Incorporate a Business in Markham for $35
Incorporate your Markham 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. Markham files are handled by our North York office, and a CPA checks your share structure, your year end and whether the City will want a licence in the company’s name before anything is filed. Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
Markham 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. Markham files are handled by our North York office at 150 Graydon Hall Drive, 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.
Markham calls itself Canada’s high-tech capital, and many of our Markham files are technology founders, consultants and newcomers starting a first business. A founder expecting investors needs a share structure built for that from the first day.
Markham Business Statistics
Every figure below carries its source and year. Statistics Canada supplies the census counts, and York Region and the City of Markham publish the rest.
| Statistic | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Population, City of Markham | 338,503, up 2.9% from 328,966 in 2016 | Statistics Canada, 2021 Census |
| Estimated population | 367,721 at 31 December 2025 | York Region community report, 2026 |
| High-tech and life-science companies | More than 1,500 | City of Markham |
| Corporate head offices | More than 650 | City of Markham |
| Residents who are immigrants | 58.6%, against 23.0% for Canada | Statistics Canada, 2021 Census |
| Residents of Chinese origin | 47.9% | Statistics Canada, 2021 Census |
| Residents of South Asian origin | 17.6% | Statistics Canada, 2021 Census |
Why Markham Business Owners Incorporate
Technology drives most Markham incorporations. The City counts more than 1,500 high-tech and life-science companies and more than 650 corporate head offices, and it describes itself as home to Canada’s largest concentration of semiconductor companies. Around those employers sits a large group of consultants and contractors who are paid by them, and those clients usually prefer to pay a corporation.
Founders building a product need more than a filing. An investor, an option pool or an SR&ED claim all depend on share classes being set correctly at the start, and changing them later costs articles of amendment and often a valuation.
Markham is also one of Canada’s most immigrant cities: 58.6 percent of residents were immigrants in the 2021 Census. Newcomers starting a first business often ask whether they can be a director and who can hold shares. Ontario removed its resident director rule in 2021, so an Ontario corporation can have directors who are new to Canada, while a federal corporation still needs 25 percent resident Canadian directors.
The City adds a licensing layer for certain businesses. Restaurants, personal service businesses and several other categories need a City licence, and a corporate applicant files its incorporation papers with the application. So the corporation comes first.
Municipal Licence Requirements in Markham
The City of Markham licenses businesses at a fixed location under Stationary Licensing By-law 2018-90, and vehicle-based businesses under Mobile Licensing By-law 2022-20. Most offices, consultants and technology firms need no City licence.
| Business type | Municipal licence required | Issuing body | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant, take-out or food store | Yes, Eating Establishment | By-law Enforcement and Licensing | York Region Public Health must also be notified before opening |
| Personal services, such as nails, aesthetics, tattooing, laser hair removal or tanning | Yes, Personal Services | By-law Enforcement and Licensing | Licensed under By-law 2018-90 |
| Pet store | Yes | By-law Enforcement and Licensing | Licensed under By-law 2018-90 |
| Garage, salvage shop or salvage yard | Yes | By-law Enforcement and Licensing | Separate categories under By-law 2018-90 |
| Tow truck, taxi, limousine or driving instructor | Yes, mobile licence | By-law Enforcement and Licensing | Licensed under Mobile Licensing By-law 2022-20 |
| Short-term rental under 30 nights | Not permitted as of right | City of Markham Planning | Allowed only through a site-specific rezoning or minor variance |
| Consultant, accountant, engineer or software firm | No | Not applicable | No category applies, but zoning still governs where the business may operate |
A Markham 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.
The order matters. A corporate applicant may be asked for its corporation papers, any business name registration and proof that each director or owner can work in Canada, and the City says incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Mobile licence applicants under By-law 2022-20 file their incorporating documents and latest annual return. So the corporation must exist before the licence file is complete.
Questions go to the City’s By-law Enforcement and Licensing section at LicensingFC@markham.ca. We prepare the corporate documents the City asks for. The licence application itself is yours to submit.
For free start-up help, the Markham Small Business Centre at the Markham Civic Centre, 101 Town Centre Boulevard, offers one-on-one consultations, and technology founders can look to ventureLAB at 3600 Steeles Avenue East.
Markham Files Are Handled by Our North York Office
Open Corporation for $35 is a department of Gondaliya CPA.
Gondaliya CPA, North York, 150 Graydon Hall Dr, Suite 912, North York, Ontario M3A 3B2. Phone 647-212-9559. Open 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday to Sunday.
We do not list a separate Markham office. Markham, Unionville, Thornhill and Cornell files are handled from North York by appointment, and you do not have to come in: every incorporation is prepared by email and filed electronically.
Our Services for Markham Businesses
Our professional fees include HST. Government fees are separate, itemised and charged at cost with no mark-up.
Incorporation Services in Markham
Incorporate in Canada for just $35, HST included, with a CPA review before filing.
NUANS Name Search and Report in Markham ($25)
A $25 NUANS report, checked by a CPA before you incorporate.
Address Service in Markham ($75)
A registered office address that keeps your home address private.
Annual Return Filing in Markham
Federal and Ontario annual returns filed on time to keep your corporation active.
Corporate Tax Filing in Markham (From $300)
Your T2 corporate tax return, prepared by a CPA, from $300.
Payroll Service in Markham
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 Markham
A holding company for $35, structured by a CPA for tax-efficient dividends.
Industries That Incorporate Most in Markham
These are the groups we see most often from Markham, and what each has to settle when it incorporates.
| Industry | Why it incorporates here | Our matching page |
|---|---|---|
| Technology founders and software developers | More than 1,500 tech and life-science companies, and investors expect settled share classes and an option pool | IT consultants and software developers |
| IT and engineering consultants | Clients at large head offices often pay only an incorporated vendor | IT consultants and software developers |
| Newcomers starting a first business | Ontario has no resident director rule, while a federal corporation needs 25 percent resident Canadian directors | Immigrants and newcomers |
| Import, export and e-commerce | An import-export account and HST registration before the first shipment | Import and export businesses |
| Restaurants and food businesses | An Eating Establishment licence and a York Region Public Health notification before opening | Restaurants and food trucks |
| Health professionals | A professional corporation needs a certificate of authorization from the governing college before it practises | Professional corporation incorporation |
Free Markham Incorporation Consultation
Case Studies: Markham Incorporations
Markham Software Founder – Investors Coming
The problem: A Markham founder building a product expected an angel investor within a year.
What we did: We incorporated with voting common shares for the founders and room for an option pool, and set the year end so the first SR&ED claim would line up.
The result:
- Share classes ready for investment
- Business number and HST account opened
- SR&ED records planned from day one
Unionville Consultant – Head Office Client
The problem: An engineering consultant was told a head-office client would only pay an incorporated vendor.
What we did: We incorporated in Ontario, opened the business number and HST account the same week, and reviewed the contract for personal services business risk.
The result:
- Corporation in place before the first invoice
- HST registered
- Contract reviewed
Newcomer – First Business
The problem: A newcomer to Markham wanted to start an import business and asked whether a new arrival could be a director.
What we did: We explained that Ontario has no resident director rule, incorporated in Ontario and opened the import-export account.
The result:
- Ontario corporation filed
- Director eligibility confirmed
- Import-export account opened
What It Costs to Incorporate in Markham
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 Markham 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 Markham the answers usually turn on investors, newcomers and head-office clients.
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 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 that suits your cash flow and any SR&ED claim, 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.
A Markham example. A Markham hardware founder asked for a federal corporation because it sounded better to investors. One co-founder was about to move abroad, which would have broken the federal 25 percent resident director rule. We filed in Ontario instead, which has no residency rule, and drafted share classes the investor could subscribe into later.
Why Choose Open Corporation for $35 in Markham?
Our Official Partners
Markham Incorporation FAQs
Do I need a City of Markham business licence as well as a corporation?
Should a Markham business incorporate federally or in Ontario?
Can a newcomer to Canada be a director of a Markham corporation?
Can I run my new corporation from my Markham home?
Is there free start-up help in Markham?
Do you have a Markham office?
How long does it take to incorporate a Markham 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 Markham 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 all 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 Markham 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 Markham
The parent firm’s Markham incorporation and accounting services.
North York incorporation services
Our North York office, which handles Markham files.
Scarborough incorporation services
Our Scarborough office on Clementine Square.
Vaughan incorporation services
Our Vaughan office in Woodbridge.
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.
