Incorporate a Business in Ottawa for $35
Incorporate your Ottawa business for $35.00, HST included, with the government fee on its own line at cost: $300 for an Ontario corporation or $200 for a federal one. A CPA from our Ottawa office on Neepawa Avenue checks your share structure, your directors and whether a federal buyer will expect a CRA business number before anything is filed. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
Ottawa Incorporation, Ontario or Federal, Reviewed by a CPA
Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA. We prepare and file your Ontario or federal incorporation for a professional fee of $35.00, HST included. Government fees are separate and billed at cost: $300 for Articles of Incorporation filed online with the Ontario Business Registry, or $200 for federal articles filed online with Corporations Canada. Our Ottawa office is at 2090 Neepawa Ave, Unit A314, open 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday to Sunday. A CPA reviews your share structure and year end before anything is filed. Call 647-212-9559 or start the incorporation intake form.
Ottawa is the one city where the federal choice comes up on almost every file, because so many owners here sell to the Government of Canada. We tell you plainly whether an Ontario corporation or a federal one suits the work you actually do.
Ottawa Business Statistics
Every figure below carries its source and year. Ottawa publishes most of its economic data through City of Ottawa reports, and Statistics Canada supplies the census counts.
| Statistic | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Population, City of Ottawa | 1,017,449, up 8.9% from 934,243 in 2016 | Statistics Canada, 2021 Census |
| Estimated population | 1,116,170 people in 484,030 households | City of Ottawa estimate, year-end 2025 |
| Population, Ottawa-Gatineau metropolitan area | 1,488,307 | Statistics Canada, 2021 Census |
| Employed labour force, Ottawa area | 650,100, with unemployment at 4.9% | City of Ottawa Economic Development Update, Q3 2024 |
| Public-sector share of employed residents | 33.9%, up from 33.4% in 2022 | City of Ottawa Annual Development Report, 2023 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 79,100 employed residents, up from 61,600 in 2016 | City of Ottawa Annual Development Report, 2022 |
| Construction | 36,200 employed residents, up from 26,500 in 2016 | City of Ottawa Annual Development Report, 2022 |
| Kanata North technology park | About 540 companies and 33,000 employees | City of Ottawa, Kanata North Economic District framework, 2023 |
| Service-producing share of employment | 89.9% | City of Ottawa 2024 Annual Report, December 2024 |
Why Ottawa Business Owners Incorporate
In 2023, 33.9 percent of employed Ottawa residents worked in the public sector, according to the City of Ottawa’s Annual Development Report. Around that public workforce sits a much larger group of consultants, contractors and suppliers who sell to it, and that group drives most of our Ottawa files.
Federal buying runs through CanadaBuys and the SAP Business Network. Public Services and Procurement Canada does not ask for a business number to submit a bid, but it does require a Canada Revenue Agency business number before a contract is awarded or a standing offer or supply arrangement is issued, and it allows one SAP Business Network account per business number. An owner who wins work before the paperwork exists ends up incorporating against a deadline.
Security work adds another layer. Under the Contract Security Program, an organization cannot apply for screening by itself; it must be sponsored by a federal procurement officer or by a cleared organization working on a contract, and the Company Security Officer must be an employee who is a Canadian citizen. A Designated Organization Screening takes about four months and a Facility Security Clearance six months or more, so the legal entity that will hold the clearance should be settled first.
The program accepts corporations, partnerships and sole proprietors who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, so incorporation is not strictly required. Most consultants still incorporate first, so the organization that is sponsored for screening is the same one that will sign the contracts.
Technology is the other driver. The Kanata North technology park holds about 540 companies and 33,000 employees, and Invest Ottawa counts more than 1,800 technology companies across the city. A founder who expects an investor, an option pool or SR&ED claims needs a share structure built for that from the first day.
Licensing pulls in the rest. The City of Ottawa’s Licensing By-law No. 2002-189 requires a corporation applying for a licence to file certified copies of its incorporating documents and an annual return listing all shareholders, so a restaurant or a snow plow contractor that wants to trade as a company has to exist as one before the City will process the application.
Municipal Licence Requirements in Ottawa
The City of Ottawa licenses named business categories under Licensing By-law No. 2002-189. Most offices, consultants and technology firms need no City licence at all.
| Business type | Municipal licence required | Issuing body | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant, take-out or food store | Yes, Food Premises | By-law and Regulatory Services | Public Health and Zoning approvals form part of the review |
| Food cart, food truck, canteen or stand | Yes, Mobile Refreshment | By-law and Regulatory Services | Separate from a fixed food premises licence |
| Snow plow contractor | Yes, Snow Plow Contractor | By-law and Regulatory Services | A category many Ottawa trades hold alongside landscaping work |
| Driving school | Yes, Driving School | By-law and Regulatory Services | Licensed under By-law 2002-189 |
| Second-hand goods shop or salvage yard | Yes, two separate categories | By-law and Regulatory Services | Record-keeping duties apply |
| Pet shop or kennel | Yes, two separate categories | By-law and Regulatory Services | Licensed under By-law 2002-189 |
| Payday loan establishment | Yes | By-law and Regulatory Services | Licensed under By-law 2002-189 |
| Tobacco and vapour product retailer | Yes | By-law and Regulatory Services | Licensed under By-law 2002-189 |
| Taxi, limousine or private transportation company | Yes | By-law and Regulatory Services | Vehicle-for-hire categories |
| Short-term rental host | Yes, host permit under By-law No. 2021-104 | By-law and Regulatory Services | Principal residence only in urban residential zones. The permit is $116 for two years |
| IT consultant, accountant, engineer or software firm | No | Not applicable | No category applies, but zoning still governs where the business may operate |
An Ottawa business licence and an Ontario or federal corporation are separate things, and one never replaces the other. The corporation is created under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) through the Ontario Business Registry, or under the Canada Business Corporations Act through Corporations Canada. The licence is permission from the City to carry on one listed activity, issued under By-law 2002-189.
The order matters. By-law 2002-189 requires a corporate applicant to file certified copies of its incorporating documents and an annual return listing every shareholder, so the corporation must exist before the licence file is complete. Applicants must be 18 or older, and a licence can need approval from Zoning, Building, Police, Public Health, Fire and Property Standards. The City says most licences are issued within about six weeks.
Applications go to the Business Licensing Centre at 735 Industrial Avenue, second floor, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:15 PM, on 613-580-2424 extension 12735. We prepare the corporate documents the City asks for. The licence application itself is yours to submit.
Zoning is changing. Council enacted the new Zoning By-law 2026-50 on 11 March 2026, and while appeals are resolved the City applies both it and the older By-law 2008-250, with the more restrictive rule governing. Under By-law 2008-250 a home-based business must be run by someone who lives in the unit, with the business area capped at the greater of 25 percent of the floor area or 28 square metres. Check zoning before you sign a lease or run clients through your home.
Our Ottawa Office
Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
Gondaliya CPA, Ottawa, 2090 Neepawa Ave, Unit A314, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 3L6. Phone 647-212-9559. Open 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday to Sunday.
You can meet a CPA in person by appointment, but you do not have to come in: every incorporation is prepared by email and filed electronically. Kanata, Orléans, Barrhaven and Nepean files are handled from this office.
Industries That Incorporate Most in Ottawa
These are the groups we see most often from Ottawa, and what each has to settle when it incorporates.
| Industry | Why it incorporates here | Our matching page |
|---|---|---|
| IT and management consultants selling to government | A CRA business number is required before a federal contract is awarded, and security sponsorship follows the legal entity | IT consultants and software developers |
| Technology companies in Kanata North | About 540 companies sit in the park, and investors expect settled share classes and an option pool | IT consultants and software developers |
| Construction and skilled trades | 36,200 Ottawa residents worked in construction in 2022, and work across the river in Gatineau needs a Régie du bâtiment du Québec licence | Incorporation by industry |
| Health professionals | A professional corporation needs a certificate of authorization from the governing college before it practises | Professional corporation incorporation |
| Restaurants and food businesses | A Food Premises licence asks a corporate applicant for its incorporating documents and shareholder list | Restaurants and food trucks |
| Newcomers starting a first business | Ontario has no resident director rule, while a federal corporation needs 25 percent resident Canadian directors | Immigrants and newcomers |
Free Ottawa Incorporation Consultation
Case Studies: Ottawa Incorporations
Kanata Consultant – Federal or Ontario
The problem: A Kanata IT consultant had been offered a federal supply arrangement and was told a business number was needed before award.
What we did: We compared an Ontario corporation with a federal one, chose Ontario because the work stayed in Ontario, filed online and opened the business number the same week.
The result:
- Corporation in place before award
- Business number issued
- One SAP Business Network account set up
Nepean Restaurant – Licence File Ready
The problem: A Nepean owner taking over a restaurant lease needed a City Food Premises licence in the company’s name.
What we did: We incorporated first, then prepared the certified incorporating documents and shareholder list By-law 2002-189 asks a corporate applicant to file.
The result:
- Articles filed online
- Licence file complete
- HST registration timed to opening
Orléans Contractor – Working in Gatineau
The problem: An Orléans renovation contractor had quotes on both sides of the river.
What we did: We incorporated in Ontario and set out the separate Quebec steps: registration with the Registraire des entreprises within 60 days of starting work there, and an RBQ licence before quoting construction in Quebec.
The result:
- Ontario corporation filed
- Quebec obligations listed in writing
- Payroll and WSIB set up
What It Costs to Incorporate in Ottawa
Our fee is the same everywhere. Government fees depend on whether you incorporate in Ontario or federally, and each one is shown on its own line at cost. See the full fee table or every 2026 government registry fee.
| Item | Amount | HST | Total | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incorporation prepared and filed | $35.00 | Included | $35.00 | Open Corporation for $35, a department of Gondaliya CPA |
| Ontario Articles of Incorporation, filed online | $300.00 | None | $300.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
| Federal Articles of Incorporation, filed online | $200.00 | None | $200.00 | Corporations Canada |
| Ontario NUANS report, named Ontario corporations only | $25.00 | Included | $25.00 | Ordered through us |
| Ontario Initial Return and Annual Return | $0.00 | None | $0.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
| Federal annual return | $12.00 | None | $12.00 | Corporations Canada |
| Ontario Corporation Profile Report, for a licence file | $8.00 | None | $8.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
A numbered Ontario corporation costs $335.00 in total and a named one $360.00. A federal corporation costs $235.00, because the federal online filing includes its own name search. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
The same checks run on every file. In Ottawa the answers usually turn on government contracts, security clearance and investors.
Ontario or federal
Federal suits a business that trades across provinces under one protected name, but it needs 25 percent resident Canadian directors. Ontario has no such rule.
Share structure
One class of common shares suits a solo consultant. A Kanata founder expecting investors needs classes built for an option pool.
Who holds the shares
Dividends to a spouse are tested against the tax on split income rules before any share is issued.
Year end and HST
A year end away from the government’s March fiscal rush, and HST registration at the $30,000 threshold or earlier.
Salary or dividends
This decides RRSP room, Canada Pension Plan contributions and whether a payroll account is needed on day one.
Moving an existing business
Where a sole proprietorship is being converted, a section 85 rollover moves equipment and goodwill across without tax.
An Ottawa example. An Ottawa management consultant on a federal supply arrangement asked for a federal corporation because it “sounded right” for government work. All of the work was in Ontario and one director was moving abroad, which would have broken the federal 25 percent resident director rule. We filed in Ontario instead, which has no residency rule, and the business number was ready before award.
Why Choose Open Corporation for $35 in Ottawa?
Our Official Partners
Ottawa Incorporation FAQs
Do I need a City of Ottawa business licence as well as a corporation?
Should an Ottawa business incorporate federally or in Ontario?
Do I need a corporation to sell to the federal government?
My Ottawa business will also work in Gatineau. What changes?
Can I run my new corporation from my Ottawa home?
Can I meet a CPA in person at your Ottawa office?
Meet the CPAs Behind Your Ottawa Incorporation
A Chartered Professional Accountant reviews your shares, name and registered office before anything is filed.
What Our Clients Say
These Google reviews belong to Gondaliya CPA Professional Corporation and cover every service the firm provides. Read our Ottawa client reviews.
Why Owners Trust Us
Gondaliya CPA Professional Corporation is registered with CPA Ontario under firm registration number 61330051. Our clients have left us 1,300+ five-star Google reviews, and we work from 13 Ontario offices, open 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday to Sunday. We back every filing with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 60-day fee-matching policy, and we are a Xero Partner Award Winner 2026. The platform is operated by WealthBamboo Inc., a federal corporation. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA. See incorporation services at Gondaliya CPA.
Start Your Ottawa Incorporation
Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA. Complete the intake form and a CPA will confirm whether you should incorporate in Ontario for $335.00 in total or federally for $235.00, both including our $35.00 fee with HST, and tell you whether the City will want a licence for what you do. Send payment by Interac e-Transfer to info@gondaliyacpa.ca with the security question set to “Not Applicable”, as auto-deposit is enabled. Card is also accepted. Questions first? Call 647-212-9559, 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday to Sunday.
Where to Go Next
Federal incorporation
CBCA filing, the $200 fee and the resident director rule.
Incorporate in Ontario
OBCA filing, the $300 fee and the Initial Return.
Gondaliya CPA incorporation services in Ottawa
The parent firm’s Ottawa incorporation and accounting services.
Toronto incorporation services
Our Toronto office at 55 Queen St E.
Director residency requirements
Who can sit on the board, by jurisdiction.
North York incorporation services
Our North York office on Graydon Hall Drive.
All service areas · All incorporation and corporate filing services
No legal advice
Gondaliya CPA Professional Corporation is a firm of Chartered Professional Accountants licensed by CPA Ontario, firm registration number 61330051. It is not a law firm. We prepare and file corporate documents and we provide accounting and tax advice. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and reading it creates no solicitor and client relationship. For legal advice, including advice on a shareholder agreement before you sign it, consult a lawyer licensed in the province where your corporation carries on business.
Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
