The official cancellation filing required to close a sole proprietorship, general partnership, or trade name registered under the Ontario Business Names Act (BNA)
Select sole proprietorship, general partnership, or trade name. Enter your business name, BIN, and Company Key. If you don't have your BIN or Company Key, we can find them for you.
From $109.99 + HST.
Pay by credit card.
Once filed and accepted, we email you documentation confirming your cancellation.
An agent reviews every submission for accuracy before filing.
If we spot any issues with your name or details we contact you before submitting to avoid Ministry rejection.
If it's time to move on to something new, an important step is to cancel the existing business. The cancellation will take only a few minutes to order and cancels the business with the Province of Ontario. The business name will no longer appear as active on the Ontario Business Registry. Once you have cancelled your registration, you may also want to contact the Canada Revenue Agency, your financial institution and any other business contact who may want to review a copy of cancellation documentation. To learn more about the information that applies to you, please read below.
Closing your registered business under the Ontario Business Names Act
A business registration cancellation is the official filing made under the Ontario Business Names Act (BNA) to close a registered business that is not incorporated. Filed through the Ontario Business Registry (OBR), it is the legal mechanism for ending a sole proprietorship, general partnership, or trade name registration. It doesn't close your CRA accounts or cancel debts and obligations the business already has. There is no Ministry filing fee to cancel, and the cancellation must be filed before the registration's expiry date. Corporations cannot be cancelled this way; they require Articles of Dissolution.
A business owned by a single individual. Cancelled by the sole owner.
A business owned by two or more partners. Cancelled by an authorized partner.
A "doing business as" name registered by an existing corporation. Cancelled by the corporation.
Ontario Business Central files your cancellation with the Ministry electronically the same business day. Confirmation is emailed once processing is completed.
Each business type has slightly different information requirements.
You can cancel any business registered under the Ontario Business Names Act before its expiry date. If you can't locate your original paperwork, our agents can search the registry for you.
If you are the sole owner of the business, use this to cancel the existing business. The information required is:
If more than one person owns the business, Use this to cancel the existing business. The information required is:
For existing corporations that operate a doing business as name, use this to cancel that secondary name. The information required to do so is:
Quick answers to the most common questions about closing your registered business
There is no Ministry filing fee to cancel a business registration in Ontario. When filing through Ontario Business Central, the cost is our $109.99 service fee plus HST. Optional add-ons are available, including a $10.00+ HST registry search if you don't have your BIN, and a $79 Company Key retrieval. The service fee covers same-day electronic filing, and email confirmation once the cancellation is processed.
Ontario Business Central files your cancellation with the Ministry electronically the same business day after you submit. Confirmation is typically emailed once the Ministry accepts the filing. If your order requires a registry search to find your BIN, processing may take an additional business day before filing.
Cancellation is the term used to close a business registered under the Ontario Business Names Act, which covers sole proprietorships, general partnerships, and trade names. Dissolution is the term used to close an incorporated business, whether provincially or federally incorporated. The two filings have different forms, fees, and processes. Cancellation is filed under the BNA. Dissolution requires Articles of Dissolution under the Ontario Business Corporations Act or Canada Business Corporations Act.
Your Business Identification Number (BIN) becomes inactive after your registration is cancelled. The BIN itself remains in the Ontario Business Registry as part of your business's archived record, but it can no longer be used to operate the business. If you decide to start a new business in the future, you'll receive a new BIN with the new registration. Past BIN information stays on the public record for historical reference.
Yes. As of February 1, 2025, your 9-digit Company Key is mandatory for any filing through the Ontario Business Registry, including cancellations. You'll find your Company Key on the verification letter mailed to your registered business address by the Ministry. If you can't locate it, we can retrieve your Company Key as part of your cancellation order.
Ontario business name registrations are valid for 5 years and expire automatically if not renewed. If your registration has already expired, you typically don't need to cancel it: it has been removed from the active registry. Cancellation is the proper filing when your registration is still active and you want to formally close it before its expiry date, rather than letting it lapse on its own.
For sole proprietorships and general partnerships, you remain personally liable for any business debts that existed before the cancellation. Cancellation closes the business name registration but does not erase past obligations. You should settle outstanding debts, taxes, supplier accounts, and contracts before or alongside cancellation. The business name no longer appears as active on the Ontario Business Registry.
Cancelling your business registration with the Ministry does not automatically close your CRA accounts. You'll need to contact the Canada Revenue Agency separately to close your HST registration, payroll account, business number, and any other CRA accounts. File your final tax return for the business and keep your cancellation documents in your records. Your CRA accounts may continue to accrue obligations until you close them directly.
A cancelled business registration cannot be reactivated. If you decide to operate again, you'll need to file a new business registration, which will receive a new BIN. The new registration is treated as a separate entity from the cancelled one, even if it uses the same business name. Past tax records, contracts, and customer history do not carry over to the new registration.
No. Cancelling a trade name only closes the secondary "doing business as" name registered under your corporation. Your corporation continues to exist as a separate legal entity. After cancellation, your corporation can no longer operate under the trade name but can continue under its legal corporate name. To close the corporation itself, you would need to file Articles of Dissolution, which is a separate process.
Have a different question? Speak with an agent or call 1-800-280-1913
Start your cancellation in 2 to 5 minutes
Other options you may be looking for
File Articles of Dissolution
Corporations Registered in Ontario
Phil Cha
Mark and Ontario Business Central were great. It's always stressful closing down a company but he made me feel safe and taken care of. He provided clear instructions and timelines and got it done way faster than anticipated. 6/5 stars
Kush Gupta
Amazing service, they take extremely great care of their clients! Amanda did an amazing job!
Dave Banks
We have been dealing with Ontario Business Central Inc. for years and have always been very pleased with how quickly and accurately our requests have always been executed! Thank you!
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