Start a business in Nunavut.
Registration with the Legal Registries Division, Department of Justice, 5% sales tax, Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC), licences, bank account and No territorial nominee program business plans. Here is how it works and what we do for you.
- Capital · cities
- Iqaluit (capital) · Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay, Arviat
- Statute
- Business Corporations Act (Nunavut)
- Name search
- NUANS report (Nunavut)
- Sales tax
- 5% combined: 5% GST
- Workers’ compensation
- Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC)
- Business immigration
- No territorial nominee program: Federal pathways only (Start-up Visa, intra-company transfer, C11 entrepreneur work permit)
- Business support
- Nunavut Business Credit Corporation · Department of Economic Development and Transportation
What makes Nunavut different.
Nunavut is Canada’s youngest territory, with no territorial sales tax, high demand for construction, logistics and retail services, and significant government and Inuit-organization procurement. Corporations and business names are registered with Legal Registries at the Department of Justice; the territory has no nominee program, so immigration routes are federal.
We prepare the NUANS report and registration, your CRA and WSCC accounts, and the bookkeeping and payroll that Nunavut businesses run remotely. If you are coming through a federal business immigration pathway, we prepare the plan with your consultant.
- Registrations are filed with Legal Registries (Department of Justice); companies formed elsewhere register extra-territorially before operating.
- No territorial sales tax; GST at 5% applies once registered.
- WSCC registration is required for most employers (shared with the NWT).
- Government and Inuit-organization contracts often require registration with NNI (Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti) for bidding preferences.
- Annual returns are filed with Legal Registries.
Popular with newcomers here: Construction and housing, Mining services, Transportation, air and sealift logistics, Retail and groceries, Tourism and arts, Government contracting.
How to start a business in Nunavut.
The sequence matters: a bank will not open the account before the registration exists, and CRA cannot issue accounts before the Business Number. We run the steps in order.
Plan the business
Confirm the idea, the market and the money. If you are applying through a federal business immigration pathway, this is where the business plan is written.
Business plansChoose the structure and the name
Sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation, Nunavut or federal. Name search: NUANS report (Nunavut).
Registration & incorporationRegister with the Legal Registries Division, Department of Justice
File the registration or articles of incorporation under the Business Corporations Act (Nunavut). Federal corporations register extra-provincially here as well.
Get your CRA Business Number and tax accounts
Business Number with GST/HST (5% GST), payroll and corporate tax accounts. No provincial sales tax. You charge 5% GST once registered.
Register as an employer
Register with Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) when you hire, set up payroll deductions and remittances, and issue T4s each February.
Payroll & taxLicences, permits and bank account
Municipal business licence and industry permits (BizPaL lists them), then the business bank account with the registration documents in hand.
Bank accountsBrand, website and launch
Logo, signage, Google Business Profile, business email and website, so the business looks established from day one.
Branding & signsKeep it running and in good standing
Monthly bookkeeping, sales tax returns, payroll, the T2 or T1 at year-end, and the annual return with the Legal Registries Division, Department of Justice.
ComplianceEvery business solution, delivered remotely in Nunavut.
From Iqaluit to Arviat, the same eight service lines, with the Nunavut rules handled for you.
Business Registration & Incorporation
Sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation, federal or provincial, in all 13 provinces and territories.
Make it official. Anywhere in Canada. 02 · PlanBusiness Plans for Immigration, Banks & Investors
Canada and USA immigration business plans, bank and BDC loan plans, investor pitch decks and financial projections.
A plan that opens doors. 03 · BankBusiness Bank Accounts
Open your business account at any Canadian bank or credit union, with the paperwork prepared and the appointment booked.
Open for business. Literally. 04 · CountAccounting, Bookkeeping & Tax
Monthly bookkeeping, payroll, GST/HST, T1 personal and T2 corporate returns, financial statements and CRA support.
Books that balance. Filings on time. 05 · BrandBranding, Marketing, Social Media & Signs
Logo and identity, business cards and print, storefront and vehicle signs, social media, Google Business Profile and ads.
Look established from day one. 06 · BuildIT & Digital Solutions
Domain and business email, website and online store, booking and POS, accounting and CRM software, cloud and security basics.
Your business, online by launch day. 07 · RunVirtual Assistance & Office Support
Inbox and calendar, appointments, customer follow-ups, data entry, document preparation and the back office, monthly.
A back office without the overhead. 08 · KeepCompliance, Corporate Changes & Closing
Annual returns, director and address changes, name changes, extra-provincial registrations, licences, dissolutions and wind-downs.
Stay in good standing. Change with confidence.Business immigration to Nunavut uses federal pathways.
Nunavut does not run a nominee program. Entrepreneurs come through federal routes such as the Start-up Visa, an intra-company transfer or a C11 entrepreneur work permit, each of which needs a business plan.
No territorial nominee program
- Federal pathways only (Start-up Visa, intra-company transfer, C11 entrepreneur work permit)
Federal pathways that also apply
- Start-up Visa (SUV)
- Intra-Company Transfer (ICT)
- C11 entrepreneur and self-employed work permits
- Owner-operator and LMIA-supported plans
Program names, streams and intake status change; your consultant confirms what is open before we start the plan.
Starting a business in Nunavut: questions we hear most
Short answers. For anything specific to your situation, book a consultation and we will walk through it.
How do I register a business in Nunavut?
Order a NUANS report, file articles or a business name with Legal Registries, then set up CRA accounts and WSCC registration. Many hamlets also require a municipal licence. We complete the full sequence.
Does Nunavut have a provincial nominee program?
No. Business immigration to Nunavut uses federal pathways such as the Start-up Visa, intra-company transfers or the C11 entrepreneur work permit. We write the business plan; a licensed consultant advises on eligibility.
What taxes apply to a Nunavut business?
Federal GST at 5% once registered, corporate or personal income tax, and payroll deductions for employees. There is no territorial sales tax.
Can a business based elsewhere operate in Nunavut?
Yes, after extra-territorial registration with Legal Registries. We file it and keep both the home and Nunavut registrations in good standing.
Start a business in another province or territory.
Expanding from Nunavut to a second province? That is an extra-provincial registration; we file it and keep both in good standing.
Starting in Nunavut? Tell us what you are opening.
One short call, then a written scope with our fee and the government fees listed separately. Registration, bank account, books and brand can all be one scope.