Government links for starting a business in Ontario.
The government and regulator pages we send new business owners to, grouped by the job in front of you. Each comes with a line on what you will find there, so you know before you click.
Links last checked 28 September 2026. Fees and deadlines change, so confirm each one at the source.
Plan before you spend.
The federal Starting a business section is the widest map of what exists, with links out to every level of government. Read these three pages first, then use the groups below for each job.
- Starting a businessThe federal government's starting point, covering planning, choosing a name, registering, permits and licences, financing and tax help.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Planning a businessHow to write a business plan, with templates, sample plans, and market research sources.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Registering your business with the governmentThe business types, how to choose a name, where to locate the office, and the regional support on offer.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
From our own pages
Choose a structure and register.
Whether you trade as yourself, with a partner, or through a corporation decides which registry you deal with and what you owe it each year. Start with the registry, then read the rules for the structure you pick.
- Ontario Business RegistryWhere you incorporate an Ontario corporation, register a business name, and file the annual return afterward.ontario.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Business Names ActThe statute that requires an individual or partnership trading under a name other than its own to register that name.ontario.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Ontario registration fees and processing timesThe current government fees for registering a name, incorporating, amending articles, and searching the register.ontario.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Federal incorporationCorporations Canada's steps and fees for a federal corporation, the alternative to incorporating in Ontario.ised-isde.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Ontario register of individuals with significant controlWhat a private Ontario corporation must record about the people who own or control it, and where it keeps that record.ontario.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Federal individuals with significant controlThe equivalent rules for federal corporations, which give that information to Corporations Canada.ised-isde.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
Set up your tax accounts.
The Canada Revenue Agency identifies your business by one number, and you decide early whether you charge HST. Both are easier to sort out before your first invoice than after it.
- Business number and CRA program accountsWhat the business number is, how to register for it, and how payroll and GST/HST accounts attach to it.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
- When to register for and charge GST/HSTThe CRA's plain-language page on the $30,000 small supplier threshold, when registering becomes mandatory, and when you can register early.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
- GST/HST Memorandum 2.2: small suppliersThe CRA's technical memorandum on the small supplier rules, with the Excise Tax Act references behind them.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
Find the permits and licences you need.
Your city, your province, and sometimes Ottawa each license some kinds of business. One search tool covers all three.
From our own pages
Know the rules before you hire.
Once someone works for you, the Employment Standards Act sets floors for pay, hours, vacation, and ending the job, and workplace insurance usually follows.
- Your guide to the Employment Standards ActThe province's plain-language guide to the minimum rules that apply to most Ontario workplaces.ontario.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Minimum wageThe current minimum wage rates and the date the next increase takes effect.ontario.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Register with the WSIBHow to register with Ontario's workplace safety and insurance board, and how to tell whether your business needs coverage.wsib.ca(opens in a new tab)
From our own pages
Protect your brand.
A business name registration does not give you trademark rights. A trademark comes from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, and Canada is a first-to-file country.
- Canadian trademarksThe Canadian Intellectual Property Office's starting point for searching the register, filing an application, and following it through examination.ised-isde.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
- Trademark feesThe current fee schedule for applications, renewals, extensions, and oppositions.ised-isde.canada.ca(opens in a new tab)
Buying a franchise.
Ontario regulates the sale of franchises, and the rules give a buyer time and information before any money changes hands.
From our own pages
Find a lawyer.
Some questions are cheaper to ask before you sign or file than to fix afterward. If you do not have a lawyer yet, the Law Society can point you to one.
Check the source before you act.
Every link above leaves our site for a government or regulator site that we do not control. Those pages move, and fees, thresholds, and deadlines change. A page that was right when we linked it may be out of date when you read it, so confirm the current requirement at the source. What you find here is general information and not legal advice. Our disclaimer sets out the limits, and the 30-minute consultation below is where we look at your own plan.