Business Registration and Incorporation in Calgary, Done Online

How business registration in Calgary works

Every business registration in Alberta is provincial. Incorporations, trade names, annual returns, changes and searches are processed in CORES, the Corporate Registry System run by Service Alberta. Business owners cannot file in CORES themselves. Filings go through licensed registry agents, and it makes no difference to Corporate Registry whether that agent sits in Calgary, Edmonton or Red Deer.

That is why "Calgary registry services online" really means any licensed Alberta registry agent. ACS is a private company. Our CORES-trained agents prepare your filing and submit it through [Partner registry agent name], a licensed Alberta registry agent. We are not a government office or a registry agent. Corporate Registry issues the certificate, and we email it to you with the filed documents.

What a new Calgary business usually needs to register

Most founders we talk to need some combination of the following, in roughly this order.

1. The business itself. A sole proprietor doing business under any name other than their own personal name must register a trade name. A corporation needs Articles of Incorporation, three notices, at least one adult director and an individual located in Alberta as agent for service; see incorporate an Alberta corporation. Regulated professionals start with their college's rules; see professional corporations.
2. A City of Calgary business licence. This is separate from your Alberta registration. The City licenses many business types; check the City of Calgary business licensing pages once your registration certificate is in hand, because the City usually wants to see it.
3. CRA accounts. A business number and program accounts are registered with the Canada Revenue Agency, not Alberta Corporate Registry. You need a GST/HST account once worldwide taxable revenues pass $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive quarters. Alberta has no PST.
4. WCB-Alberta. Most employers must open a WCB-Alberta account when they hire workers; some industries are exempt, and some owners can buy optional personal coverage.
5. The annual return. Corporations file an Alberta annual return every year in the anniversary month of incorporation, starting the year after incorporation. Trade names have no periodic renewal.

Who we serve when you register a business in Calgary

We work with the full range of Calgary businesses, and the filings differ more than people expect.

• Start-ups and consultancies in the Beltline and downtown usually want a named corporation with a NUANS report, share classes that match their accountant's plan, and CRA accounts set up right after.
• Trades and contractors in the southeast and northeast industrial areas often begin with a trade name, then incorporate once they hire, which brings WCB-Alberta and a payroll account into the picture.
• Physicians, dentists, lawyers and CPAs along the medical and professional corridors need a professional corporation, where the regulator's approval comes in a specific order and the articles must match the college's share rules.
• Established owners across the city come to us for annual returns, changes of directors or address, dissolutions and revivals, often with a letter from Corporate Registry in hand.

If you need to check a company before you sign a lease or a contract, an Alberta corporate search shows its status, directors and registered office.

Our Calgary incorporation service, office and hours

[Street address], Calgary, AB [Postal code] Mon–Fri 8:00–6:00 MT

Call (403) XXX-XXXX and describe what you are trying to do. Every order is reviewed by a CORES-trained agent before it is filed, and every price, government fee included, is on our pricing page before you start. Most clients never visit the office; documents arrive by email.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to go to a Calgary registry office to incorporate?

No. Alberta incorporations are processed in CORES, the province's Corporate Registry System, through licensed registry agents, and the agent can be anywhere in Alberta. Our CORES-trained agents prepare your package online and submit it through [Partner registry agent name], and your Certificate of Incorporation arrives by email.

Do I need a City of Calgary business licence as well?

Often, yes. Registering a trade name or corporation with Alberta Corporate Registry and getting a City of Calgary business licence are two separate things, and the City licenses many business types. Check the City's requirements for your type of business once your registration is done.

Can you meet in person in Calgary?

Our office is in Calgary at [Street address], Calgary, AB [Postal code], and we are available by phone Mon–Fri 8:00–6:00 MT. Every service on this site is completed online and by phone, so most clients never visit.

Ready to incorporate in Calgary?

Start online with an Alberta corporation or a trade name. Orders received before 3:00 pm MT are filed the same business day. Questions? Call (403) XXX-XXXX (Mon–Fri 8:00–6:00 MT) or send us a message.