How to Incorporate a Business in British Columbia
Updated: July 2026. Government fees, filing requirements and processing information were checked against BC Registry Services and federal government pages in July 2026.
A straightforward named BC limited company costs $380 in government fees: $30 for the name request and $350 to incorporate. A numbered company costs $350. Budget about one to two weeks for the regular end-to-end process, mostly because the registry must approve the name first.
The filing creates the company, but it doesn't finish the organization. You still need to issue shares, document the first director decisions, build the records book, create the transparency register and calendar the $43.39 annual report.
When does it make sense to incorporate?
There is no universal revenue level where incorporation becomes the right answer. Incorporation is usually worth considering when:
- you want a legal entity separate from yourself for contracts and operations;
- two or more owners need shares and documented decision rights;
- the business will retain profits instead of paying everything to you personally;
- an investor, lender or major customer expects a corporation; or
- the business's liability and insurance profile is growing.
Limited liability is useful, but it isn't absolute. It doesn't erase personal guarantees or protect a director from their own misconduct. Insurance and careful contracts still matter.
The administrative cost is the other side of the decision. A corporation needs annual registry filings, a T2 tax return and continuing corporate records even when revenue is quiet. A basic professionally prepared T2 commonly costs around $1,500 when the bookkeeping is already complete; more complex companies cost more.
If you're still choosing between a corporation and a sole proprietorship, start with the broader BC business-registration guide.
How much does it cost to incorporate in BC?
| Item | Government fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Regular name request | $30 | Most named companies |
| Priority service | Additional $100 | Each name request or filing sent for priority review |
| BC limited-company incorporation | $350 | At incorporation |
| BC unlimited-liability-company incorporation | $1,000 | Specialist ULC structures |
| Annual report | $43.39 | Every year |
| Change of registered or records-office address | $20 | When an address changes |
| Change of directors | $20 | When filed outside the annual report process |
The usual total is $380 for a named BC limited company or $350 for a numbered company. The name approval lasts 56 days, so don't request it months before the rest of the documents are ready.
The government amount does not include legal advice, a registered-office arrangement, bookkeeping, tax preparation, insurance, licences or help maintaining the company. “$380 to incorporate” describes the registry transaction, not the annual cost of owning a corporation.
How long does BC incorporation take?
BC's incorporated-company guidance says a regular name request can take 7–14 days. Its live processing page listed five business days for names in July 2026. These queues move, so budget slack and check the current processing page.
After the name is approved and the documents are ready, the online incorporation can take effect immediately. BC says mailed or pickup copies of the incorporation documents may take another two to three working days to prepare. Priority name service costs an additional $100 and targets one to two business days.
A numbered company skips the name-approval stage, which can be the fastest route when the public-facing brand can be registered later as a DBA.
BC incorporation vs federal incorporation
Either corporation can carry on business across Canada, subject to extra-provincial registration where it operates. The useful comparison is the full filing footprint, not whether one is “national.”
| BC limited company | Federal corporation operating in BC | |
|---|---|---|
| Incorporating authority | BC Registry Services | Corporations Canada |
| Core setup fees | $350 incorporation plus a $30 name request if needed | $200 federal incorporation, then $350 BC extraprovincial registration plus a $30 BC name request |
| Annual registry fees | $43.39 | $12 federally plus $43.39 in BC ($55.39 total) |
| Director residency | No Canadian-residency requirement | At least 25% resident Canadian directors; if there are fewer than four, at least one must be a resident Canadian |
| Corporate name | Approved in BC | Broader Canada-wide corporate-name protection |
| Administration | One corporate registry | Federal and BC corporate records and filings |
The BC route is usually simpler when BC is the company's home base. It also works for an all-non-resident board because BC does not impose the federal resident-director rule.
The federal route can be worth it when Canada-wide corporate-name protection or the ability to move the registered office between provinces matters. It isn't cheaper once BC registration is added: the usual named-company setup is about $580 before professional help, compared with $380 provincially.
What do you need before filing?
Have the decisions and documents below ready before opening the incorporation application.
- An approved name or a numbered-company decision. A BC corporate name normally includes a legal ending such as
Limited,Ltd.,Incorporated,Inc.orCorporation. A numbered company receives its number when the application is filed. - At least one incorporator. Each incorporator agrees to take one or more shares and signs the Incorporation Agreement.
- At least one qualified individual director. A BC private company needs at least one director. The Act does not add a Canadian-residency condition, but directors must meet its age, capacity, bankruptcy and other qualification rules.
- A share structure. Decide the classes of shares, rights attached to each class, any authorized limits and the shares each incorporator will take. Don't invent complex preferred-share rights without understanding them.
- Articles. The Articles are the internal rules for shareholders, directors and officers. BC provides sample Table 1 Articles, but a standard template isn't automatically right for multiple owners or planned investment.
- A registered office and records office in BC. The incorporation application needs delivery and mailing addresses. The records office holds the company's legal records; it can be at the same address as the registered office.
The registered-office and records-office information becomes part of the corporate record. A BC company needs eligible BC addresses even when every director and shareholder lives elsewhere.
How to incorporate a BC company: step by step
1. Request and reserve the company name
Submit up to three choices through the BC name-request service. The regular fee is $30. BC reviews the names in order and stops when one is approved.
Registry approval isn't trademark registration. Search the Canadian Trademarks Database, domains and the market before committing to signage or a lease.
2. Decide the ownership and share structure
Write down who will receive shares, which class, how many, what they will contribute and how important decisions will be made. The Incorporation Agreement records the shares each incorporator agrees to take, but it doesn't replace a shareholders agreement.
For two or more owners, deal with voting, departures, share transfers, deadlock and what happens if someone stops working in the business. Fixing an unclear cap table later is more expensive than discussing it before incorporation.
3. Prepare the Articles and Incorporation Agreement
Each incorporator signs the Incorporation Agreement with their full name, date and share subscription. Keep it in the company's records; it isn't filed online.
Prepare the Articles and obtain any required director consents. A company using a specialized structure—professional corporation, benefit company, community contribution company or ULC—has additional wording and rules. This is where professional help becomes worthwhile.
4. Confirm the registered and records offices
Choose the BC delivery and mailing addresses for both offices. These addresses have an actual compliance job: registry correspondence and legal records need somewhere reliable to go.
In Ribbon Business's return-to-sender study, 10.5% of letters mailed to newly incorporated Atlantic corporations came back undelivered. It wasn't a BC sample, but it shows why an address that looks valid on a form isn't enough. Use one that's eligible, monitored and updated when it changes.
5. File the Incorporation Application
Apply through Corporate Online and pay $350. The application captures the approved name or numbered-company choice, office addresses, incorporators, first directors and share structure.
Review names, addresses and share rights carefully before submitting. Registry corrections don't fix an ownership decision that was documented incorrectly.
6. Save the incorporation documents
After processing, BC Registry Services provides:
- the Certificate of Incorporation;
- a certified copy of the Incorporation Application;
- a certified copy of the Notice of Articles; and
- a cover sheet with the BC incorporation number and CRA Business Number.
Keep all four with the signed Articles and Incorporation Agreement. The nine-digit BN is the federal identifier; the BC incorporation number identifies the provincial company record.
7. Organize the company after incorporation
The certificate is not a complete minute book. The first director and shareholder resolutions commonly cover:
- appointing officers;
- issuing the subscribed shares and preparing share certificates or notices;
- confirming banking authority and the financial year-end;
- adopting the records and registers; and
- appointing an accountant or waiving an auditor where permitted.
Create the central securities register, director and officer registers, and the transparency register required for BC private companies. The transparency register identifies significant individuals, including people with 25% or more of the shares or voting rights and some people with control over the board. It stays in the records office rather than being filed publicly, and changes generally need to be recorded within 30 days after the company receives new information.
What happens after incorporation?
Put these obligations on a calendar immediately:
- BC annual report: file within two months after the incorporation anniversary and pay $43.39.
- Corporate tax: file a T2 return every tax year, including inactive years.
- Annual decisions: hold the required meetings or use valid written resolutions and keep the records.
- Tax accounts: add GST, payroll, PST or other accounts when the business needs them; file every return once registered.
- Corporate changes: update directors and office addresses when they change.
- Licences and insurance: incorporation doesn't authorize a regulated activity or location. Check BizPaL and the municipality.
The CRA automatically assigns a BN and corporation-income-tax account when you incorporate in BC. GST/HST and payroll accounts are separate and are added when applicable.
Should you incorporate a BC ULC?
A BC unlimited liability company is not a normal small-business default. Its shareholders can be jointly and severally liable in circumstances set out by the Business Corporations Act, and the $1,000 filing fee is nearly three times the limited-company fee.
ULCs are sometimes used in cross-border tax structures, particularly with US ownership. That's a coordinated Canadian and US legal/tax decision. Don't choose one because the name sounds flexible or because an online comparison mentions a tax benefit.
Frequently asked questions
Can a non-resident incorporate in BC?
Yes. BC has no Canadian-resident-director requirement. The company still needs a BC registered office and records office, and non-resident ownership can add banking, CRA-authentication, investment-review and cross-border tax issues.
Can I incorporate without reserving a name?
Yes. Choose a numbered BC company and the registry assigns the legal name at incorporation. You can register a DBA or change the corporate name later if needed.
Do I get a Business Number when I incorporate?
Yes. The incorporation cover sheet includes the nine-digit CRA Business Number, and the CRA automatically creates the corporation-income-tax program account. GST, payroll and similar program accounts are added separately.
Are the Articles filed publicly?
The company files the Incorporation Application and Notice of Articles information with the registry. The signed Articles and Incorporation Agreement belong in the company's records. Registry records such as office and director information can be publicly obtainable for a fee.
Incorporate, then keep the company organized
A year from now you should be able to say who owns the shares, what rights they have, who the directors are, where the records live and when each filing is due. Set that up while the decisions are still fresh.