Incorporate a business in the Northwest Territories

Requirements to incorporate in the Northwest Territories

NWT corporations are governed by the Business Corporations Act (SNWT 1996, c. 19) and filed with the Corporate Registries of the Government of the Northwest Territories. Every file is built around the same few elements.

In practice, this means the articles and their accompanying notices (registered office and first directors) are printed, signed by hand and sent as originals. Scanned or electronically signed copies are not part of the process the registry describes, so the timing of the mail matters as much as the registry's own processing.

Government fees and processing times in the Northwest Territories (sourced)

The amounts below come from the NWT registry and are updated when it changes them. Incorpo's own fees are separate and listed on our pricing page.

• Articles of incorporation: $300source
• Name search and reservation: $25source
• Amending the articles later (for example, a name change): $100source
• Annual return: $150 per yearsource

Name rules in the Northwest Territories

A word name is checked against existing names before it can be used. The registry handles this step itself.

• How names are cleared: Name search and reservation request (form in duplicate, $25)source.
• Fee: $25source.
• How long a reservation lasts: 90 dayssource, renewable.
• Language of the name: English, French, both, or a combined English-French formsource.

A numbered companynumbered companyCorporation named after its registry number (e.g. 12345678 Canada Inc.). Skips the name search.See definition → skips the name search entirely: the registry assigns a number followed by a territorial designation and a legal ending. Many owners start this way, then operate under a trade name or change the corporate name later by amending the articles.

Director residency rules in the Northwest Territories

The Act sets out who cannot be a DirectorDirectorPerson elected by shareholders to manage the corporation. Federally, 25% must be Canadian residents.See definition → of an NWT corporation: Not an individual; under 19; mental incapacity; bankruptsource.

After incorporation, changes to the board are reported to the registry. Notice of change of directors: Within 15 days, no feesource.

Step by step: how we file your articles of incorporation in the Northwest Territories

1. 1Name or numberGive us the name you have in mind. We run a preliminary search and file the name search and reservation request, or prepare a numbered company if you'd rather skip that step.
2. 2QuestionnaireDirectors, shareholders, share structure and a registered office address in the NWT. The form catches missing or inconsistent details before anything is printed.
3. 3Original signaturesWe prepare the articles and the accompanying notices, then send them to you with step-by-step signing instructions and a return method.
4. 4Filing by mail or in personWe send the signed originals to the Corporate Registries and pay the government fees, which appear on a separate line of your invoice. If the registry requests a correction, we handle it.
5. 5Certificate and minute bookOnce the certificate of incorporation is issued, you receive it with your articles, organizational resolutions and a digital minute bookminute bookOfficial record holding a corporation’s articles, by-laws, resolutions and registers.See definition →.

Incorpo is a private company, not the registry, and is not affiliated with the Government of the Northwest Territories. You can also file directly with the Corporate Registries yourself.

After incorporation: annual return and registrations

Once the certificate is issued, the corporation adopts its by-laws, issues its first shares and keeps its registers up to date in the minute book. With the registry itself, the recurring obligations are short, but they come back every year:

• Annual returnAnnual returnMandatory yearly filing with the registry, separate from the tax return. Missing it can lead to dissolution.See definition → fee: $150 per yearsource
• Annual return deadline: By the end of the month following the incorporation/amalgamation anniversarysource
• Notice of change of directors: Within 15 days, no feesource

Beyond the registry, a new corporation generally registers for a business number with the Canada Revenue Agency and, depending on its activities, for GST, payroll and a municipal business licence. An accountant can tell you which registrations your business needs.

NWT or federal incorporation: how they compare

A federal corporation under the CBCACBCAFederal statute governing corporations formed with Corporations Canada.See definition → files online and can use its name across Canada, but it registers separately wherever it carries on business. Federal extra-provincial registration: Yes, in each province and territory where it conducts businesssource.

• Federal incorporation online: $200 (online filing)source
• Federal processing time: 1 business day (online)source
• Registering an outside corporation in the NWT: $500source
• Yearly fee for that registration: $150 per yearsource
• Deadline to register: Required before or within 30 days after starting to carry on business in the NWTsource
• Registered office in the NWT for an outside corporation: Requiredsource

A business that operates only in the NWT avoids the extra-provincial registrationextra-provincial registrationRegistering a corporation formed elsewhere in a province where it does business.See definition → and its yearly fee by incorporating locally. One that already operates elsewhere, or plans to, may compare the federal route plus registrations. Which suits you depends on your plans; an accountant or a lawyer can weigh both options with you.