How much does it cost to incorporate in Canada
A federal corporation costs $235.00 in total with us and an Ontario corporation costs $335.00, being our $35.00 fee with HST included plus the government filing fee at cost. A named corporation adds a $25.00 NUANS report. This page sets out every line, who charges it, and the costs that arrive in the weeks after the certificate. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA. A Chartered Professional Accountant reviews the file before anything is filed, and no government fee carries a mark-up.
The short answer
There are only two charges on a straightforward incorporation. Our fee, and the government filing fee. Everything else is optional or arrives later.
| What you are incorporating | Our fee | Government fee | NUANS report | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbered federal corporation | $35.00 | $200.00 | Not needed | $235.00 |
| Named federal corporation | $35.00 | $200.00 | $25.00 | $260.00 |
| Numbered Ontario corporation | $35.00 | $300.00 | Not needed | $335.00 |
| Named Ontario corporation | $35.00 | $300.00 | $25.00 | $360.00 |
Our $35.00 includes HST. Government fees carry no HST, because a registry filing fee is not a taxable supply. Nothing is added to either figure later.
The difference between a numbered and a named corporation is the $25.00 report and nothing else. Our comparison of numbered against named companies sets out which suits which business.
Federal incorporation, line by line
A federal corporation is filed with Corporations Canada under the Canada Business Corporations Act. The name search is built into the online application, so there is no separate search product to buy.
| Item | Amount | HST | Total | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our incorporation service fee. We prepare and file the articles of incorporation, the share provisions and the first director details | $35.00 | Included | $35.00 | Open Corporation for $35, a department of Gondaliya CPA |
| Government fee, articles of incorporation filed online | $200.00 | Not applicable | $200.00 | Corporations Canada |
| Name search, built into the online application | $0.00 | Not applicable | $0.00 | Corporations Canada |
| Express service, four business hours instead of one business day | $100.00 | Not applicable | $100.00 | Corporations Canada |
| Annual return, filed online each year after the first anniversary | $12.00 | Not applicable | $12.00 | Corporations Canada |
| Extra-provincial registration in Ontario, if the business operates here | $80.00 | Not applicable | $80.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
| Total to incorporate federally, standard online filing | $235.00 | Included in our $35.00 | $235.00 | Combined |
A federal corporation that actually operates in Ontario registers extra-provincially, which takes the realistic all-in to $315.00. That line is the one most often left out of a headline price.
Our guide to how to incorporate a business in Canada covers the filing itself, step by step.
Ontario incorporation, line by line
An Ontario corporation is filed through the Ontario Business Registry under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). The fee is the same whether you file online or by mail, and the two registry returns that follow are free.
| Item | Amount | HST | Total | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our incorporation service fee. We prepare and file the articles of incorporation, the share provisions and the first director details | $35.00 | Included | $35.00 | Open Corporation for $35, a department of Gondaliya CPA |
| Government fee, articles of incorporation | $300.00 | Not applicable | $300.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
| NUANS report, named corporations only | $25.00 | Included | $25.00 | Open Corporation for $35, a department of Gondaliya CPA |
| Initial Return, due within 60 days of incorporation | $0.00 | Not applicable | $0.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
| Annual Return under the Corporations Information Act | $0.00 | Not applicable | $0.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
| Business name registration, five-year term, if you trade under another name | $60.00 | Not applicable | $60.00 | Ontario Business Registry |
| Total to incorporate a numbered Ontario corporation | $335.00 | Included in our $35.00 | $335.00 | Combined |
| Total to incorporate a named Ontario corporation | $360.00 | Included in our fees | $360.00 | Combined |
Ontario costs $100.00 more than federal at the counter. What you get for it is a provincial corporation that needs no extra-provincial registration to operate in Ontario.
Our $35.00 fee includes HST and our $25.00 NUANS fee includes HST. Government fees are passed through at cost with no mark-up. These registry fee schedules were last checked on 7 September 2026. Every figure is on our full pricing page.
One flat fee of $35.00, HST included
The government fee is shown separately at cost on your invoice.
What the name costs, by jurisdiction
Every province handles the name differently, and the name is the only part of the cost that changes much between them. A numbered corporation skips this table entirely.
| Jurisdiction | What the registry requires | Cost | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | No separate report. The search is built into the application | $0.00 | Corporations Canada |
| Ontario | An Ontario-biased NUANS report, supplied with the filing | $25.00 | Open Corporation for $35 |
| British Columbia | A Name Request through Name Requests Online | $30.00 | BC Registry Services |
| Quebec | A name reservation with the Registraire des entreprises | $27.00 | Registraire des entreprises du Quebec |
| Manitoba | A Request for Name Reservation. The registry runs the search | $45.00 | Manitoba Companies Office |
| Saskatchewan | A name reservation against the registry’s own database | $50.00 | Information Services Corporation |
| Nova Scotia | A name reservation where you supply the NUANS report | $15.12 | Registry of Joint Stock Companies |
| Prince Edward Island | A Level 1 Atlantic search, or a Level 2 Canada-wide search | $40.00 or $50.00 | PEI Corporate Registry |
Incorporation fees outside Ontario and the federal jurisdiction are quoted to you in writing before we file, from the registry’s own published schedule on the day.
How the report is read, what it does not cover and the 90-day clock it starts are in our guide to the NUANS name search.
The costs that arrive after the certificate
Incorporating is the cheap part. The table below is what a new corporation actually spends in its first year, and most of it is not a government fee at all.
| Item | Cost | When | Who charges it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business number and corporation income tax account | $0.00 | Arrives with the incorporation | Canada Revenue Agency |
| HST, payroll or import and export program accounts | $0.00 | When each one is needed | Canada Revenue Agency |
| Ontario Initial Return | $0.00 | Within 60 days of incorporation | Ontario Business Registry |
| Business bank account | Set by the bank | Before the first transaction | Your bank |
| Minute book and organizing documents | Quoted in writing before any work starts | In the first weeks | Open Corporation for $35 |
| Bookkeeping and the first T2 return | Quoted in writing before any work starts | In the first year | Gondaliya CPA |
| Federal annual return | $12.00 | Within 60 days of the anniversary date | Corporations Canada |
Four of those seven are free. The ones that are not are quoted in writing before any work begins, because a price nobody can see is not a price.
Every filing in the first 60 days, with the date each one falls due, is set out in our guide to what happens after you incorporate.
Why quoted prices differ so much
Two services can quote $99 and $399 for the same filing. The gap is almost never the registry fee, which is fixed by statute and identical for everyone.
- Whether the government fee is inside the headline price or added at checkout. Ours is always shown as its own line at cost.
- Whether tax is inside the fee. Our $35.00 includes HST, so nothing is added later.
- Whether the name search is bundled, sold separately, or marked up above what the search house charges.
- Whether the price is a subscription that renews. Ours is a single fee with no subscription attached.
- Whether a person reviews the share structure, or a form submits what you typed without reading it.
- Whether the price includes the filings that follow, or stops at the certificate.
The last point is the one that costs the most. A filing that creates one class of shares with a fixed maximum, because that is what the form defaulted to, costs more later. It becomes an articles of amendment at $200.00 the first time a partner joins.
Compare all-in totals rather than service fees. The figure that matters is what leaves your bank account before the certificate is issued, with tax and the registry fee inside it.
What our $35.00 covers, and what it does not
The fee is deliberately narrow and deliberately complete for what it names. Here is the line.
| Inside the $35.00 | Not inside the $35.00 |
|---|---|
| Preparing the articles of incorporation | The government filing fee, charged at cost |
| Setting the share classes and the rights on each class | The NUANS report for a named corporation, at $25.00 |
| The director range, the transfer restriction and the registered office | The minute book and organizing documents |
| Filing with the registry you choose | Bookkeeping, payroll and the first T2 return |
| A CPA review of the structure before filing | Legal advice, which is a lawyer’s work |
HST is inside our fee at both the $35.00 and the $25.00 line. Government fees carry no HST. That is the whole of the tax position, and there is no third figure.
What the articles actually decide, and why the share provisions are worth a conversation before filing, is in our guides to articles of incorporation and share structure.
Frequently asked questions
These are the questions owners ask before they commit. Each answer carries the figure that makes it true, so it can be read on its own without the rest of the page around it.
How much does it cost to incorporate in Canada?
Is HST included in your fee?
Why does Ontario cost more than federal?
What is the cheapest way to incorporate?
Are there hidden fees after I pay?
Do I pay the government fee to you or to the registry?
How much does a NUANS report cost?
What does it cost to change something after incorporation?
What does it cost to keep the corporation each year?
Is the $35.00 a subscription?
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.
Ready to incorporate
Send the intake form and we will confirm your total in writing before anything is filed, with our fee and the government fee as separate lines. Our fee is $35.00, HST included. Payment is by Interac e-Transfer to info@gondaliyacpa.ca, and the security question is Not Applicable because auto-deposit is enabled.
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.
