Open Corporation for $35 vs doing it yourself on the Ontario Business Registry
Incorporate in Ontario for $35.00, HST included, with the $300.00 registry fee shown separately at cost. A CPA checks your share structure before we file. Questions first? Call 647-212-9559, 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday to Sunday.
The Ontario Business Registry will take your Articles of Incorporation the moment you file them online and charge $300.00 under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). What it will not do is tell you whether your share classes work, whether your spouse should hold shares, or whether the year end you picked will cost you in eighteen months. That review is what our $35.00 buys, HST already inside the figure, while the $300.00 government fee stays a separate line at cost with no HST added to it. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA. Both routes are set out below without favour.
The short answer
Doing it yourself on the Ontario Business Registry suits a single-shareholder numbered corporation with one class of shares, no spouse or partner on the register, and an accountant already lined up for the tax work. Open Corporation for $35 suits anyone who wants a licensed CPA firm to settle the share structure first and stay responsible for the CRA registrations, the year end and the first T2 return. The government fee is $300.00 either way, so the whole gap on a numbered corporation is our $35.00 fee. The registry will process your articles online immediately in both cases, because we file through the same registry you would. If the share structure has a second shareholder, family members, or a promise already made to an investor, 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 the Ontario Business Registry | 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 (OBCA), filed online | $300.00 at cost. No HST on registry fees | $300.00 paid directly to the registry. No HST on registry fees | $0.00. Identical, and we do not mark it up |
| Ontario-biased NUANS report, named corporation | $25.00, ordered by us | Ordered by you from a NUANS search house, at that house’s price | Depends on the search house you use |
| Total, numbered corporation, no NUANS required | $335.00 | $300.00 | $35.00 in favour of doing it yourself |
| Total, named corporation | $360.00 | $300.00 plus the NUANS report you buy | Our $60.00 against the price of your NUANS report |
| Initial Return under the Corporations Information Act, due within 60 days | $0.00 registry fee. We file it for you | $0.00 registry fee. You file it | The registry charges nothing either way |
| Annual Return under the Corporations Information Act | $0.00 registry fee. Reminder included at no charge | $0.00 registry fee. No reminder | Only the reminder differs |
| Certificate of Status | $26.00 at cost | $26.00 | $0.00. Identical |
| Corporation Profile Report | $8.00 at cost | $8.00 | $0.00. Identical |
| Copy of a filed document | $3.00 per document at cost | $3.00 per document | $0.00. Identical |
| Minute book, first-year bookkeeping, first T2 return | Quoted on request | Not available. Bought elsewhere or done yourself | Only one side sells it |
| Ongoing subscription | $0.00. None | $0.00. None | $0.00. Identical |
Prices verified on 7 September 2026. Every figure above also appears on our pricing page, with the same government fee at cost.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Open Corporation for $35 | Doing it yourself on the Ontario Business Registry |
|---|---|---|
| Price of the service | $35.00 | $0.00 |
| HST included | Yes | Not applicable. There is no service fee to tax |
| Government fee handling | Own line at cost, $300.00, no markup | You pay the registry directly, $300.00 |
| Name search included | Numbered corporation needs none. Ontario-biased NUANS at $25.00 | Same rule. You order the NUANS report yourself |
| Articles filed | Yes, by us, through the Ontario Business Registry | Yes, by you, with an ONe-key or registry account |
| Minute book | Yes, quoted on request | No. The OBCA still requires one |
| Share structure advice | Yes. A CPA reviews classes and holders before filing | No. The registry does not advise |
| CRA business number | Yes, quoted on request | You register with the Canada Revenue Agency yourself |
| HST registration | Yes, quoted on request | You register yourself |
| Payroll account registration | Yes, quoted on request | You register yourself |
| First-year bookkeeping | Yes, quoted on request | No |
| First T2 corporate return | Yes, quoted on request | No |
| Annual return reminder | Yes. Ontario Annual Return due within six months after fiscal year end | No reminder is issued by the registry |
| Someone with a CPA licence accountable | Yes. Gondaliya CPA, CPA Ontario firm registration 61330051 | No. You are accountable |
| Physical offices | 13 across Ontario | Not applicable |
| Support hours | 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, seven days, 647-212-9559 | ServiceOntario helpline, which cannot advise on your structure |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | None. Registry fees are not refunded |
| 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 |
Prices verified on 7 September 2026.
Where they win
It is cheaper by exactly $35.00 on a numbered corporation. That is the entire difference, and we will not pretend otherwise.
It is not slower. Articles filed online through the Ontario Business Registry are processed immediately and the certificate is issued the same day, whoever presses the button.
You hold your own registry account and Company Key from day one, so later changes to directors, officers or the registered office are yours to make without asking anyone.
For a straightforward numbered corporation with one shareholder and one class of common shares, the registry’s own form asks you nothing a careful owner cannot answer.
Where we win
The registry accepts whatever you type. A CPA checks the classes and the holders before filing, and fixing a share structure after the fact costs far more than $35.00.
CRA business number, HST, payroll, bookkeeping and the first T2 are ours and blank on the do-it-yourself column, because the registry does none of them.
The Canada Revenue Agency stopped accepting Ontario annual information returns on 15 May 2021, and Schedule 546 went with it. Owners who filed through their T2 for years simply stopped without noticing.
CPA Ontario firm registration number 61330051, thirteen Ontario offices and a phone answered until 8:30 PM, against a helpline that cannot advise you.
Who should choose which
| Situation | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Numbered corporation, one shareholder, one share class, accountant already engaged | Doing it yourself | You would pay us $35.00 for a filing you can complete online in an evening |
| First corporation, and you want the CRA registrations and first T2 handled by the same firm | Open Corporation for $35 | One firm files the articles, then registers HST and payroll and files the return |
| Two or more shareholders, or shares promised to an investor or family member | A lawyer first, then either route | A shareholder agreement is a legal instrument. We are a CPA firm and do not draft one |
| Professional corporation for a doctor, dentist, lawyer or engineer | Open Corporation for $35 | Your college sets share ownership limits and must approve the name before filing |
| 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 it must be filed with the CRA |
| You want a named corporation and have not read the Ontario name rules | Open Corporation for $35 | A Canada-biased NUANS report is refused, and the report cannot be more than 90 days old when the articles are filed |
| You have already filed and only need the Initial Return | Doing it yourself | The Initial Return carries a $0.00 registry fee and is due within 60 days of incorporation |
What a CPA checks before you incorporate
Filing your own articles on the Ontario Business Registry works. What it cannot do is tell you the consequences of the boxes you are filling in, and in Ontario several of them are permanent in practice.
Start with the one people get wrong most often. The Ontario Annual Return is due within six months of your fiscal year end, and the Initial Return within 60 days of incorporation. Neither is prompted by the incorporation screen, and neither is the same as your T2.
The share provisions are the second. The registry accepts a single class of common shares without comment. It will also accept three classes. It will not tell you that a spouse holding non-voting shares, a partner buying in at a frozen value, and a holding company sitting above all need those classes to exist before the certificate issues.
Nothing on the form asks who is receiving dividends. Section 120.4 of the Income Tax Act does, and the excluded shares exception is closed to a services business, which leaves the hours actually worked in the business as the test.
Nothing asks for a fiscal year end, though the choice is yours within 53 weeks of incorporation and it fixes your first T2 and your instalment cycle.
And nothing asks about HST at 13% and the $30,000 small supplier threshold, salary against dividends, the payroll account salary requires, whether the $500,000 small business deduction is shared with a company you already own, whether your college permits a professional corporation, or whether a section 85 election should move an existing business in.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to incorporate in Ontario yourself?
It costs $300.00, the Ontario Business Registry fee for Articles of Incorporation under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), filed online or by mail. No HST is added to that registry fee. A named corporation also needs an Ontario-biased NUANS report, which you buy from a NUANS search house at its own price, or which we order for $25.00.
If I incorporate in Ontario myself, when should I still pay a lawyer?
Pay a lawyer when there is more than one shareholder, when shares are promised to an investor, or when a shareholder agreement is needed, because those are legal instruments a do-it-yourself filing does not produce. The Business Corporations Act (Ontario) does not require a lawyer to file Articles of Incorporation, so the filing itself is not the reason to hire one. We are a CPA firm and we do not provide legal advice.
Is it faster to use a service than to file myself?
No. Articles of Incorporation filed online through the Ontario Business Registry are processed immediately and the certificate is issued the same day for both routes, while filings by mail take 15 business days. Our own preparation takes 1 business day after your intake form and share structure are settled.
What do I still have to file after incorporating in Ontario?
An Initial Return under the Corporations Information Act, due within 60 days of incorporation at a $0.00 fee, then an Annual Return within six months after each fiscal year end, also $0.00. A Notice of Change is due within 15 days of any change to directors, officers or the registered office.
Can I still file my Ontario annual return with my T2?
No. The Canada Revenue Agency stopped accepting Ontario annual information returns on 15 May 2021, and Schedule 546, Schedule 548 and Form RC232 were discontinued. The Annual Return must now be filed directly in the Ontario Business Registry, and persistent failure can lead to cancellation of the corporation.
If I file the Ontario articles myself, do I still have to keep a minute book?
Yes, filing the Ontario articles yourself does not remove the requirement, because the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) requires a minute book kept at the registered office or another place in Ontario designated by the directors. Since 1 January 2023 private corporations must also keep a transparency register of individuals with significant control, with penalties reaching $200,000 for knowing breaches.
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 check it first
If the do-it-yourself column suits you, file it and keep the $35.00. If it does not, send us the intake form and we will confirm your name, share classes and year end before filing.
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.
