If you are changing the office address of your corporation and you have come to us for assistance, the first thing we would ask you would be, “Is the address that you’re moving to still within the governing jurisdiction of your corporation”? What we mean by this is, if you have an Ontario corporation and you are changing its address, is the new address still within Ontario? This is very important because if it is not, it will be a more complex situation, which this article will not cover (stay tuned for another one!). However, the process is typically straightforward and simple as long as it is within the same governing jurisdiction!
If you have a Federal corporation that is changing its address, the new address still needs to be within the province that the corporation is registered to carry on business in. For example, if you have a Federal corporation registered to conduct business in Alberta, the address you are moving to must remain within Alberta. If the address that the corporation is moving to is outside of Alberta, this is possible. However, it is a more complex situation requiring extra administrative work (and a separate article from us). This article is just regarding recording an address change that is still within the corporation’s governing jurisdiction.
In a hurry? Tobuso can take care of your corporate address change from start to finish.
Let’s walk through the steps you’ll need to take to change the address of your corporation:
1. Get approval from all of the directors of the corporation
The first step you will want to take is to hold a meeting with the board of directors, or alternatively, pass a written resolution in lieu of a meeting, approving of this address change. This may seem redundant if you are the sole director of your corporation; however, to everyone on the outside who may need to review your corporate records in the future, it is not. It is essential that you record these changes regardless of your corporate structure.
If you decide to pass a written resolution in lieu of a meeting, we can help you take care of it!
2. Update the corporate information
Once all have approved the address change of the directors of the corporation, you will then want to update the corporate information with the governing body under which the corporation is incorporated. Most jurisdictions require you to notify them of these changes within 15 days of them coming into effect (but this can vary), so this is an important next step. In most cases there is no government fee to file this notice when the new address stays within the same jurisdiction.
If it is a federal corporation, at least two notices will need to be made; one with Corporations Canada and one with the governing body in which the head office is located. Multiple notices may be required, depending on your corporate situation and how many provinces the corporation is registered to conduct business in.
We can help with this step, as well!
3. Update your address
The next step you need to take is updating your address with all of the key people/businesses involved in your corporation. Some important notifications to consider (but are not limited to) are:
- The bank that your corporation uses (they may want to see the directors’ resolution approving of this address change.)
- Your accountant
- The CRA
- Key customers and/or suppliers
- Google and other online search engines
- And more…
We hope this article gave you more insight into what is involved in updating the address of your corporation! Follow the links on this page to get our help updating your corporation’s address.
We can help in other ways, too—with our platform; you will have a place to store your records and solutions to meet all your needs; it gives you one less thing to worry about.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What’s the difference between a registered office and a mailing address?
Your registered office is the official address on the corporate record, where legal and government notices are delivered. Your mailing address is simply where your day-to-day mail goes. They can be the same or different.
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How long does it take to change a corporate address in Canada?
Once we have your information, Tobuso files the change within two business days. Most registries process a corporate address change quickly, though some provincial registries take longer, and notifying your bank, insurers, and the CRA is usually what stretches out the overall timeline.
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Do I need a lawyer to change my corporate address?
In most cases, no. Changing a corporate address is usually an administrative filing rather than a legal matter. Tobuso’s platform and document templates were designed by a corporate lawyer and we have trained people handle the filing for you. For advice on your specific situation, it’s still best to consult a licensed professional.
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Will the CRA know about my corporate address change?
Yes. Tobuso updates your CRA business address as part of its address change service. For the most part, the CRA and the corporate registry keep separate records and don’t update each other automatically, so we take care of both. Keep in mind the CRA itself can take a few weeks to show the new address.
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What if my corporation is registered in more than one province?
You’ll need to file the change in each province where your corporation is registered. Tobuso handles these multi-jurisdiction filings and we’ll confirm the cost for each additional province before you proceed.
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What if my corporate address changed a while ago and I never updated it?
That’s common, and usually straightforward to fix. We file the update for you; the main thing to watch is whether the outdated address caused you to miss other filings, which may need to be caught up separately to get your corporation back in good standing.
