federal incorporation.
It searches existing Canadian business names and trademarks.
Cost: CAD 50-75 from approved search house. Valid 90 days.
Corporations Canada won't approve your name without it.
Name Ending Requirements
Must end with: "Inc.", "Incorporated", "Corporation", "Corp.", "Ltd.", "Limited", or "Limitée" (French).
Can't use abbreviations with periods in middle - "Co." needs "Company" spelled out.
Numbered company option: Incorporate as "1234567 Canada Inc." to skip name approval.
Faster and guaranteed approval.
Bilingual Name Consideration: Federal names need to work in English and French. Operating in Quebec? Register both versions: "Tech Solutions Inc." and "Solutions Technologiques Inc." Not required but recommended for Quebec operations.
NUANS Report Requirements
The search identifies identical or similar corporate names in Canada.
Also checks existing federal trademarks and provincial registrations.
Report ranks matches: Distinctive, Conflicting, or Too Similar.
You'll need to address any conflicts before Corporations Canada approves your name.
Federal Incorporation Process
File via Corporations Canada online portal.
You'll need: NUANS report (if named company), registered office address in Canada, initial directors (minimum 1, 25% must be Canadian residents), share structure.
Fee: CAD 200 online or CAD 250 paper.
Processing: 5-10 business days online, 4-6 weeks paper.
Canadian Trademark Registration (CIPO)
File with Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
Cost: CAD 395 online for 1 class or CAD 445 paper.
Processing: 12-18 months typical. Opposition period: 2 months after publication.
Protection lasts 10 years, renewable.
Search database at ised-isde.canada.ca/cipo before filing.
Trademark Examination
Examiner checks for conflicts with existing trademarks and distinctiveness.
58% of applications get an examination report requiring response.
Common objections: Descriptive wording, confusing similarity, improper classification.
You'll have 6 months to respond.
File trademark BEFORE incorporating if possible. Trademark search is more thorough than NUANS. NUANS only searches company names - CIPO searches all trademarks, pending applications, and official marks. Discovering a conflict after incorporation means name change and reincorporation - that's CAD 500+ in extra fees.
Provincial Extra-Provincial Registration
Federal corporation needs to register in provinces where you're doing business.
Example: Incorporated federally, operating in Ontario and BC?
File extra-provincial registration: Ontario (CAD 60) + BC (CAD 100) = CAD 160 additional.
Check where you have physical presence or employees.
Annual Filing Requirements
Federal corporation: Annual return due within 60 days of anniversary. Fee: CAD 20 online.
Late penalty: CAD 50 + CAD 5/day.
Ontario: Annual return CAD 60. BC: Annual report CAD 40. Quebec: Annual declaration CAD 50.
File separately in each jurisdiction where you're registered.
Corporate Records
You'll need to maintain: Directors register, shareholders register, meeting minutes, bylaws.
Keep at registered office address.
Fines for non-compliance: CAD 5,000-200,000 depending on severity.
Corporate Name Maintenance: Federal corporations need to file annual return showing active name use. Inactive for 3+ years? Your name may be revoked. Operating under a different name (DBA/trade name)? Register that separately at provincial level - federal incorporation doesn't cover assumed names.
Business Name (Sole Proprietorship/Partnership)
Different from incorporation - cheaper but no liability protection.
Ontario: CAD 60 for 5 years. BC: CAD 103 for 5 years. Alberta: CAD 40 annual. Quebec: CAD 54 renewal every year.
Sole proprietor or partnership only. Can't use "Inc." or "Ltd."
Personal liability for all debts - risky for most businesses.
Domain Strategy
.ca domain: Restricted to Canadian presence. Needs Canadian citizen, permanent resident, Canadian corporation, or trademark in Canada.
Price: CAD 15-25/year. Processing: Instant for corporations.
.com domain: No restrictions. CAD 15-20/year.
Get both - .ca for Canadian credibility and .com for international reach.
Costs Summary
NUANS report: CAD 50-75. Federal incorporation: CAD 200.
Ontario extra-provincial (if needed): CAD 60. BC extra-provincial (if needed): CAD 100.
Trademark filing: CAD 395-790 (1-2 classes). Annual return (federal): CAD 20/year. Domain (.ca): CAD 15/year.
Total first year: CAD 650-1,350 depending on provinces.
Canadian vs US Incorporation
Canada advantages: Nationwide name protection with federal incorporation. US requires state-by-state.
Lower incorporation costs - CAD 200 vs USD 100-500 per state.
Universal healthcare means lower employee costs.
Disadvantages: Smaller market - 38M vs 330M people.
Resident director requirement complicates foreign ownership.
Higher tax rates in some provinces.
Trademark Lens verifies business name availability before CAD 650+ Canadian incorporation and trademark filing costs.