How to Incorporate in Saskatchewan
How exciting! If you are looking to Incorporate in Saskatchewan, the process is now easier than ever through Ontario Business Central. The information below will provide you with the details required to get your dream started.
What is required to Incorporate in Saskatchewan
- A minimum of one person can incorporate in Saskatchewan
- 25% of the individual directors are required to be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents
- You can choose either a named or numbered company
- A physical address in Saskatchewan is required for the corporate address, records office and mailing address for the corporation
- A request for name availability search and reservation is mandatory for a Saskatchewan named corporation
- Each director is not required to have a physical address in Saskatchewan
- The business name can be English or French or a combination of both
How to choose my Incorporation name
What is the difference between a named and numbered incorporation?
Named Incorporation
When you register the incorporation in the Province of Saskatchewan a Name Reservation is mandatory and must be submitted to the Corporate Registry for approval prior to the incorporation being processed with the Province.
When considering what type of name to choose, it is important to consider the uniqueness of your name. The name of the business is the first thing a potential client will see. It is seen as the business identity; in saying this, the stronger the name, the better for you. Ensuring this will also help with branding, as well as to differentiate you from other businesses already in existence.
Most incorporation names have three key elements; the distinctive, descriptive and legal element. In order to gain name approval from the Province, it is recommended to provide all three elements. See examples below.
| Distinctive Element | Descriptive Element | Legal Element |
| Regina’s | Towing Experts | Inc. |
| Smith’s | Gifts | Limited |
| Shewan | Software | Corp. |
Name approval by the Province of Saskatchewan
The Province allows you to request up to 3 business names in order of preference for approval. It is important to provide 3 names that you are committed to as any of them may be accepted or rejected. The business name you like best should be listed first.
The mandatory report only searches within the Province of Saskatchewan’s registry and the name approval is at the discretion of the Provincial Examiner. An optional service through Ontario Business Central is to include a preliminary Nuans report as this provides a better view of existing Businesses, Corporations and Trademarks across Canada.
The name of the incorporation may contain English, French or a combination of both languages.
Numbered Incorporation
Instead of choosing a named incorporation you may wish to incorporate a numbered incorporation in Saskatchewan. The corporate number is issued by the Province of Saskatchewan. You are able to choose the legal element.
Ex: 123456 Saskatchewan Inc.
The options for legal ending are as follows:
- Inc.
- Incorporated,
- Incorporée,
- Ltd.
- Limited
- Limitée
- Corporation
- Corp.
Who are directors, officers and shareholders of the Incorporation
Who can be a director/officer of the Incorporation?
The individual(s) listed as either a director or officer of the incorporation must be a minimum of 18 years of age, have the ability to manage ones’ own affairs and bankrupt free or discharged and not be convicted of any prior offence related to a corporation or any offence involving fraud.
It is mandatory that 25% of the directors be residents of the Province of Saskatchewan
Choosing directors of the Incorporation
The directors of the corporation are the individuals who administer the affairs of the corporation and make all major decisions for the incorporation. You may incorporate with a single individual (director) who is a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident. Directors may also hold the positions of shareholders and officers of the corporation.
Who can be shareholders?
A minimum of one shareholder is required at all times for the incorporation. If there is only one director, that individual is required to be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident.
Choosing shareholders of the Corporation
The shareholders of the incorporation include the individual(s) who hold shares within the incorporation. These individuals may be the owners of the incorporation, investors, or family members of the owners who participate within the incorporation. Typically, a shareholder will have a financial stake within the incorporation and the shares of the incorporation reflect at what percentage. A minimum of 1 shareholder is required for the incorporation.
Does the incorporation have to be re-filed or renewed over time?
The incorporated company is continual meaning it is never required to be re-filed or renewed. There are the one time fees of setting up the incorporated company and the incorporation will continue to be in existence as long as you wish. If at some point you wish to stop to operating the business, articles of dissolution would be filed to end the existence of the incorporated company. If you need to file the dissolution, please contact our office to obtain a quote.
What address do I list for the Incorporation?
Registered office address: This is the office address where legal documents can be delivered. It must be in Saskatchewan and is required to be a physical address. This address is available to the public.
Mailing address: The mailing address is where the company will receive its mail, including correspondence regarding annual report filing reminders and any notices of dissolution from the Information Services Corporation with the Saskatchewan government. This address is NOT required to be within the Province of Saskatchewan. This address may include a postal box.
Share structure for Incorporation
The share structure of the incorporation is the overall view of how shares are going to be distributed among the shareholders. We provide a standard template of either 1 or 2 classes of shares available to you or if you wish you can provide your own custom share structure for the incorporation.
Adding an ‘operating as name’ under your new incorporated company
A business registration allows you to operate a secondary business name under your newly incorporated company.
If you wish to operate your incorporation name without the legal ending for signage /advertising as example:
ABC Holdings Inc. carrying on business as ABC Holdings
If you wish to use a shorter version of your incorporation name for signage/advertising payments for clients as example:
Meteor Publishing Inc. carrying on business as Meteor
If you wish to operate a secondary business name that is different from the incorporation name as example:
Meteor Publishing Inc. carrying on business as Meteor Web Design or ABC Graphics
Name Approval
When completing a business registration name under the incorporation, a Name Approval is also required for this business name.
Government fees
Incorporation Fees: $222.75
Incorporation Name Approval: $51.94
Business Registration Fees: $56.55
Business Registration Name Approval: $51.94
Ontario Business Central Inc. has been assisting individuals who wish to incorporate their businesses since 1992. So far, we have helped more than 170,000 customers and we are here to assist you with any questions you may have.
To incorporate in Saskatchewan with our team, please click the link below:
If we can be of help, please feel free to reach out to our staff for any clarification or assistance you may require.
inquiries@ontariobusinesscentral.ca
Toll-Free: 1-800-280-1913
Local: 1-416-599-9009
Fax: 1-866-294-4363
Office Hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Monday – Friday E.S.T.
Ontario Business Central Inc. is not a law firm and cannot provide a legal opinion or advice. This information is to assist you in understanding the requirements of registration within the chosen jurisdiction. It is always recommended, when you have legal or accounting questions that you speak to a qualified professional.
