Federal Corporation – Incorporate Under the CBCA and Register in Alberta

ACS is a private company. Our CORES-trained agents prepare your filing and submit it through a licensed Alberta registry agent. We are not a government office or a registry agent. The federal half of this order is filed online with Corporations Canada; the Alberta half goes through our registry agent partner, [Partner registry agent name], into CORES, Alberta's Corporate Registry System.

The price above covers both filings, government fees included: the Corporations Canada online incorporation fee and the Alberta extra-provincial registration fee.

Federal vs provincial incorporation in Alberta: an honest comparison

A federal corporation and an Alberta corporation are both ordinary business corporations. The difference is who creates them and how many registries you deal with for the life of the company.

The usual reason to go federal is the name: a federal corporate name is approved for use across Canada, while an Alberta name is reserved in Alberta. The cost of that choice is a second registration and a second set of annual filings for as long as the corporation exists. If you will only ever operate in Alberta, an Alberta corporation is the simpler route. Which one fits your plans is a question for your lawyer or CPA; we file either.

Who this is for

• Founders planning to operate in more than one province who want the federal name and accept carrying two registrations.
• Businesses whose lender, partner or franchisor expects a federal corporation as a condition of the deal.
• Accountants and law firms incorporating for clients who want both filings handled in one order, with the Alberta documents formatted for the minute book and emailed the day they are filed.

How it works

1. Order online (about 15 minutes). Give us the proposed name or choose a numbered corporation, the directors, the registered office, the share structure and who will act as agent for service in Alberta.
2. We review within about an hour. A trained agent checks the name, each director's details, the addresses and the share classes, and calls you if anything would be rejected.
3. We file with Corporations Canada. The federal articles are submitted online and the Certificate of Incorporation comes back from Corporations Canada.
4. We register in Alberta. With the federal certificate in hand, we file the Statement of Registration (REG3055), the Notice of Agent for Service (REG3037) and the supporting documents through our registry agent partner. Alberta packages that are complete before 3:00 pm MT are filed the same business day.
5. You receive everything by email. The federal certificate and articles, the Alberta registration documents, and a reminder before your first annual filings.

Common mistakes we catch before filing

• Treating the federal certificate as the finish line and carrying on business in Alberta with no extra-provincial registration.
• Naming a company, or a person outside Alberta, as the agent for service; it must be an individual located in Alberta.
• A registered office entered as a P.O. box alone.
• A director under 18.
• Share classes that do not match what your accountant planned, which means an amendment later.

What you need before you start

1. Your name choice. A proposed federal name, or a numbered corporation.
2. Directors. Full legal name and residential address of each director, 18 or older.
3. Registered office. The corporation's registered office address, plus a physical Alberta address for the extra-provincial registration.
4. Agent for service in Alberta. An individual located in Alberta with an Alberta address, or choose ours.
5. Shareholders and shares. Who receives shares and how many; send us your CPA's instructions if share classes have been planned.
6. Valid ID for the incorporator and for the person signing the Alberta registration.

Requirements in Alberta

• A corporation formed outside Alberta must register here if it carries on business in Alberta, including soliciting business in Alberta or having a resident agent, representative, warehouse, office or place of business in the province.
• The Alberta package is the Statement of Registration (REG3055), the Notice of Agent for Service (REG3037), a certified copy of the charter documents, proof of current status from the home registry, and valid ID. For a brand-new federal corporation, the Certificate of Incorporation is the charter document.
• Alberta exempts CBCA corporations from the NUANS requirement for extra-provincial registration.
• The agent for service must be an individual located in Alberta; a lawyer is not required.
• Registered extra-provincial corporations file Alberta annual returns.
• Your business number, GST account and T2 corporate tax return are handled with CRA, not with either registry.

Orders received after 3:00 pm MT, or with missing information, move to the next business day once complete.