Incorporate a Business in Markham

Incorporate your Markham business or startup in Ontario or federally, with a CPA reviewing the share structure for tax, founders and future investors. Packages from $499.

  • Ontario (OBCA) or federal (CBCA) incorporation, named or numbered
  • Flat fee from $499 + government fees and HST, agreed before we start
  • Reviewed by a CPA with your tax in mind, not just the paperwork
  • CRA business number plus corporate tax (RC), payroll (RP) and GST/HST (RT) accounts
  • Online across Canada, or in person by appointment in Etobicoke and Mississauga

Incorporating a business in Markham

Markham’s tech community means many incorporations there start with co-founders, a product and plans for outside investment. Those companies need share classes that work for founders and investors, a clear record of who owns what, and a Canadian-controlled private corporation status that keeps the small business rate and the enhanced SR&ED credit available. Consultants, importers and restaurant owners have simpler needs, but the same question of Ontario versus federal.

I’m Wajahat Ajmal, CPA, FCCA. T-Ledgers is a CPA-led accounting firm practising since 2020. We incorporate Markham businesses online, by phone, video and email; in-person meetings are at our Etobicoke or Mississauga office.

Markham businesses we incorporate most often: software and tech startups with co-founders, IT consultants, import and retail businesses along Highway 7, and restaurants.

What our incorporation service includes

  • Articles filed in Ontario or federally, named or numbered (a named Ontario company needs an Ontario NUANS report, +$25; a federal word name is searched inside Corporations Canada’s Online Filing Centre, with no separate NUANS report)
  • Ontario initial return for federal corporations included
  • CRA business number and tax accounts opened

Share structure and the full process are on our main incorporation services page.

Markham rules to check when you incorporate

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Local ruleWhat changes when you incorporateOfficial source
Registered officeMust be a street address in Ontario where records are kept; startups working from a shared or virtual office should confirm it can serve as a street-address registered office where records are kept.Ontario Business Corporations Act
City of Markham business licencesMarkham licenses specific businesses under By-law 2018-90 (food premises, personal services and others) and vehicle-based businesses under By-law 2022-20. Most offices and tech companies don’t need one. We check whether it must be reissued to the company.City of Markham business licence
York Region Public HealthA food business must notify York Region Public Health before opening. If you incorporate before opening, the notification and licence should be in the company’s name from the start.York Region food premises operators

Law: Municipal Act, 2001 s.151(1) (business licensing); Health Protection and Promotion Act s.16(1) (food premises).

A typical Markham incorporation

An illustrative example (not a client story). Two Markham co-founders are building a software product and expect to raise money from investors next year. We incorporate federally so the name is checked across Canada (with the Ontario initial return included), issue founder shares with a clear record of what each paid, keep control in Canadian residents’ hands so the company stays a Canadian-controlled private corporation, and set up books that track development costs by project for a future SR&ED claim, which is quoted after consultation.

Incorporation pricing in Markham

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PackagePrice (+ HST/GST)
Incorporation only✓$499 + government fees
Incorporation + minute book and legal documents✓$999 + government fees
Annual minute book maintenance✓$500 per year, Ontario annual return included
Other provinces, section 85 rollovers, holding companies, professional corporationsQuoted separately

Government fees are passed through at cost: $300 to incorporate in Ontario or $200 online federally, as published on October 13, 2026 (see Ontario fees and Corporations Canada fees).

Ontario or federal?

Ontario and federal corporations are taxed the same; we usually recommend Ontario for a business selling mainly in Ontario. A qualifying corporation pays 11.2% combined on its first $500,000 of active business income (9% federal plus 2.2% Ontario from July 1, 2026).

Law: Ontario Business Corporations Act s.4 (articles of incorporation); Ontario Business Corporations Act s.14 (registered office in Ontario); Canada Business Corporations Act s.105(3) (resident directors); Corporations Information Act s.3.1 (annual return); Income Tax Act s.85(1) (rollover of assets to a corporation).

We don’t have a Markham office; meetings are at our Etobicoke or Mississauga office, by appointment.

Reviewed by Wajahat Ajmal, CPA, FCCA. Last updated: October 15, 2026. Official sources checked October 2026.

Incorporating in Markham: FAQs

Yes, but non-resident control of the corporation can cost CCPC status. We check the voting and ownership picture before shares are issued.

Often, if you need a name checked across Canada or investors ask for it. Ontario works just as well for tax. Federal companies also file an Ontario initial return, which is included in our price.

$499 for incorporation only or $999 with full legal documents, plus HST/GST and government fees ($200 online federally, $300 in Ontario).

It can. A corporation controlled by non-residents is not a Canadian-controlled private corporation, so it loses the small business rate and the enhanced SR&ED credit. We review ownership before filing.

No. We work with Markham clients online; meetings are at our Etobicoke or Mississauga office, by appointment.

Ready to get started?

Online across Canada, or in person by appointment in Etobicoke and Mississauga.