Incorporate a Business in Hamilton for $35
Incorporate your Hamilton 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 Hamilton Mountain office checks your share structure, your year end and whether the City will want a business licence in the company’s name before anything is filed. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
Hamilton 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 Hamilton office is at 70 Starling Dr, 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.
Hamilton is still a steel city, but it is also a hospital and university city, a port city and a food processing centre. Physicians and researchers around McMaster, tradespeople, manufacturers and importers using the port are the people we see most often from here.
Hamilton Business Statistics
Every figure below carries its source and year. Statistics Canada supplies the census and labour figures, and the City’s Invest in Hamilton office publishes its sector data.
| Statistic | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Population, City of Hamilton | 569,353, up 6.0% from 536,917 in 2016 | Statistics Canada, 2021 Census, via City of Hamilton |
| Population, Hamilton census metropolitan area | 785,184 | Statistics Canada, 2021 Census |
| Life sciences employment | More than 30,000 people and $5.7 billion in annual economic activity | Invest in Hamilton, Life Sciences Sector Strategy |
| Food and beverage manufacturers | More than 120, with more than 9,500 agri-food workers | Invest in Hamilton, sector overview |
| Cargo through the Port of Hamilton | About 10.35 million tonnes from 592 vessel calls | Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority, 2025 |
| Unemployment rate, Hamilton CMA | 6.9% in September 2026 | Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted three-month moving average |
| Short-term rental licensing | Enforced since 1 January 2024 | City of Hamilton |
Why Hamilton Business Owners Incorporate
Health care and research are now Hamilton’s largest growth sector. Invest in Hamilton counts more than 30,000 people in life sciences, centred on McMaster University and the city’s hospitals. Physicians, dentists, pharmacists and other regulated professionals who incorporate here need a professional corporation with the right shareholders, not an ordinary company.
Steel and manufacturing remain the city’s backbone. ArcelorMittal Dofasco announced a $1.76 billion plan in 2021 to move to electric arc steelmaking, though the timeline is now uncertain, and Stelco’s Hamilton Works is part of Cleveland-Cliffs. Around them sit fabricators, machine shops and suppliers whose owners usually need a share structure ready for a partner or family member.
The port and the food sector bring importers and distributors. The Port of Hamilton handled about 10.35 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, and Invest in Hamilton counts more than 120 food and beverage manufacturers. An importer needs a business number with an import-export account before the first shipment.
The City adds its own rules. Business Licensing By-law 07-170 licenses named activities such as food premises, bars and nightclubs, food service vehicles, payday lenders and accommodation, and a separate short-term rental licence has been enforced since 1 January 2024. Where a licence is needed, the application should be in the corporation’s name, so the company has to exist first.
Municipal Licence Requirements in Hamilton
The City of Hamilton licenses named business categories under Business Licensing By-law 07-170. Most offices, consultants and professional firms need no City licence.
| Business type | Municipal licence required | Issuing body | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant, take-out or food store | Yes, food premises | City of Hamilton, Licensing | Hamilton Public Health Services also inspects food premises |
| Bar or nightclub | Yes | City of Hamilton, Licensing | Licensed under By-law 07-170 |
| Food truck or food service vehicle | Yes, Schedule 6 | City of Hamilton, Licensing | Licensed under By-law 07-170 |
| Bed and breakfast, hotel or motel | Yes, Schedule 3 | City of Hamilton, Licensing | Licensed under By-law 07-170 |
| Payday loan establishment | Yes, Schedule 11 | City of Hamilton, Licensing | Licensed under By-law 07-170 |
| Short-term rental | Yes, short-term rental licence | City of Hamilton, Licensing | Principal residence only, stays of 28 consecutive nights or fewer, enforced since 1 January 2024 |
| Short-term rental platform or broker | Yes | City of Hamilton, Licensing | $5,000 licence |
| Consultant, accountant, engineer or software firm | No | Not applicable | No category applies, but zoning still governs where the business may operate |
A Hamilton 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 the City’s permission to carry on one listed activity under By-law 07-170.
Zoning comes before the licence. Hamilton still has several zoning by-laws from before amalgamation, and the City recommends a Zoning Verification Report before you apply for a business licence, so you know your location allows the activity.
We prepare the corporate documents the City asks for. The licence application itself is yours to submit.
For free start-up help, the Hamilton Business Centre at City Hall, 71 Main St W, 1st Floor, offers consultations, business plan reviews and workshops (905-540-6400). Innovation Factory at McMaster Innovation Park, 175 Longwood Rd S, supports technology and research start-ups.
Our Hamilton Office
Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
Gondaliya CPA, Hamilton, 70 Starling Dr, Hamilton, Ontario L9A 0C5. 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. Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Dundas, Waterdown, Binbrook and Burlington files are handled from this office.
Our Services for Hamilton Businesses
Our professional fees include HST. Government fees are separate, itemised and charged at cost with no mark-up.
Incorporation Services in Hamilton
Incorporate in Canada for just $35, HST included, with a CPA review before filing.
NUANS Name Search and Report in Hamilton ($25)
A $25 NUANS report, checked by a CPA before you incorporate.
Address Service in Hamilton ($75)
A registered office address that keeps your home address private.
Annual Return Filing in Hamilton
Federal and Ontario annual returns filed on time to keep your corporation active.
Corporate Tax Filing in Hamilton (From $300)
Your T2 corporate tax return, prepared by a CPA, from $300.
Payroll Service in Hamilton
Payroll and CRA source deductions for owners and staff.
Incorporate in Ontario
Ontario incorporation for $35 plus the $300 government fee, often processed the same day.
Federal Incorporation
Federal incorporation for $35 plus the $200 government fee, with your name protected across Canada.
Holding Company Setup in Hamilton
A holding company for $35, structured by a CPA for tax-efficient dividends.
Industries That Incorporate Most in Hamilton
These are the groups we see most often from Hamilton, and what each has to settle when it incorporates.
| Industry | Why it incorporates here | Our matching page |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians | Hospital and clinic physicians incorporate as a professional corporation under College rules | Physicians |
| Nurses and nurse practitioners | A nurse practitioner’s corporation must meet College of Nurses of Ontario rules | Nurses and nurse practitioners |
| Manufacturers and fabricators | Steel suppliers and machine shops often bring in a partner or family member | Manufacturing companies |
| Construction and skilled trades | WSIB coverage, an HST number and often a vehicle moved into the company | Construction and skilled trades |
| Food processors, wholesalers and importers | Port access and an import-export account before the first shipment | Import and export businesses |
| International students and graduates | McMaster and Mohawk College graduates starting a business, with no resident director rule in Ontario | International students |
Free Hamilton Incorporation Consultation
Case Studies: Hamilton Incorporations
Hamilton Physician – Professional Corporation
The problem: A hospital physician billing OHIP wanted to incorporate and pay a spouse dividends.
What we did: We filed a professional corporation that met the College’s shareholder rules and tested the spouse’s dividends against the tax on split income rules before any share was issued.
The result:
- Professional corporation filed
- College requirements met
- Dividend plan tested
Stoney Creek Fabricator – Partner Joining
The problem: A metal fabricator was bringing in a partner and buying new equipment.
What we did: We incorporated with two voting classes and a preferred class, moved the existing equipment across with a section 85 rollover and registered for HST.
The result:
- Share classes ready for the partner
- Equipment moved without tax
- HST registered
Ancaster Consultant – Not Yet
The problem: A consultant drawing everything they earned asked whether to incorporate.
What we did: We showed that the deferral would not cover the yearly cost of a T2 yet, and set a revenue point to revisit it.
The result:
- Honest advice
- No unnecessary corporation
- Plan to revisit
What It Costs to Incorporate in Hamilton
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 |
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. City of Hamilton licence fees are set by the City and are separate. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
The same checks run on every file. In Hamilton the answers usually turn on professional corporations, partners and equipment.
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 tradesperson. A manufacturer or importer bringing in a partner needs separate classes from the start.
Who holds the shares
Dividends to a spouse are tested against the tax on split income rules before any share is issued, and professional corporations have their own shareholder limits.
Year end and HST
A year end away from your busiest season, 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 vehicles, equipment and goodwill across without tax.
A Hamilton example. A Hamilton food importer asked us to incorporate after their first container was already booked. Without a business number and an import-export account in the company’s name, the goods would have cleared customs under the owner personally. We filed the Ontario articles the same day, registered the business number, HST and import-export accounts, and the shipment cleared in the corporation’s name.
Why Choose Open Corporation for $35 in Hamilton?
Our Official Partners
Hamilton Incorporation FAQs
Do I need a City of Hamilton business licence as well as a corporation?
Should a Hamilton business incorporate federally or in Ontario?
I am a physician in Hamilton. Can I use an ordinary corporation?
Can I run my new corporation from my Hamilton home?
Is there free start-up help in Hamilton?
Can I meet a CPA in person at your Hamilton office?
How long does it take to incorporate a Hamilton business?
Do I need a NUANS report to incorporate in Ontario?
Do I have to register for HST when I incorporate?
What does my corporation have to file every year?
Meet the CPAs Behind Your Hamilton 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. See Hamilton 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. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA. See incorporation services at Gondaliya CPA.
Start Your Hamilton 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
Incorporate in Ontario
OBCA filing, the $300 fee and the Initial Return.
Federal incorporation
CBCA filing, the $200 fee and the resident director rule.
Gondaliya CPA incorporation services in Hamilton
The parent firm’s Hamilton incorporation and accounting services.
Mississauga incorporation services
Incorporation for Mississauga and Peel Region.
Kitchener-Waterloo incorporation services
Incorporation for Waterloo Region.
Toronto incorporation services
Our Toronto office at 55 Queen St E.
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.
