ComplyKart Services
Company Formation in Canada
Canada gives Indian businesses a stable, credible base in North America — and the process is more straightforward than most founders expect. One important nuance: federal and provincial rules differ on who can be a director, so where you incorporate actually matters.
CA/CS-guided review
Your documents and structure are checked before anything is filed.
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Find your setup in Company Formation in Canada
Pick the entity type and location — we'll show you what fits and connect you with the right expert.
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A quick snapshot of the work so far.
Fees
Fees and packages for Company Formation in Canada
Every requirement is a little different, so we quote after a short discussion — the consultation itself is free.
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Company Formation in Canada
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Overview
Why Canada, and where to incorporate
Canada is a natural next step for Indian companies selling to North American customers. English-speaking market. Strong rule of law. A banking system global clients trust. And unlike the US, where every state is its own maze, Canada's incorporation system is compact enough to actually understand.
Here is the choice that matters: federal or provincial. A federal corporation, registered through Corporations Canada, gives you name protection across the whole country and lets you operate in every province — but you must still register extra-provincially in each province where you actually do business. A provincial corporation (Ontario, BC, Alberta) is simpler if you know exactly where you'll operate. Neither is wrong. It depends on your footprint.
Now the director question, because this is where founders get confused. Federal corporations under the Canada Business Corporations Act still require 25% of directors to be resident Canadians (at least one, on small boards). That rule has not gone away. But several provinces removed their own residency requirements — Ontario in 2021, Alberta in 2021, and BC never had one. So an Indian founder with no Canadian resident on the board can incorporate provincially in Ontario or BC with zero residency friction. I always flag this upfront, because it changes the recommendation.
Benefits
Why set up here
Open each benefit to see what it means for you.
Small business tax rate of 9% federal — the small business deduction cuts the federal rate from 15% to 9% on the first CAD 500,000 of active business income. Combined rates land around 11-12% in most provinces — genuinely competitive.
India-Canada DTAA — dividends, interest, and royalties flowing back to India get treaty relief (dividends 15%/25%, interest 15%, royalties 10-20%). Your CA maps the treaty position before money moves, so nothing is taxed twice.
No director residency in the right provinces — Ontario, BC, and Alberta impose no Canadian-residency requirement on directors. An Indian founder can own and run the company with zero local directors. Only the federal route still asks for resident Canadians.
USMCA access — a Canadian entity is a credible base for selling into the US market under the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, with a banking system global clients trust.
Stable, English-speaking, rule-of-law — for Indian businesses selling to North American customers, Canada offers the credibility of a G7 jurisdiction without the maze of 50 US state systems.
Documents
Documents you will need
Clear, current documents matter more than a long checklist. Names, dates of birth and addresses should match across every record — that's what the authorities check first. Tick what you already have below.
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Identity & director records (all directors & shareholders)
Verified against official requirements
Incorporation & registered office records
Verified against official requirements
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How the process works
You’ll see each stage, what’s pending and what we need from you — so filings don’t bounce back.
Step 1 of 7
Choose federal or provincial
This is the first real decision, and it matters. A federal corporation (CBCA) gives you name protection across all of Canada but requires 25% of directors to be resident Canadians — and you still register extra-provincially in each province you operate in. An Ontario or BC corporation has no director residency requirement at all. Most Indian founders with no Canadian resident on the board pick provincial. We recommend based on your actual footprint, not a default.
Run the NUANS name search
We check your proposed company name against Canada's national NUANS database (roughly CAD 14 to 54 depending on the provider). If the name is taken or too similar, we come back with alternates before anything is filed.
Prepare the Articles of Incorporation
We draft the Articles with your share structure, director list, and registered office. For a federal filing it goes to Corporations Canada; for provincial, to Ontario's or BC's registry. Government fee: CAD 200 for federal online.
Settle the director question
If you went federal, 25% of directors must be resident Canadians (at least one on small boards) — this rule still applies and has not been removed. If provincial in Ontario, BC, or Alberta, every director can be non-resident and this step is a non-issue. We collect signed director consents either way.
File and get your certificate
Federal online filings are often approved within a day or two. The Certificate of Incorporation (federal) or Articles (provincial) is your company's legal birth certificate.
Register extra
provincially — If you incorporated federally (or in one province but operate in another), you must register in each province where you actually do business. A Toronto-operating federal company registers extra-provincially in Ontario. We handle each registration so you're covered province by province.
Get your CRA business number
We register you with the Canada Revenue Agency for a business number and open the GST/HST account. Without this, you cannot charge or claim GST/HST. This completes the setup: incorporation, provincial coverage, and tax accounts, typically within one to two weeks total.
Why ComplyKart
How ComplyKart helps in this Entire Process
You should know who’s doing what. Open a stage to see how the work is shared.
Step 1
Provincial vs federal, decided correctly — the 25% resident-director rule catches founders by surprise. We tell you abou...
Step 2
Full filing chain, one team — NUANS search, Articles of Incorporation, extra-provincial registrations, CRA business numb...
Step 3
Apostille and India-side compliance — we arrange the MEA apostilles your Canadian filing needs and handle the FEMA/ODI r...
Step 4
Banking that actually opens — Canadian banks apply strict KYC to non-resident-owned companies and sometimes ask for an i...
Step 1: Provincial vs federal, decided correctly — the 25% resident-director rule catches founders by surprise. We tell you about it before you commit, recommend the route that fits your board, and handle whichever filing you pick.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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Showing 5 of 5 answers
It depends on where you incorporate. Federal corporations still require 25% of directors to be resident Canadians. But Ontario, BC, and Alberta have no residency requirement at all — so most Indian founders incorporate provincially and skip the issue entirely.
Federal gives you Canada-wide name protection and the right to operate everywhere, at the cost of the resident-director rule and extra-provincial filings anyway. If you know your base — say, Toronto — a straight Ontario incorporation is simpler and faster. We recommend based on your actual plans, not a default.
A federal incorporation filed online can be approved within a day or two. A complete setup — incorporation, extra-provincial registration, business number, and tax accounts — typically takes one to two weeks. Name searches can add a few days if your first choice is taken.
Federal corporate tax is 15%, plus provincial tax on top. Combined general rates run from 23% in Alberta to 27% in BC and Manitoba. The small business deduction cuts the federal rate to 9% on the first CAD 500,000 of active business income, bringing combined small-business rates down to roughly 11-12%.
This is the hardest part of the whole process, honestly. Incorporation is quick; banking takes patience. Canadian banks apply strict KYC to non-resident-owned companies and often want to see a business plan, source of funds, and sometimes an in-person visit. We prepare the full documentation package so your application goes in clean the first time.
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Real stories from businesses we've worked with.
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Learning center
Guides on Company Formation in Canada
Deeper reading from our articles — the same rules, explained in plain words.
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