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CityOntario · Ontario Business Registry

Start a business in Toronto

Incorporate provincially or federally from King West, Liberty Village or North York, then handle municipal steps before they surprise you. $300 registry fee, Immediate online; 15 business days by mail, fees from $149.

Start in TorontoMunicipal steps
Photo 4:3 · Liberty Village brick office, morning light; no official symbols
Context

Doing business in Toronto, in practice

Incorporation rules are set by the province (Ontario) or federally; what changes in Toronto are permits, zoning and local taxes, handled by the City of Toronto.

Population[n]Source: Statistics Canada, [year] census
Active businesses[n]With an establishment in Toronto
Wards25Each applies its own zoning
Director residencyNo requirementProvincial rule
Figures to complete before publishing · Planned sources: city, provincial statistics office, Statistics Canada · Check: [date]

Municipal steps to plan

After incorporating, before opening. Confirm each item with your city: amounts and timing stay in brackets until verified.

StepWhoAuthorityCostTimingStatus
Occupancy certificate or business licenceCommercial premises or officeAny business with premisesMunicipal Licensing & Standards[amount][n] daysTo verify
Home-office useWorking from homeConsultants, freelancers, online sellersMunicipal Licensing & Standards (zoning)[amount][n] daysTo verify
Non-residential property taxIn the rent or billedCommercial tenantsCity of Toronto[xx]%YearlyTo verify
Sign permitExterior signStorefrontsMunicipal Licensing & Standards[amount][n] daysTo verify
Specific permitsFood, alcohol, careRegulated sectorsCity and provincial bodies[amount][n] weeksTo verify
GST/HST registrationNot municipal, but often forgottenFrom $30,000 of taxable salesCanada Revenue Agency$0Included from CompleteTo verify

This is a checklist, not legal advice. Requirements vary by sector and use. Verification planned on [date] with the City of Toronto.

Services for Toronto

All services in Ontario →
Incorporation in OntarioProvincial corporation, filed with Ontario Business Registry, name checked.From $149 + $300Federal incorporationName protected across Canada, extra-provincial registration to operate locally.From $149 + $200 + [amount]Non-resident in TorontoRegistered office, agent for service, banking help, support in European hours.$699 + $300Ongoing complianceAnnual return, minute book, 60 / 30 / 7-day reminders.From $9/month
Stylized map of Toronto · 16:10 — Ink lines on paper, red markers on the most requested wards. No third-party map tiles.
Most requested wardsDowntown · King West · Liberty Village · North York · Scarborough
« Forty client companies, forty annual returns. Bulk actions gave me back two days a month. »
Priya NatarajanCPA · Natarajan CPA Professional Corporation

FAQ in Toronto

Reviewed by the review board (lawyer licensed in the province).

Can my registered office be my home in Toronto?
Yes for the registry: a civic address is enough. Check with the City of Toronto whether home-office use is allowed in your zone and needs a permit.
Does a 100% online business need a municipal permit?
Usually no occupancy certificate without premises open to the public, but home use is still subject to zoning. Check case by case.
How long from order to certificate?
Filed the day you sign; Ontario Business Registry processes in Immediate online; 15 business days by mail. You get the certificate by email.
Provincial or federal for a business in Toronto?
Provincial if your customers are mostly in Ontario or your directors live outside Canada. Federal if the name must be protected everywhere; you’ll then also register in Ontario.

Your company in Toronto, ready this week

From $149 + $300 registry fee. Filed same day, certificate in Immediate online; 15 business days by mail.

Start in TorontoOther cities: Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Vancouver