Company (limited company, incl. unlimited liability and community contribution company) Ltd.Canada · British Columbia
What it takes to form, own and run a private limited company in Canada · British Columbia, and how its profit is taxed. Each figure links to the page it was read from.
This company type
At a glance
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A company must have at least one director and, in the case of a public company, must have at least 3 directors.
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Apply using Corporate Online ($350 fee, $1000 fee for ULC).
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After the general tax reduction, the net tax rate is 15% (7.5% for manufacturers of qualifying zero-emission technology).
Form it
Who registers it
- Registry
- Formed without visiting
- Yes
- Formed online
- Yes
What it takes to form
- A notary
- Not required
- A resident director
- Not required
- Paying up the capital
- A share must not be issued until it is fully paid (BCA s.64(2)). It is fully paid when the company receives consideration (past services, property or money) whose value equals or exceeds the issue price set for the share (s.64(3)); the issue price of a share with par value must be at least its par value (s.63(2)).
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(2) A share must not be issued until it is fully paid.
Own it
Who may own and run it
- Directors
- At least 1 · none need live there · individuals only
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A company must have at least one director and, in the case of a public company, must have at least 3 directors.
- Shareholders
- At least 1
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(1) One or more persons may form a company by
- Members
- At least 1 · one person may form it alone
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(1) One or more persons may form a company by
- A local company secretary
- Not required
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Subject to subsection (3) and to the memorandum and articles of a company, the directors may appoint officers and may specify their duties.
- A local registered agent
- Not required
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Subject to section 40, a company must maintain a registered office and a records office in British Columbia. (2) The registered office and the records office may be located at the same place.
Each year, at the registry
- Annual registry fee
- CAD 43.39 (about €27)
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File an annual report ($43.39 fee)
- Accounts on the public record
- No
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Financial statements and meeting minutes are not filed with the annual report.
- Audit for a small company
- Not stated
The registry’s and the law’s own pages do not mention it.
- Audit
- A company must have an auditor (BCA s 203(1)) unless all shareholders resolve unanimously to waive the appointment for one financial year (s 203(2)-(3)); there is no size test.
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(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a company must have an auditor.
Important dates
When each obligation falls due, as the authority states it.
Not in our records No dates for the Ltd. are in our records.
What is public
- Directors
- Public
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Names of directors and officers (which are often included in annual reports)
- Shareholders
- Not recorded
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Names of directors and officers (which are often included in annual reports)
- Beneficial owners
- To the authorities only
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Names of directors and officers (which are often included in annual reports)
Tax
Tax on profit
How this company type is taxed, which can differ from its place’s headline rate.
Varies · 11–27%+3 regimes
Federal Part I net rate 15% (9% for a CCPC on income eligible for the small business deduction); B.C. general rate 12% and lower small-business rate 2% on active business income up to a $500,000 business limit. Combined: 27% general, 11% small-business.
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After the general tax reduction, the net tax rate is 15% (7.5% for manufacturers of qualifying zero-emission technology).
Special regimes that may apply
- Deduction for taxable dividends received by a corporation resident in Canada holding · 100% exempt
Corporations receiving a taxable dividend from a taxable Canadian corporation, or from a corporation resident in Canada that they control Income Tax Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. 1 (5th Supp.)), s. 112(1) - Deduction in respect of dividend received from foreign affiliate holding
Corporations resident in Canada receiving a dividend on a share of the capital stock of a foreign affiliate Income Tax Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. 1 (5th Supp.)), s. 113(1) - Exemption for income from international shipping other · 100% exempt
Non-resident persons earning income in Canada from international shipping or from operating aircraft in international traffic, where their country of residence grants substantially similar relief to Canadian residents Income Tax Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. 1 (5th Supp.)), s. 81(1)(c)
Whether a company qualifies depends on its activity and conditions set in each statute.
- CFC rules in Canada
- Not in our records
Close it
Closing it
The other end, which most guides leave out.
- Route
- Voluntary dissolution filed through the BC Business Registry or Corporate Online ($20).
- Statutory fee
- CAD 20 (about €13)
Every business in Canada · British Columbia
GST
- The tax
- GST/HST (goods and services tax, harmonized with provincial tax in participating provinces)
- Standard rate
- 5%
The federal GST is 5%. HST replaces it at 13% in Ontario, 14% in Nova Scotia and 15% in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island; Quebec charges the 5% GST plus QST of 9.975%, and other provinces charge the 5% GST plus their own retail sales tax.
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GST/HST and PST rates Province GST and HST PST Alberta 5% 0% British Columbia 5% 7% Manitoba 5% 7% New Brunswick 15% N/A Newfoundland and Labrador 15% N/A Northwest Territories 5% 0% Nova Scotia 14% N/A
- Other rates
- 0% Zero-rated supplies, such as basic groceries
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A zero-rated supply has a 0% GST/HST rate throughout all of Canada. For example, basic groceries are taxable at the rate of zero (0% GST/HST) in every province and territory.
- Registration threshold
- CAD 30,000 · about €19,013
total revenues from taxable supplies in Canada, including zero-rated supplies; a single calendar quarter or four consecutive calendar quarters
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You do not exceed the $30,000 threshold Footnote 1 over four consecutive calendar quarters.
- Voluntary registration
- Yes
A small supplier may choose to register voluntarily if it makes taxable sales, leases or other supplies in Canada.
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You may choose to register voluntarily if you make taxable sales, leases, or other supplies in Canada.
- A foreign company
- The same threshold applies; no local representative required
A non-resident carrying on business in Canada registers under the normal regime only if it makes taxable supplies in Canada and is not a small supplier, so the $30,000 threshold applies to it; a non-resident that does not carry on business in Canada may still have to register under the simplified regime. No representative is required, but a registrant without a permanent establishment must generally give the CRA a security deposit.
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Non-residents who carry on business in Canada must register for the GST/HST under the normal GST/HST regime if they make taxable supplies in Canada and are not small suppliers.
- Returns filed
- Depends on the business
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Assigned and optional reporting periods Annual taxable supplies threshold amounts Assigned reporting period Optional reporting periods $1,500,000 or less Annual Monthly, quarterly More than $1,500,000 up to $6,000,000 Quarterly Monthly More than $6,000,000 Monthly Nil
- Tax authority
- Registration page read 2026-10-22
Payment and banking services
3 services name Canada on their own list: Paysera, Airwallex, Stripe. Each provider, and what a listing means.
Reference
Its name and code
- Kind
- Private limited companyDerived our grouping, the same words in every country
- Name in law
- Company (limited company, incl. unlimited liability and community contribution company) (Ltd.)
- ISO 20275 code
- YG5MSecondary GLEIF, Entity Legal Forms code list