How to Become Incorporated in Alberta
Incorporating in the Canadian Province of Alberta must be completed through one of the authorized service providers. These agents prepare the documentation, collect the fees and file the documents with the province. Direct filing is not allowed in Alberta.
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Instructions
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Initial Filing
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Select the authorized service provider. Alberta has four stages of provider (basic and stages 1, 2 and 3), authorized to perform more complex tasks (see References). The province website advises to shop around, as the service fees vary greatly.
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2
Select your corporate name. The authorized service provider will conduct a NUANS (Newly Updated Automated Name Search) search to ensure that the name has not already been taken. The provider charges a fee for this search. The alternative is to use a numeric name. A corporate ID number is assigned to all corporations created. If having a recognizable name is not critical, then using a numeric name saves time and expense.
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3
Record the corporate structure. The provider will ask you to provide the officers names, addresses, rules and bylaws of the corporation (whether online or on the phone). This will all be included in the filing by the authorized service provider. Depending on the complexity of the filing and the length of the NUANS search, the filing process can take one to four hours.
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Once completed (and paid for), the authorized service provider will file the corporate declarations with the Province of Alberta. The Certificate of Incorporation is issued by the authorized service provider. The corporation is effective upon issuance of the certificate.
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Tips & Warnings
In addition to incorporating, Alberta has a list of business types that must register and get licenses from the province (see References).
Incorporating in Canada is not automatic liability protection. A sole proprietor or partnership can incorporate, and they are still personally liable for any debts incurred by the company. To shield corporate directors and owners from liability they must create a "limited" corporation and the limited or a suitable abbreviation must be part of the name. It also changes the structure of the corporation.
References
- Photo Credit Corporate building image by Christopher Dodge from Fotolia.com
