Open Corporation for $35 vs doing it yourself on Corporations Canada
Incorporate federally for $35.00, HST included, with the $200.00 Corporations Canada fee shown separately at cost. A CPA checks your share structure and your director residency before we file. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA. Questions first? Call 647-212-9559, 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday to Sunday.
Filing your own articles through Corporations Canada’s online service is perfectly legal and costs $200.00 under the Canada Business Corporations Act, with no GST or HST added to a federal registry fee. The application never asks about your share structure, the 25 percent resident director rule, or your first year end, and it will accept an answer that hurts you later. For $35.00, HST counted inside it, we draft and file the same articles once a CPA has looked at those points, and the $200.00 government fee still goes to Corporations Canada untouched. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
The short answer
Doing it yourself at Corporations Canada suits a single-shareholder numbered corporation with one class of common shares, at least one resident Canadian director, and an accountant already engaged for the tax work.
Open Corporation for $35 suits anyone who wants a licensed CPA firm to settle the share structure and the year end before the articles are filed, then stay responsible for the CRA registrations and the first T2 corporate return. Our federal incorporation service sets out the steps.
The government fee is $200.00 either way, so on a federal corporation the whole gap is our $35.00 fee. Corporations Canada applies the same one-business-day service standard to an online filing whoever submits it. Where there is a second shareholder, an investor, or shares already promised to a family member, a lawyer is the right answer and neither route on this page replaces one.
Price, line by line
| Item | Open Corporation for $35 | Doing it yourself on Corporations Canada | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional fee to prepare and file the articles | $35.00, HST included | $0.00, plus your own time | $35.00 in favour of doing it yourself |
| Government fee, Articles of Incorporation, online | $200.00 at cost. No GST or HST on federal registry fees | $200.00 paid directly to Corporations Canada | $0.00. Identical, and we do not mark it up |
| Name search | Built into the online application | Built into the same online application | $0.00. Identical |
| Express online filing, optional | $300.00 in total at cost, being $200.00 plus the $100.00 express fee | $300.00 in total if you select it | $0.00. We never add it for you |
| Filing by mail or email | Not used. We file online | $250.00, with a longer processing time | Online is cheaper on both sides |
| Total, federal corporation, standard online filing | $235.00 | $200.00 | $35.00 in favour of doing it yourself |
| Annual return to Corporations Canada | $12.00 at cost, with a reminder | $12.00. You track the date yourself | Only the reminder differs |
| Articles of Amendment, filed online | $200.00 at cost. No fee for a change to the number of directors | $200.00, with the same exception | $0.00. Identical |
| Minute book, first-year bookkeeping | Quoted on request | Not offered. Bought elsewhere or done yourself | Only one side sells it |
| First T2 corporate return | From $300 | Not offered by the registry | Only one side does the tax work |
| Ongoing subscription | $0.00. None | $0.00. None | $0.00 |
Government fees and service standards read from the Corporations Canada services, fees and processing times page, last checked on 16 October 2026. Fees change, and we re-check this table every quarter. Our own fees appear on our full pricing page, with the same government fee at cost.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Open Corporation for $35 | Doing it yourself on Corporations Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Price of the service | $35.00 | $0.00 |
| HST included | Yes. The tax sits inside the $35.00 | Not applicable. There is no service fee to tax |
| Government fee handling | Own line at cost, $200.00, no markup | You pay Corporations Canada directly, $200.00 |
| Name search | Built into the federal application | Built into the same application |
| Articles filed | Yes, by us, online | Yes, by you, with your own online account |
| Minute book | Yes, quoted on request | No. The Act still requires the corporate records |
| Share structure advice | Yes. A CPA reviews the classes and the holders before filing | No. Corporations Canada does not advise on structure |
| CRA business number, HST and payroll accounts | Yes, quoted on request | You register with the Canada Revenue Agency yourself |
| First-year bookkeeping | Yes, quoted on request | No |
| First T2 corporate return | Yes, from $300 | No |
| Annual return reminder | Yes. Due within 60 days after the anniversary date | You track the date yourself |
| Someone with a CPA licence accountable | Yes. Gondaliya CPA, CPA Ontario firm registration number 61330051 | No. You are accountable |
| Physical offices | 13 across Ontario | Not applicable |
| Support hours | 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday to Sunday, 647-212-9559 | Corporations Canada client service hours |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days on our $35.00 fee | None on the government fee |
| Fee matching | 60-day fee-matching policy | Not applicable |
| Ongoing subscription required | No | No |
| Who to call in a CRA audit | The CPA firm that filed and knows your file | Your own accountant, if you have one |
Government fees and service standards read from the Corporations Canada services, fees and processing times page, last checked on 16 October 2026. Fees change, and we re-check this table every quarter.
Where doing it yourself wins
It is cheaper by exactly $35.00. That is the whole difference on a standard online filing, and we will not pretend otherwise.
It is not slower. Corporations Canada publishes a one-business-day service standard for a standard online incorporation and four hours for the express option, whoever completes the form.
The name search is built into the online application, so a named federal corporation costs a self-filer no more than a numbered one. That removes one of the biggest reasons people used to hand the job over. See the Gondaliya CPA incorporation cost breakdown for every government fee.
You hold your own online account from the first day, so later changes to directors or the registered office are yours to file without asking anyone.
Where we win
The share structure row. Corporations Canada accepts whatever you type into the articles. A CPA settles the classes and the holders first, and unwinding a share structure afterwards costs many times $35.00. Our share structure guide explains why.
The rows after filing. CRA business number, HST, payroll, bookkeeping and the first T2 return are ours and blank in the do-it-yourself column, because Corporations Canada does none of them.
The annual return row. The federal annual return costs $12.00 and is due within 60 days after the anniversary date, and it is not the T2. Missing it repeatedly can lead to the corporation being dissolved.
The accountability row. CPA Ontario firm registration number 61330051, 13 Ontario offices and a phone answered until 8:30 PM, against a client service line that cannot advise you on your structure.
Who should choose which
| Situation | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Numbered federal corporation, one shareholder, one class of common shares, resident Canadian director, accountant already engaged | Doing it yourself | You would be paying us $35.00 for a form you can complete in an evening |
| You have already incorporated and only need this year’s annual return | Doing it yourself | The federal annual return is $12.00 online and takes minutes once you hold the account |
| First corporation, and you want the CRA registrations and the first T2 handled by the firm that filed | Open Corporation for $35 | One firm files the articles, then registers HST and payroll and prepares the return |
| Two or more shareholders, or shares promised to an investor or a family member | A lawyer first, then either route | A shareholder agreement is a legal document. We are a CPA firm and we do not draft one |
| More than three quarters of your directors live outside Canada | Open Corporation for $35 | The federal Act requires at least 25 percent resident Canadian directors, and a province without a residency rule may suit you better. See our director residency guide |
| Professional corporation for a doctor, dentist, lawyer or engineer | Open Corporation for $35 | Your college sets share ownership limits and must approve the name. See our professional corporation guide |
| Converting a sole proprietorship that already holds equipment, goodwill or a client list | Open Corporation for $35 | A section 85 rollover moves the assets without triggering tax, and the election is filed with the CRA |
What a CPA checks before you incorporate
The federal online application is not difficult to complete. It is difficult to complete well, because it asks for answers without telling you what turns on them, and every answer is set the moment the certificate issues.
It asks how many share classes and what rights each carries. It does not tell you that adding a class later means Articles of Amendment at $200.00, or that separating growth shares from fixed-value preferred shares now is what makes a future freeze possible.
It asks for your directors. It does not check that at least 25 percent are resident Canadians, or that at least one is where the board has fewer than four.
It asks for the province of the registered office. It does not ask where you will actually carry on business, which decides how many provincial registrations you take on. Our extra-provincial registration guide sets out the costs.
It never asks who will hold the shares, which is where section 120.4 of the Income Tax Act applies, or whether the spouse you are about to add works enough hours in the business for the dividend to survive review. It never mentions your first fiscal year end, available anywhere within 53 weeks of incorporation. Nor HST at the $30,000 threshold, nor salary against dividends, nor whether the $500,000 small business deduction is shared, nor whether a section 85 election should carry your existing business across. Those are the parts we do.
Case studies
A founder halfway through the form
The situation: A software consultant had started the federal online application and stopped at the share class question.
What we did: We set up voting and non-voting classes with room for a spouse later, and filed the articles online for the same $200.00 government fee.
The result:
- Federal corporation filed for $235.00 in total
- Share classes ready for a family member
- Year end set to match the first contracts
A board with directors abroad
The situation: Two founders living outside Canada and one in Toronto wanted a federal corporation.
What we did: We explained the 25 percent resident director rule, then compared a federal filing against a province with no residency rule before filing.
The result:
- Director rule checked before filing
- Province chosen on the facts
- No amendment needed afterwards
A missed annual return
The situation: An owner who had filed alone had not filed a federal annual return in two years.
What we did: We filed the overdue $12.00 returns, then set a reminder for each anniversary and prepared the T2.
The result:
- Corporation brought back into good standing
- Annual return reminders in place
- First T2 prepared by the same firm
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to incorporate federally yourself?
It costs $200.00, the Corporations Canada fee for Articles of Incorporation filed online under the Canada Business Corporations Act. No GST or HST is added to federal registry fees. The express online option adds $100.00, and filing by mail or email costs $250.00.
Do I need a lawyer to incorporate federally?
No. The Canada Business Corporations Act does not require a lawyer to file Articles of Incorporation. A lawyer is the right answer when there is more than one shareholder, when shares are promised to an investor, or when a unanimous shareholder agreement is needed, because those are legal documents and we are a CPA firm, not a law firm.
If I file the federal articles myself, do I have to buy a NUANS report first?
Usually not. Corporations Canada says the name search is built into most online applications under the Canada Business Corporations Act, so a separate NUANS report may not be needed for a straight incorporation.
What do I have to file after incorporating federally?
An annual return to Corporations Canada, at $12.00 online, within 60 days after the anniversary date of incorporation. The annual return is a corporate law filing and is not the T2 corporate income tax return. You also keep a register of individuals with significant control and report changes to directors or the registered office.
Does a federal corporation still have to register in a province?
Yes. Federal incorporation does not remove provincial registration, and a federal corporation must register in each province where it carries on business. In Ontario a federal corporation files an Initial Return within 60 days. Our extra-provincial registration guide sets out each province.
Do I need a minute book if I incorporate myself?
Yes. The Canada Business Corporations Act requires the corporation to keep its articles, by-laws, minutes, resolutions, a directors register and a securities register, plus a register of individuals with significant control. Filing the articles yourself does not remove any of that.
Book a free consultation call
Halfway through the federal form? Bring your questions to a free call, and a CPA will tell you whether you need us at all.
Why owners trust the filing to 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. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
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File it yourself, or let a CPA file it
If the do-it-yourself column suits your situation, file it and keep the $35.00. If it does not, send us the intake form and we will confirm your name, share classes, directors and year end before anything reaches the registry. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
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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.
