The steps to create a corporation, from clearing a name to organising the company.
Business · Updated July 2026 · 7 min read
Incorporating is a sequence of steps: choosing a name, filing the founding document, and then setting up and organising the corporation so it can operate. The details differ slightly between the federal system and each province, but the shape is the same.
A corporation can have a word name or simply be a numbered company assigned by the registry. A word name must be distinctive and not confusingly similar to existing names, which is checked through a NUANS name-search report. A numbered company avoids the search but gives no brand name of its own.
The articles of incorporation are the corporation's founding document. They set out its name, the province or federal jurisdiction, the classes and any maximum number of shares, the number or range of directors, and any restrictions on the business or on share transfers. Filing the articles with Corporations Canada or the provincial registry, with the required fee, brings the corporation into existence.
Every corporation must keep a records book — often called the minute book — containing its articles and by-laws, and registers of its directors, officers and shareholders. The by-laws set the internal rules for how the corporation is run, such as how meetings are called and how directors act.
Organising the corporation means passing the first resolutions of the directors: adopting the by-laws, appointing officers, issuing the first shares to the initial shareholders, and appointing an auditor or exempting the corporation from audit. Only once shares are issued does the corporation have owners.
After incorporation, the corporation obtains a business number and any tax accounts from the Canada Revenue Agency, registers extra-provincially wherever it carries on business, and keeps up its obligations — filing an annual return, holding annual meetings, and keeping its records current.
This guide is general legal information, not legal advice. For a specific matter, consult a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction.