How to Register a Sole Proprietorship in Ontario

Registering a sole proprietorship in Ontario is optional when you operate under your own legal name and required only when you trade under a different business name. When registration is needed, you file with the Ontario Business Registry (OBR), run by ServiceOntario, pay a $60 government fee as of the current tax year, and receive a Business Identification Number that remains valid for five years.

A sole proprietorship is the simplest business structure in Canada: you and the business are the same legal person, you report business income on your personal T1 return, and you are personally responsible for debts and liabilities. Registration is a naming formality, not a separate legal entity. Read what a sole proprietorship is in Canada if you are still choosing a structure.

Do you need to register a sole proprietorship in Ontario?

Not always. Ontario does not require a business name registration when you operate under your own legal name, such as Jane Doe or J. Doe Consulting where Doe is your surname. You can invoice clients, open a business bank account and file taxes without registering a name.

Registration becomes necessary when you use a business name that differs from your legal name. Ontario also states that businesses with employees, facilities or offices in Ontario must register through the Ontario Business Registry. Registering a name does not generally give you exclusive rights to it, and it is not a trademark.

How to register a business in Ontario, step by step

1. Search the Ontario Business Registry for free to check whether your intended business name is already in use. Optional paid products include a profile report, a document copy and a certificate of status.
2. Create an Ontario.ca Login and then an Ontario Business Account so you can file and manage your registration online.
3. File Register a Business Name for a Sole Proprietorship online in the OBR and pay the $60 fee, or mail form 5288e with $60 if you prefer paper.
4. Keep the documents Ontario emails you: the Business Identification Number (BIN), your company key and the Certificate of Registration. You need the BIN and company key to renew, change or cancel later.
5. Renew before expiry — every five years, at $60 — or cancel the registration at any time at no cost.

If you are registering a name in more than one province, the mechanics differ. See how to register a business name in Canada.

What it costs and how long it takes

Ontario's fee page, updated April 1, lists these amounts and no separate in-person fee; confirm current figures on ontario.ca before you file. Online filings through the OBR typically produce a Certificate of Registration by email shortly after payment, while a mailed form 5288e takes longer to process. Compare other jurisdictions in business registration cost by province.

Your Ontario registration is not permanent

A common misconception is that an Ontario business name registration lasts forever. Under Ontario's Business Names Act, a registration is effective for five years and must be renewed. Renewal can be completed from six months before the expiry date up to 60 days after it. If that window closes, the registration lapses and you must file a new registration rather than a renewal.

Set a calendar reminder well before the five-year mark. The document issued today is generally a Certificate of Registration; the term Master Business Licence describes the older ServiceOntario product that the Ontario Business Registry replaced.

After you register: CRA accounts and ongoing obligations

• Business Number (BN): request one from the CRA for GST/HST or payroll program accounts. It is separate from the Ontario BIN.
• GST/HST: registration becomes mandatory once your revenues exceed the small supplier threshold — confirm the current threshold on canada.ca.
• Payroll: if you hire employees, you need a payroll account and must withhold and remit CPP, EI and income tax.
• Income tax: report business income on form T2125 with your T1 return; CPP contributions on net self-employed earnings generally apply.
• Records: keep your BIN, company key and Certificate of Registration, and use CRA My Business Account for federal filings.

Clients or platforms that pay you may issue a T4A slip for your records.

Operating outside Ontario

An Ontario registration does not authorize you to operate elsewhere. Each province and territory runs its own registry — for example, see how to register a sole proprietorship in BC — and incorporating federally is a different process entirely. Compare the options in federal vs provincial business registration in Canada.