Cost to Incorporate in Ontario — Full 2026 Breakdown

The cost to incorporate in Ontario starts at $300 if you do it yourself through Service Ontario, and rises to $1,500–$2,500+ if you hire a lawyer. Most small business owners land somewhere in the middle, using an incorporation service that handles the paperwork for a few hundred dollars all-in.

If you’re starting a business in Ontario, this question has probably been nagging at you for a while. You know you want the liability protection and tax advantages that come with incorporating, but you’re not quite sure what it’s actually going to cost you. The answers you find online are often vague, outdated, or quietly trying to sell you something.

This breakdown covers every dollar — government fees, professional service costs, and the ongoing expenses nobody warns you about — so you can make the decision with your eyes open.

How much does it cost to incorporate in Ontario?

The honest answer is: it depends on who does the work. The government fees are fixed and relatively modest. It’s the professional service layer — whether you DIY, use an online service, or bring in a corporate lawyer — that creates the range.

Here’s a fast summary before we go deeper:

1.    DIY (Service Ontario) $360: Govt fees + NUANS search

2.    Online Services (eg. Bizincs) $500-$700: All-in, handled for you

3.    Corporate Lawyer $1500-$2500: Include legal advices

Government Fees for Ontario Incorporation

No matter which route you take, these are the non-negotiable costs you pay directly to the government. Nobody can waive them, and they haven’t changed dramatically in recent years.

Provincial Incorporation Fee: To incorporate a business in Ontario provincially, the government filing fee is $300, paid to the Ontario government through Service Ontario. This gets you a Certificate of Incorporation and a corporate number. It’s a flat fee — doesn’t matter whether your company is a solo operation or has multiple shareholders.

Federal Incorporation Fee: If you’re going the federal route through Corporations Canada, the online filing fee is $200. It’s actually cheaper than the provincial option, which surprises a lot of people. Keep in mind, though, that a federally incorporated company still needs to register extra-provincially in Ontario if you’re operating here, which adds another $60–$80 to your total.

NUANS name search fee: If you want to use a corporate name (rather than a numbered company like “1234567 Ontario Inc.”), you need a NUANS name search to confirm no existing company has a similar name. The NUANS name search costs around $30–$75, depending on the provider. Some incorporation services bundle this in; others charge it separately — always worth checking what’s included before you commit.

Professional Services vs DIY vs Lawyer: Cost Comparison

DIY through Service Ontario

Filing through Service Ontario yourself is the cheapest way to incorporate in Ontario . The catch? Most people who go this route skip their corporate minute book, forget to issue shares properly, and don’t set up a shareholders’ agreement. Those gaps can become expensive problems later — especially if you ever bring on investors or a business partner.

Using Bizincs Incorporation Services

Bizincs is an example of a middle-ground option that’s become popular with Ontario founders who want things done right without paying lawyer rates. View our pricing for the full breakdown of what’s included. You get the incorporation filed, your Articles prepared, and a digital minute book with the core documents you actually need. It’s not legal advice, so if your situation is complicated — multiple share classes, partnership splits, shareholder disputes on the horizon — you should still talk to a lawyer. But for a standard single-owner or co-founder setup? It covers the essentials cleanly.

Hiring a Corporate Lawyer

When people ask about Ontario incorporation fees at the premium end, this is what they’re looking at. Corporate lawyers in Ontario typically charge between $1,500 and $2,500 for a standard incorporation, and that number climbs quickly once you add shareholder agreements, custom share structures, or a holding company setup. The value is real — they’ll catch things you didn’t know to ask about — but most straightforward incorporations don’t require that level of involvement from day one. You can always bring in legal counsel later when you actually need it.

Provincial vs Federal: Which is cheaper?

Federal is technically slightly cheaper in raw fees, but the extra registration step adds administrative overhead. If you incorporate a company in Ontario, Canada, and operate nationally, federal makes sense. If you’re running a local business and don’t plan to expand into other provinces anytime soon, provincial is simpler and gets the job done.

Ongoing Costs after you Incorporate in Ontario

Here’s the part most “cost to incorporate” articles leave out — and honestly, it’s the part that catches new business owners off guard. The one-time filing fee is just the beginning.

• Tax filing through an accountant typically costs $500–$1,500 per year for a T2 return which is required every year, even if you made nothing.

• Ontario Annual Return ($12/yr): Mandatory filing to keep your corporation in good standing with the province.

• Corporate Bank Account ($0-$30/month): Most banks offer free or low-cost business accounts for small corps.

• Minute Book Maintenance ($150-$400/yr): Annual resolutions, updated director/officer records. It’s often bundled by accountants.

• HST registration & filing ($0): Free to register yourself through CRA, accountant prep adds cost if revenue is complex.

• Business name registration ($60 one-time): Only needed if operating under a name different from your corporate name.

Real-world Year-one estimate

Between the incorporation filing, a basic accountant for your first T2, and keeping your minute book in order, budget $1,200–$2,200 for your first year as an incorporated business. It’s still well worth it for the tax savings alone; don’t go in expecting it to cost only $300.

How to keep your Incorporation cost low?

You don’t have to spend more than you need to. Here’s what actually makes a difference:

• Use a numbered company if you don’t need a name right away — skip the NUANS search cost entirely and save $30–$75 upfront. You can always register a business name later.
• Go provincial if you’re only doing business in Ontario. Federal incorporation adds registration steps and fees without a real benefit for a local operation.
• Bundle incorporation with your first-year accounting engagement — many accountants offer discounted incorporation when you sign on as an ongoing client. You get a professional setup without the standalone lawyer bill.
• Set up your minute book properly from day one. Skipping this to save a few hundred dollars now regularly costs $500–$1,000+ to reconstruct later — especially if a bank or investor ever asks for it.
• Don’t over-engineer your share structure at the start. A simple structure with one or two share classes keeps your legal fees down. You can restructure later if your business genuinely grows to the point where it needs it.

Ready to Incorporate in Ontario?

Whether you’re planning to DIY or want a professional to handle it, the most important step is just getting started. Every month you operate as a sole proprietor instead of a corporation is a month you’re leaving potential tax savings on the table — and carrying personal liability you don’t need to.

Most Ontario founders spend $500–$700 all-in and have their corporation set up within a week. That’s not a barrier, but an easy win.

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