Start a business in Ontario, step by step
Understand registrations, corporations, filings, and business requirements with simple Ontario-focused guides, tools, and checklists.
Popular Ontario business guides
Ontario business, section by section
How to Start a Business
A plain-English walkthrough for new Ontario founders.
Ontario Incorporation
What it means, when it makes sense, and how it's filed.
Business Name Registration
Sole proprietorships, partnerships, and operating names.
Sole Prop vs Corporation
Compare Ontario business structures side-by-side.
Ontario Business Registry
How the OBR works and what you can do there.
Business Licences
Federal, provincial, and municipal licence pointers.
GST/HST for Businesses
When to register, how to charge, and how to file.
Ontario Business Grants
A working directory of funding programs and deadlines.
Compliance Calendar
Never miss an annual return or renewal again.
Answers, without the paperwork
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Compare sole prop, partnership, and corporation.
Brainstorm names — then check official availability.
See what an Ontario incorporation actually costs.
Start with the basics
Ontario vs Federal Incorporation
How to pick a jurisdiction — with the trade-offs no one explains up front.
Ontario Incorporation Hub
Directors, shares, articles, minute books, and initial filings.
Ontario Annual Returns
Who files, when, and why it's not your tax return.
What is a Company Key?
The credential you need to file through the Ontario Business Registry.
Latest from the guide library
Browse all articles →Operating Name in Ontario: How a Corporation Registers a Trade Name
How an Ontario corporation registers an operating name (trade name / DBA) in the Ontario Business Registry, when it's required, and renewal rules.
T2 Filing Deadline for Ontario Corporations (and When Tax Is Due)
When an Ontario corporation must file its T2 corporate tax return, when the balance owing is due, and how to calculate both from your year-end.
HST Filing Deadlines in Ontario: Monthly, Quarterly and Annual
GST/HST return and payment deadlines for Ontario businesses by filing frequency, including the June 15 rule for annual individual filers.
Ontario Business Names Act: What It Requires
A plain-English summary of Ontario's Business Names Act: who must register, display rules, 5-year renewals, and the consequences of not registering.
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