To make sure that your corporation continues to benefit from incorporation under your provincial business corporation act, you need to fulfill certain requirements with your jurisdiction of incorporation, registrations department. Depending on the type of requirement, you need to file annually or when circumstances change. Namely, you must:
Filing an annual return for a business corporation provides up-to-date information to your jurisdiction of incorporation, registries office. Regardless of the size of your corporation, you are obligated to file an annual return if your corporation’s legal status is “active” (that is, not dissolved, discontinued or amalgamated with another corporation).
Filing a change of registered office address:
Your registered office address is the official address for communications with your corporation. You must notify your jurisdiction of incorporation, registries office. of any change of your corporation’s registered office address (for ex., if the corporation moves) within 15 days following the change. You can also provide an additional address if there is one.
Filing changes regarding directors:
Interested stakeholders have a right to know who the current directors are and where they can be reached. You must notify your jurisdiction of incorporation, registries office of any change in the board of directors within 15 days of the following actions:
new directors are elected, or
individuals cease to be directors.
You must also notify your jurisdiction of incorporation, registries office of any change of address of a director within 15 days of being informed of the change. Note that directors must notify the corporation of a change in their address within 15 days.
Directors can provide either a residential address or an address for service. An address for service is an address where legal documents must be accepted by the director or someone on their behalf, and where an acknowledgment or delivery receipt can be provided if required. An address for service can be the residential address of the director or a business address.
The directors of your corporation have the power and the duty to manage the business and affairs of the corporation. As a result, interested stakeholders have a right to know who the current directors are and where they can be reached.
Amending your articles:
Your articles set out basic information about your corporation. Your articles set out basic information about your corporation. You are required to amend your articles to make changes to this information. To amend your articles, a special resolution needs to be passed at a special meeting.
Your anniversary date can be found on your corporation’s certificate of incorporation, amalgamation or continuance. You can also find your corporation’s name on Search for a federal corporation.
If you file your annual return before the anniversary date, it will not be accepted because the annual return must reflect the corporation’s situation on its anniversary date of each year.
