Incorporating FAQs
Straight answers on incorporating, business names, annual returns, searches and professional corporations in Alberta, and on how ACS works, each with a link to the page that goes deeper.
About ACS
Are you the government or a registry agent?
No. ACS is a private company; we are not a government office or an Alberta registry agent. Our CORES-trained agents prepare your filing and submit it through a licensed Alberta registry agent, and the government fee is included in our prices. Read more about us.
How does my filing reach Alberta Corporate Registry?
Alberta corporate filings are processed in CORES, the Corporate Registry System run by Service Alberta, and business owners cannot file in it themselves; filings go through licensed registry agents. We prepare and check your package, submit it through [Partner registry agent name], and email you the certificate and filed documents. The About page walks through it.
How fast will my filing be done?
Complete, error-free orders received before 3:00 pm MT are filed the same business day. Searches are usually emailed the same day, and professional corporations add the regulator's time (CPSA, for example, processes within 15 business days). Typical times for every service are on the pricing page.
How and when do I pay?
You pay online when you place the order, and the total price (total fees, government fee included, plus GST) is shown before you enter any payment details. Firms filing for clients can ask about a partner account.
What is your refund policy?
If a filing cannot proceed, we tell you why and what your options are. Our refund policy sets out what is refunded and how government fees already paid are handled.
Incorporating
How much does it cost to incorporate in Alberta?
$498 + GST in total fees, named or numbered, including the government fee, consultation, preparation and filing. A named corporation also needs an Alberta NUANS report, $68 + GST. Start on the Alberta corporation page.
What is the difference between a named and a numbered company?
A named corporation (distinctive element, descriptive element and Ltd., Inc. or Corp.) needs an Alberta NUANS report less than 91 days old. A numbered company such as 1234567 Alberta Ltd. needs no report, so it is filed sooner and costs less, and it can register a trade name to operate under a brand. See numbered vs named company.
Do I need to live in Alberta, or in Canada, to incorporate here?
No. Alberta removed the Canadian-residency requirement for directors on March 29, 2021, so directors can live anywhere, as long as they are 18 or older. Every corporation still needs a registered office in Alberta and an agent for service who is an individual located in Alberta; we can act as your agent.
What is an agent for service?
An individual located in Alberta, with an Alberta address, who accepts notices and legal documents for the corporation. Every Alberta corporation has had to appoint one since the 2021 amendments, and the agent does not need to be a lawyer. Details on the agent for service page.
What do I get after incorporating?
Your Certificate of Incorporation, the filed Articles of Incorporation, and the Notice of Address, Notice of Directors and Notice of Agent for Service, all by email. Add a minute book and you also get bylaws, organizational resolutions, registers and share certificates.
Business names
Is registering a trade name the same as incorporating?
No. A trade name registration records who is behind a business name; it does not create a separate legal entity, limit your personal liability or protect the name. If you want a separate company, see incorporation; if you only need the name, see trade name registration.
Do I need a NUANS report for a trade name?
No. A NUANS or business name report is optional for trade names and partnerships in Alberta. It is recommended because it shows similar names already in use, but registration does not protect the name either way. Order one on the NUANS page.
Does an Alberta trade name expire?
No. Alberta trade names have no periodic renewal. Changes and cancellations are filed through a registry agent; see trade name registration.
Annual returns and changes
When is my Alberta annual return due?
Every year in the anniversary month of your incorporation; Corporate Registry mails a reminder to your registered office one month before. No return is due in the year you incorporate. File your Alberta annual return in about ten minutes.
What happens if I miss my annual return?
Corporate Registry sends notices; keep missing it and the corporation is struck (dissolved). A struck corporation can be revived within 10 years, but every missed return must be filed first. The annual return guide explains the timeline.
Is the annual return the same as my corporate tax return?
No. The annual return is a registry filing that confirms your directors, addresses and top five shareholders, and it carries its own government fee. The T2 corporate tax return goes to CRA, and annual shareholder and director resolutions live in your minute book. See the annual return page.
My corporation was struck off. Can it be revived?
Yes, within 10 years of dissolution, by an interested person such as a director, shareholder or creditor. Revival needs Articles of Revival, new notices of directors, address and agent for service, every outstanding annual return and, if dissolved three or more years, a new Alberta NUANS report. Start on the revival page.
Searches
Can I search an Alberta corporation for free?
Yes. Our free lookup shows a corporation's name, status and registration details. For the full Corporate Registry profile report, order it on the corporate search page; it is usually emailed the same day.
What is a certificate of status and who asks for it?
A certificate issued by Alberta Corporate Registry confirming that a corporation exists and is in good standing, with its annual returns filed, as of the date issued. Banks, lenders, landlords and buyers ask for it. Order one on the certificate of status page, usually emailed the same day.
Professional corporations
Who can incorporate a professional corporation in Alberta?
Only members of professions whose governing Act allows it, such as physicians (CPSA), dentists (CDSA), lawyers (Law Society of Alberta) and chartered professional accountants (CPA Alberta). Voting shares must be held by licensed members, and the regulator's permit is required. Compare the rules on the professional corporation page.
Do I get college approval before or after incorporating?
It depends on the profession. The Law Society of Alberta and CPA Alberta approve or endorse the articles before you register; CPSA endorses the articles, you file, then you apply for the permit; CDSA reviews the signed articles first. We run the steps in the right order; see professional corporations explained.
Can my spouse own shares in my professional corporation?
Sometimes, and only non-voting shares. CPSA allows spouses, common-law partners and children of the physician to hold non-voting shares, and CDSA allows family members to hold non-voting shares; voting shares always stay with licensed members. Check your profession's page, starting with physicians or dentists.
Out-of-province corporations
Does my BC, Ontario or federal corporation need to register in Alberta?
Yes, if it carries on business in Alberta, which includes soliciting business here or having a resident agent, representative, warehouse, office or place of business in the province. Federal (CBCA) corporations must register too. See extra-provincial registration.
What do I need to send you for extra-provincial registration?
A certified copy of your charter documents, proof of current status from your home registry (a certificate of status or good standing), valid ID, and the name of an individual in Alberta to act as agent for service, or ask us to act. We obtain the Alberta NUANS report (less than 91 days old) and prepare the Statement of Registration and Notice of Agent for Service. The checklist is on the extra-provincial page.
Still have a question? Call (403) XXX-XXXX (Mon–Fri 8:00–6:00 MT) or send us a message. If it is a question for your accountant or a lawyer, we will say so.