Free tool

Free Canada businesslaunch planner.

Built for owners who want to open a company in Canada from abroad. Every step in order, who does it, what it costs and what has to be ready before the next one starts.

Open the template See it on the page

Price: Free
Format: On this page, always current
Built by: Salman Feroz, CPA, CMA and team
Code word: CANADA

Canada business launch planner: a real screen from the workbook, with sample figures — A real screen from the template, shown with sample figures.

What is inside

5 parts, one workbook

Inputs are marked in colour. Everything else calculates. The first sheet is a one-page guide.

01Launch plan: 22 steps across five stages, with owner, date and statusIncluded
02Three ways to register, compared side by sideIncluded
03First-year budget with 2026 government fees filled inIncluded
04Document list to gatherIncluded
05What registration does and does not give youIncluded

Who it is for

Canada business launch planner: who gets the most from it

For owners abroad: the 22 steps, the order and the budget to open in Canada.

Built by The Accounting Doc team in Pickering, Ontario, from the working files we use with clients.

Founders outside Canada registering a Canadian company
Companies opening a Canadian subsidiary
Newcomers planning a business before they arrive

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Tell us who you are and the full template opens on this page, straight away and every time you come back. Free. We also send you the new tools as they come out.

Launch plan: 22 steps across five stages, with owner, date and status
Three ways to register, compared side by side
First-year budget with 2026 government fees filled in
Document list to gather

The template, on the page

View it here, copy the structure into your own sheet. The template stays on this page so it is always the current version; inputs are the shaded cells, everything else calculates.

Leave your email to open the full template

Free. The view opens straight away and stays open on this device.

Open the template

	The Accounting Doc
	For owners outside Canada who want to open a company here. Every step in order, who does it, what it costs and what must be ready before the next one starts.
	How to use it
	Step 1	Open Structure and read the three ways to register. Mark the one you are leaning toward.
	Step 2	Open Plan. Set a target date and a status for each step. Steps you do not need can be marked Not needed.
	Step 3	Open Budget. The government fees are filled in. Add your professional fees and first-year running costs.
	Step 4	Open Documents and tick off what you already have. Send us the planner and we take it from there.
	Colour key
	Yellow cells	You type here. Sample entries are already in: type over them or delete them.
	White and grey cells	These calculate on their own. Leave them alone.
	What is in this workbook
	Plan	22 steps across five stages, with owner, date and status.
	Structure	Sole proprietorship, Ontario corporation or federal corporation.
	Budget	Government fees, professional fees and first-year running costs.
	Documents	What to gather before you start.
	Read this first
	Registering a Canadian business does not create residency, citizenship, immigration status, credit, loan or bank account approval. Immigration matters go through a licensed immigration professional.
	Government fees shown are the 2026 figures published in our guides at accountingdoc.ca/resources. Fees change: confirm the current fee before you pay.
	Built by The Accounting Doc, Pickering, Ontario. accountingdoc.ca. A working tool, not tax, legal or financial advice. Want the numbers kept for you? Ask for a fixed price quote at accountingdoc.ca.

Launch plan

Set a date and a status for each step.

	Steps done	(calculates)
#	Stage	Step	Who does it	Target date	Status	Notes
1	Choose your structure	Decide what the Canadian business will sell, and to whom	You		Not started
2	Choose your structure	Choose sole proprietorship, Ontario corporation or federal corporation	You, with The Accounting Doc		Not started
3	Choose your structure	Decide who the directors and shareholders will be	You		Not started
4	Choose your structure	Shareholder agreement, if there is more than one owner	Your lawyer		Not started
5	Register the company	Choose a name, or use a numbered company	You		Not started
6	Register the company	NUANS name search, if the company is named	The Accounting Doc		Not started
7	Register the company	File Articles of Incorporation or the business name registration	The Accounting Doc		Not started
8	Register the company	Set up the minute book and initial resolutions	The Accounting Doc		Not started
9	Set up CRA accounts	Business Number	The Accounting Doc		Not started
10	Set up CRA accounts	GST/HST account	The Accounting Doc		Not started
11	Set up CRA accounts	Payroll account, if you will have employees in Canada	The Accounting Doc		Not started
12	Set up CRA accounts	Import/export account, if you will move goods across the border	The Accounting Doc		Not started
13	Banking and payments	Gather the documents the bank asks for	You		Not started
14	Banking and payments	Open the business bank account	You, with Your bank		Not started
15	Banking and payments	Set up a payment processor, if you sell online	You		Not started
16	Build the accounting system	Cloud accounting software and chart of accounts	The Accounting Doc		Not started
17	Build the accounting system	Receipts and invoicing workflow	The Accounting Doc		Not started
18	Build the accounting system	First monthly close	The Accounting Doc		Not started
19	Stay compliant	Compliance calendar: filings, instalments and annual return	The Accounting Doc		Not started
20	Stay compliant	Business insurance	You		Not started
21	Stay compliant	Trademark: name check, classes and budget	The Accounting Doc		Not started
22	Stay compliant	Year-end plan and first corporate tax return	The Accounting Doc		Not started

Three ways to register

A summary to start the conversation. The right choice depends on your revenue, risk and where you will sell.

	Sole proprietorship	Ontario corporation	Federal corporation
What it is	You and the business are the same legal person	A separate legal entity registered in Ontario	A separate legal entity registered federally
Government fee (2026)	CAD 60 to register a business name, valid five years	CAD 300 to incorporate	CAD 200 to incorporate online
Director residency	Not applicable	No Canadian residency requirement for directors	At least 25% of directors must be Canadian residents
Where the name is protected	Ontario, as a registered business name	Ontario	Across Canada
Extra registration	None	None to operate in Ontario	Provincial registration is also needed where you operate
Liability	Personal	Separated from the owners	Separated from the owners
Usually suits	Testing an idea or a side business	Most owners operating in Ontario	Brands that will operate across provinces
I am leaning toward
Source: accountingdoc.ca/resources (how to register a business in Ontario; Ontario vs federal incorporation). A business name or a corporation does not protect your brand: that is a trademark.

Launch budget, first year

Amounts in Canadian dollars. Government fees are filled in. Add the rest.

Item	How often	Amount	Months	First-year cost	Note
Ontario business name registration	One time	60		(calculates)	Government fee, 2026. Only for a sole proprietorship or a trade name.
Ontario incorporation	One time	300		(calculates)	Government fee, 2026. Delete if incorporating federally.
Federal incorporation	One time	0		(calculates)	Government fee is CAD 200 online, 2026. Enter it if you choose federal.
NUANS name search	One time			(calculates)	Needed for a named corporation. Ask us for the current fee.
Registration and setup, professional fee	One time			(calculates)	Canada setup packages start from CAD 1,495. Your fixed price is confirmed in writing.
Legal fees	One time			(calculates)	Shareholder agreement and legal opinions come from your lawyer.
Trademark filing	One time			(calculates)	CIPO fee is about CAD 491 for the first class, CAD 149 each extra class, 2026.
Monthly accounting	Monthly		12	(calculates)	Monthly plans start from CAD 299.
Accounting software	Monthly		12	(calculates)
Registered office or address service	Monthly		12	(calculates)
Business insurance	Monthly		12	(calculates)
Bank fees	Monthly		12	(calculates)
Other	One time			(calculates)
Other	Monthly		12	(calculates)
First-year total				(calculates)
One-time costs				(calculates)
Running costs for the year				(calculates)

Documents to gather

Mark what you already have.

Document	Have it?	Note
Passport or government photo ID for each director and shareholder	No
Proof of home address for each director and shareholder	No
Proposed company name, with two alternatives	No
Description of what the business will do in Canada	No
Share structure: who owns what percentage	No
Registered office address in the province of registration	No
Home-country company documents, if a foreign company will be the shareholder	No
Expected first-year revenue and where customers are located	No
Whether you will have employees in Canada in the first year	No
Whether you will import or export goods	No
Your existing brand names and logos, for the trademark review	No
Contact details for your lawyer and your bank, if you have them	No
Ready	(calculates)

Canada business launch planner: your questions

Is the Canada business launch planner really free?

Yes. Leave your email and the full template opens on the page straight away, and stays open on this device. No card, no trial.

What do I need to open it?

Nothing. It opens on this page as sheets you can read; the shaded cells are the inputs and the rest calculates. Copy the structure into your own spreadsheet, or ask us to keep it filled in for you.

Will you email me afterwards?

You get the template, then a short series of practical emails for Canadian business owners. Unsubscribe in one click.

Can you set it up for my business?

Yes. That is what the monthly plans are for: we keep the numbers current so the template is filled in for you. Ask for a fixed price quote.

Does opening a Canadian company give me immigration status?

No. Registering a Canadian business does not create residency, citizenship or immigration status. Immigration matters go through a licensed immigration professional.