Product Info

A company registered or incorporated under the Business Corporations Act is called a BC Company. It is  recognized as a separate entity from its owners for legal and tax purposes.

Corporations can generally conduct any lawful business as well as the actions necessary to conduct the business, like entering into contracts, owning assets, borrowing money, hiring employees and setting up a bank account of its own.

It is the right choice if you want a business structure with a limited liability

Other names:

  • Limited Company
  • BC Corporation

Checklist

Who can incorporate:

  • One or more individuals who are 18 or up can incorporate a BC company.
  • Currently there is no citizenship or residency requirement for people who can be the directors, officers, and shareholders.

What is required to incorporate a BC Company:

  • A name approval number from BC for the company (if it is to be a named corporation)
  • A physical address or street address in the Province of British Columbia.
  • For incorporation process, a minimum of one Director, one Incorporator and one contact person is required. The same person can fill in all three roles.
  • For operations purposes and to fully comply, a minimum of one officer and one shareholders are also required.

What you get

After registering the Transition Application, you will receive the following as pdf documents by email:

Articles Sample Docs
Certificate of Registration
Sample Document
Notice of Articles
Sample Document
Incorporation Agreement
Sample Document
Incorporation Application
Sample Document
Business Number
Sample Document
Minute Book (if included)
Sample Document
Share Certificate (if included)
Sample Document
Corporation seal (if included)
Sample Document
Transparency Register (if included)
Sample Document
CRA Program Accounts (Business Number, Corporate Tax ID, GST, Payroll, Export-Import)
Sample Document
PST Program Account
Sample Document
The Workers’ Compensation Board of BC (WorkSafeBC) registration (if included)
Sample Document
Annual Returns reminder (if included)
Sample Document

Timeline

Processing time: Same day

FAQs

Is company registration (incorporation) right for you?

The decision to incorporate depends on the purpose of the company registration and needs of the individuals involved.

What are the advantages of registering a BC company?
  • Incorporated businesses are perceived as being more stable than unincorporated businesses. It is the right form of business if you are a sub-contractor or work with contracts.
  • Limited Liability to owners / shareholders for business risks.
  • Ownership is transferable
  • Continuous existence
  • There are many tax benefits and advantages for a corporation.
Federal vs Provincial Registration – are there any advantages / disadvantages
  • A Federal corporation name is protected all over Canada while a provincial corporation’s name, in most cases, is protected in the home province only. This may or may not be a consideration based upon your requirement and the nature of business.
  • If you plan to operate a business on a local level and have no plans of expanding across provinces it may make more sense to incorporate within your province. However, if your company regularly conducts business in other provinces or with international partners then federal incorporation may be the right choice.