Start a business in Ontario.
Registration with the Ontario Business Registry, 13% sales tax, WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board), licences, bank account and Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program business plans. Here is how it works and what we do for you.
- Capital · cities
- Toronto (capital) · Mississauga, Brampton, Ottawa, Hamilton, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Windsor
- Statute
- Business Corporations Act (Ontario)
- Name search
- Ontario-biased NUANS report
- Sales tax
- 13% combined: 13% HST
- Workers’ compensation
- WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board)
- Business immigration
- Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP): Entrepreneur Stream
- Business support
- Small Business Enterprise Centres (47 across Ontario) · Regional Innovation Centres
What makes Ontario different.
Ontario is where most newcomers to Canada start a business, and the Ontario Business Registry makes it possible to register a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation online in a day. It is also the province with the most layers: a Master Business Licence or incorporation, the CRA Business Number, HST at 13%, WSIB, municipal licences and, for corporations, an initial return within 60 days.
SZ Business Solution runs that sequence for you in the right order. We prepare the NUANS report, file the registration or articles, obtain your Business Number with HST and payroll accounts, register you with WSIB, set up your minute book and get your business bank account open, from the Greater Toronto Area to Ottawa, London and Windsor.
- Registrations are filed online through the Ontario Business Registry; a company key is issued for future filings.
- Ontario corporations must file an Initial Return within 60 days of incorporation and an Annual Return every year.
- HST is 13%; registration is mandatory once taxable sales exceed $30,000 in four consecutive quarters.
- Most employers register with WSIB within 10 days of hiring their first worker; the Employer Health Tax applies above the payroll exemption.
- Municipal business licences (for example food, trades, personal services, rideshare) are separate from provincial registration; BizPaL lists them.
Popular with newcomers here: Trucking and logistics, Restaurants and food franchises, Construction and renovations, IT and consulting, Retail and e-commerce, Real estate and mortgage services, Health and personal care.
How to start a business in Ontario.
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 the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), this is where the business plan is written.
Business plansChoose the structure and the name
Sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation, Ontario or federal. Name search: Ontario-biased NUANS report.
Registration & incorporationRegister with the Ontario Business Registry
File the registration or articles of incorporation under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). Federal corporations register extra-provincially here as well.
Get your CRA Business Number and tax accounts
Business Number with GST/HST (13% HST), payroll and corporate tax accounts. HST (13%) is a single tax through CRA. Ontario retail sales tax still applies to insurance and certain private vehicle sales.
Register as an employer
Register with WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) 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 Ontario Business Registry.
ComplianceEvery business solution, delivered remotely in Ontario.
From Toronto to Windsor, the same eight service lines, with the Ontario 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 plans for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.
We write the plan to the stream’s criteria (investment, job creation, location, your experience) in the format the program expects, working directly with your licensed immigration consultant or lawyer, who manages the application. We do not provide immigration advice.
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
- Entrepreneur Stream
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 Ontario: 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 Ontario?
Choose a structure, run a NUANS name search if you are incorporating, file through the Ontario Business Registry, then obtain your CRA Business Number with HST and payroll accounts and register with WSIB if you hire. We complete each step and give you one organized file at the end.
Sole proprietorship or corporation in Ontario?
A sole proprietorship is cheaper and faster but offers no liability protection and is taxed on your personal return. A corporation separates the business from you, qualifies for the small business tax rate and looks established to banks and clients. We walk you through the trade-offs for your situation.
Can I register an Ontario business on a work permit or study permit?
Ontario has no residency requirement for directors of an Ontario corporation, and many people register while their status is in progress. Whether operating the business fits your permit conditions is an immigration question for a licensed consultant or lawyer; we handle the registration itself.
What ongoing filings does an Ontario corporation have?
An Ontario Annual Return, a T2 corporate tax return, HST returns on your reporting period, payroll remittances and T4s if you have employees, and WSIB premiums. Our monthly accounting service keeps all of it on calendar.
What does the OINP Entrepreneur Stream require?
A business plan is a core part of the expression of interest, covering investment, job creation and the business’s viability in Ontario. We write it to the program’s criteria alongside your immigration representative.
Start a business in another province or territory.
Expanding from Ontario to a second province? That is an extra-provincial registration; we file it and keep both in good standing.
Starting in Ontario? 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.