Run a corporation

Keep the company organized after incorporation

A certificate creates the corporation, but it does not complete the organization or ongoing record-keeping. Use these guides to understand the people, records, addresses and annual work behind a maintained company.

Start with the minute bookReview annual obligations

Organize the corporation

Governing documentsArticles and by-lawsUnderstand the corporation's filed structure and the internal rules used to govern it.Explore →

Company recordsBuild and maintain a minute bookKeep the articles, securities register, resolutions and other core corporate records together.Explore →

ManagementDirectors and officersSeparate governance and management roles, responsibilities and decision-making authority.Explore →

OwnershipShares and shareholdersUnderstand share classes, issuances, ownership rights and the records a corporation maintains.Explore →

Maintain ownership and control records

Canadian corporations may need registers and filings that identify individuals with significant control or beneficial ownership. The exact rules and deadlines depend on the governing statute.

People and ownership

Keep the registered office current

The registered office is a legal address and public-record obligation, not merely a mailing preference. Use the dedicated registered office and virtual address hub to compare legal, mail, privacy and operating-location functions, then follow the applicable change checklist.

Address decisions

Keep up with annual work

Annual returns, corporate tax returns, shareholder and director approvals, financial records and ownership-register reviews are separate obligations. Use the annual-obligations guide as the checklist owner, then follow the linked topic guides for detail.

Annual maintenance