Corporate Name Change Cost Calculator
The filing itself is cheap and quick. What takes the time is everything downstream. Work out the total cost, what has to be updated afterwards, and how long it actually takes.
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The Filing
| Item | Basis | Cost |
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What Has to Follow the Amendment
| Update | Who Does It | Cost |
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What Does Not Change
| Item | Position |
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Points Worth Knowing
What to Do Next
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Disclaimer: A name change is made by articles of amendment, at a government fee of $150 in Ontario and $200 federally. A NUANS name search is required where the new name is a word name, and is not required where a corporation is taking a numbered name. Articles of amendment filed electronically are generally effective on the date of filing, and the certificate is usually issued the same or the next business day. The corporation number, business number and legal identity are unchanged, so existing contracts remain binding. Federal corporations must also satisfy the name requirements of the Canada Business Corporations Act, and a name may be directed to be changed where it is confusing with an existing name. Extra-provincial registration update fees vary by province and are not included in the figures shown. Our professional fees include HST. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
The Corporation Does Not Change. Only Its Name Does.
This is the point that saves people the most worry and the most money. Articles of amendment change the name of the same legal entity. The corporation number stays, the business number stays, and the company that signed your lease last year is the same company today.
| Item | After the Name Change |
|---|---|
| Corporation number | Unchanged |
| Business number and program accounts | Unchanged, only the name on them is updated |
| Existing contracts and leases | Still binding, no need to re-paper |
| Share structure and shareholders | Unchanged unless you amend those too |
| Tax history, losses and account balances | Unchanged |
| Incorporation date | Unchanged |
You do not need to sign new contracts. A change of name does not affect the rights or obligations of the corporation, so existing agreements continue. Notifying counterparties is courteous and avoids confusion on invoices, but it is not a legal requirement and nobody needs to re-execute anything.
The Filing Is the Cheap Part
| Item | Ontario | Federal |
|---|---|---|
| Government fee for articles of amendment | $150 | $200 |
| NUANS name search, word names only | $25 | $25 |
| Our professional fee | $35 | $35 |
| Total to file | $210 | $260 |
Filed electronically, the amendment is generally effective the day it is filed and the certificate arrives the same or the next business day. Anyone quoting you weeks for this is quoting for something else.
Taking a Numbered Name Is Cheaper
A corporation changing to a numbered name does not need a NUANS search, because the registry assigns the number and there is nothing to search against. That saves the $25 and removes the main point of failure in the process.
It is worth knowing for a company winding down its brand, or one that has sold its business name and needs to stop using it quickly.
Combine It With Any Other Amendment
Adding a share class costs no extra government fee if it goes on the same amendment. If you have been considering non-voting shares for a family trust, a holdco freeze, or simply cleaning up an original share structure that was never right, doing it alongside the name change saves a second $150 or $200 filing.
The Work Is All Downstream
The amendment takes a day. Updating everything the old name appears on takes considerably longer, and it is where the real cost sits.
- CRA program accounts, meaning your corporate, HST, payroll and information return accounts.
- Extra-provincial registrations in every province where you are registered, each with its own fee and form.
- Banks and merchant processors, which need the certificate of amendment and usually a new signing resolution.
- Insurance policies, which should be endorsed rather than left showing a name that no longer exists.
- Licences and permits, including anything industry-specific.
- Contracts and leases, by notice rather than re-execution.
- Domains, trademarks and the minute book, which are the ones most often forgotten.
When a Name Change Is Not Voluntary
A federal corporation can be directed to change a name that is confusing with an existing one, and a corporation using a name it has no right to may face a challenge from the owner of that name.
Where that is the position, the NUANS search matters far more than usual, because choosing another name that also conflicts means paying the fee twice. The search should be reviewed properly rather than glanced at.
Update the Minute Book
The articles of amendment, the certificate and the directors’ or shareholders’ resolution authorising the change all belong in the minute book. This is the most commonly skipped step and the one that causes trouble years later during a sale or a financing, when a buyer’s lawyer asks for the chain of corporate documents and finds a gap.
What This Calculator Does Not Cover
- Extra-provincial government fees, which vary by province
- Trademark applications for the new name, which are separate and considerably more expensive
- Rebranding costs such as signage, vehicles, packaging and print
- Continuance between jurisdictions, which is a different filing entirely
- Amalgamations, where a new name arises through a different process
- Legal advice on name availability where a conflict is already in dispute
The filing is a day. Plan a fortnight for everything else. Our company registration service covers the NUANS, the articles of amendment and the CRA account updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions on changing a corporate name.
Related Calculators and Guides
More tools for corporate setup and changes.
A Day to File. A Fortnight for Everything Else.
Tell us the new name and where you are incorporated. We run the NUANS, prepare and file the articles of amendment, and update your CRA program accounts.