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When you need a Canadian company that can sign a contract this week, a ready-made shelf company, an off-the-shelf federal corporation (under the Canada Business Corporations Act) or provincial corporation (Ontario OBCA, BC BCA, Alberta ABCA, etc.), is the fastest legal route into the world’s 9th-largest economy. ShelfCompanies24 maintains a live inventory of clean, never-traded Canadian corporations registered with Corporations Canada (federal) or provincial registries, with paid-up share capital and clean Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) records. Most transfers complete in 3 to 7 working days.
Canada combines USMCA single-market access (Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, replacing NAFTA in 2020), 15% federal CIT + 11.5 to 16% provincial CIT (combined ~25 to 31%), the highly-attractive 9% federal small-business deduction for Canadian-Controlled Private Corporations (CCPCs) on the first CAD 500,000 of active business income, English-language English-common-law tradition (except Quebec under civil law), and stable banking. Particularly suitable for Canada-US corridor business, North American holding structures, and Canadian-natural-resources operations.
Our service covers Canadian corporation, Corporations Canada or provincial filings, registered office.
Off-the-shelf Canadian corporation + virtual office + Canadian banking + Canadian accountant referral bundled.
Most transfers within 3 to 7 working days. English/French-speaking case manager.
Canadian corporate transfers can be executed remotely.
We file director-change forms, share-transfer documentation, Notice of Change forms, and CRA notifications.
| Feature | Federal Corporation (CBCA) | Ontario (OBCA) | BC (BCA) | Quebec (QBA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director residency | 25% resident Canadians, at least one where there are fewer than four directors | None (since 2021 reform) | None | None |
| Carry-on jurisdiction | All provinces (extra-provincial registration) | Ontario primarily | BC primarily | Quebec primarily |
| Best fit | National operations, multi-province | Ontario operations, default for many international clients | BC, Pacific operations | Quebec operations, French-language |
Canadian-Controlled Private Corporations (CCPCs), i.e., Canadian-incorporated, controlled by Canadian residents, qualify for the federal Small Business Deduction reducing federal CIT to 9% on the first CAD 500,000 of active business income. Combined with provincial small-business rates (typically 0 to 4%), effective combined small-business CIT can be as low as 9 to 13% for qualifying CCPCs. Note: foreign-controlled Canadian corporations do not qualify as CCPCs and pay the standard combined ~25 to 31%.
Canada is part of USMCA (Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement), providing tariff-preferential access to the US and Mexican markets, relevant for goods-trading and integrated-supply-chain operations.
Every Canadian ready-made corporation carries an active Corporation Number and clean registry record visible at the federal or relevant provincial register.
The Big Five Canadian banks (RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC) plus National Bank, HSBC Canada, Desjardins Quebec all serve corporate clients. Canadian banking is sophisticated and stable.
Buying a shelf corporation in Canada is a change of ownership and control over an existing entity, not an incorporation, which is why it runs in days rather than weeks. Most transfers complete in 3 to 7 working days from the point KYC is signed off, and the corporation keeps its corporation number, its registration date and its clean Canada Revenue Agency record throughout.
A name change is a directors resolution and a routine registry filing, and one is included if you want the corporation to carry your own brand.
| Tax | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal CIT | 15% standard / 9% CCPC small-business | 9% applies to first CAD 500k of active business income for qualifying CCPCs |
| Provincial CIT | 0%-16% (varies) | Combined federal + provincial: ~25 to 31% standard; ~9 to 13% for qualifying CCPCs |
| GST/HST/QST | 5% federal GST; combined HST 13 to 15% in HST provinces; 14.975% Quebec QST | Mandatory above CAD 30,000 turnover |
| Withholding tax on dividends | 25% | Reduced under DTTs (typically 5 to 15%) |
| SR&ED tax credit | Up to 35% federal CCPC | Highly generous R&D credit; refundable for CCPCs |
What it gives you is time and standing. The corporation already exists on the federal or provincial register, with a corporation number, a registration date that a counterparty, a landlord or a tender panel can look up, and a Canada Revenue Agency file with nothing in it. Ages in our stock run from a few months to several years and every date is the real one, publicly searchable and impossible to alter afterwards, so ask what is on the shelf on the day you need it.
What it does not give you is a trading history, a credit file or a bank account, and it does not change your tax position. A corporation controlled by non-residents is not a Canadian-Controlled Private Corporation whether you bought it or incorporated it, so the 9% federal small-business deduction on the first CAD 500,000 of active business income stays out of reach and the ordinary combined rate applies. Anyone selling a shelf corporation on the promise of an established credit rating is selling something that does not exist.
Non-residents can hold the entire share capital of a Canadian corporation, and in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces they can fill the whole board as well, since none of those imposes a director-residency requirement. A federal corporation still wants at least a quarter of the board resident in Canada, and Manitoba applies the same rule, so we match the entity to your board before the transfer rather than after. Documents are signed electronically and no visit to Canada is required.
A corporation that was registered federally or provincially, never traded, and has been held ready for a buyer. It has a corporation number, a registration date on the public register and a Canada Revenue Agency file showing no activity. Buying one means acquiring its shares and replacing its directors rather than filing new articles, which is why a shelf corporation can be trading within days.
You pick an entity from current stock, clear KYC and anti-money-laundering checks, then sign the share transfer documents electronically. We file the director changes, the registered-office change and the update to the register of individuals with significant control with Corporations Canada or the provincial registry, and notify the Canada Revenue Agency so the business number stays live. Most transfers complete in 3 to 7 working days.
Yes. No Canadian jurisdiction imposes a residency test on shareholders, so a non-resident can take the whole share capital. Directors depend on where the corporation is registered: Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces have no residency requirement, while a federal corporation and Manitoba require at least 25% of the board to be resident Canadians, and at least one director where there are fewer than four. We match the entity to your board before the transfer is executed.
Only if it is controlled by Canadian residents. The 9% federal small-business deduction on the first CAD 500,000 of active business income belongs to Canadian-Controlled Private Corporations, and a corporation controlled by non-residents is not one, however it was acquired. Foreign-controlled corporations pay the standard combined federal and provincial rate of roughly 25 to 31%. Buying rather than incorporating changes nothing here.
Most transfers complete in 3 to 7 working days from KYC sign-off. That covers the share transfer documentation, the outgoing and incoming director changes, the registered-office and notice-of-change filings with Corporations Canada or the provincial registry, the update to the register of individuals with significant control and the Canada Revenue Agency notification. The corporation can sign contracts in its own name once the transfer documents are executed.
Federal CBCA: operates nationally; can carry on business in any province (with extra-provincial registration). Provincial: operates primarily in that province. For most international clients with Canadian operations focused in one province, the relevant provincial form (Ontario OBCA, BC BCA, Alberta ABCA, Quebec QBA) is appropriate. For multi-province operations: federal CBCA.
Canadian-Controlled Private Corporation: a private corporation controlled (directly or indirectly) by Canadian residents. CCPCs qualify for the federal Small Business Deduction reducing federal CIT to 9% on first CAD 500,000 of active business income. Foreign-controlled Canadian corporations do not qualify as CCPCs and pay standard rates (~25 to 31% combined).
Federal CBCA: at least 25% of directors must be resident Canadians under section 105(3), and at least one where there are fewer than four. The rule applies to private and public corporations alike, and Manitoba mirrors it. Ontario OBCA: no residency requirement since the 2021 reform. British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces: none.
No. Off-the-shelf corporations are held deliberately dormant, with no operational bank account, because an inherited account would carry a previous signatory into your business and the bank would re-run its checks on the change of control anyway. We introduce you to RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC or National Bank after the transfer, and the documented dormancy usually reads well in the bank risk assessment.
Want today’s Canadian inventory? Contact our Canadian desk.
Canada is one of several jurisdictions where ShelfCompanies24 maintains pre-formed entities and active formation services. Why pick Canada for your Inc. specifically? Federal/provincial choice, NAFTA/CUSMA is the headline reason, but it pays to understand the trade-offs against the alternatives. Below are concrete differentiators that matter when you are weighing a structure decision against the actual operating profile of your business.
Cross-border corporate structuring in 2026 is governed by a tighter web of rules than in any previous decade. Three forces shape every decision:
For Canada specifically: 23-30% combined federal + provincial; CCPC small-business deduction = 9% on first CAD 500k; ULC for US cross-border.
Issues we routinely see when prospects come to us after attempting the process directly with local providers in Canada:
Yes. A name change is filed with the CRA / provincial via a directors’ resolution and a routine filing, typically clears in 48 hours. We include up to one name change as standard for both shelf-company purchase and new formation.
Canada is not an EU or EEA state, so the Parent-Subsidiary and Interest and Royalties Directives do not apply. What your corporation can use is Canada’s own treaty network: 92 comprehensive income tax conventions are in force, including with every major EU economy, alongside a separate set of tax information exchange agreements. All of the main treaties now carry the principal purpose test introduced by the OECD Multilateral Instrument, so substance and commercial rationale decide entitlement.
Client information is held under contractual non-disclosure plus the professional-secrecy obligations applicable to corporate-service providers in our home jurisdiction. We do not share client identity or transaction details with third parties beyond what is statutorily required (KYC reporting, beneficial-owner-register filings, AML/CTF reporting where triggered). Our internal access to client files is logged and access-restricted by need-to-know.
No, and you should not engage anyone who claims otherwise. The Corporations Canada / provincial registries (CRA / provincial) records the actual incorporation date, which is publicly searchable and immutable. The shelf Inc.s we offer have honest incorporation dates ranging from a few months to several years old; for buyers who want a longer corporate trading history, we recommend purchase rather than fabrication, since fabricated history would expose you to fraud, tax-evasion, and money-laundering charges in any reputable jurisdiction.
Engaging us for your Canadian shelf Inc. purchase covers the following deliverables under one service:
The deliverable scope is identical regardless of whether you are based in the EU, the US, the UK, the Middle East, or APAC, we operate the same service globally for Canadian corporate setup. Optional add-ons (virtual office, accounting retainer, payroll, sector licences, transfer-pricing documentation) are scoped separately, so the incorporation or transfer work stays exactly as agreed.