Numbered Company vs Named Company in Canada: Pros, Cons and How to Set One Up

A numbered company is a corporation whose legal name is the number the government assigns it, followed by the jurisdiction and a legal ending, such as "1234567 Ontario Inc." or "12345678 Canada Inc." It has the same legal status as a named company. You skip the name search and approval, so it can be faster and cheaper to set up.

Choosing between a numbered and a named company is mostly a branding and timing decision, not a legal one. This guide explains what a numbered company is, how number names look in each jurisdiction, the real pros and cons, and how to switch to a word name later.

What is a numbered company?

When you incorporate without proposing a name, the corporate registry gives the corporation a name made from its corporation number. In Ontario, a "number name" is defined in the Business Corporations Act as the corporation number, followed by the word "Ontario" and a legal ending such as "Inc.", "Ltd." or "Corp." Federally, the CBCA lets the Director assign a "designating number" followed by "Canada" and a legal ending.

A numbered company can own property, sign contracts, hire staff, open a bank account and get a CRA business number, just like a named company. Its shareholders have the same limited liability. The only difference is the name on the certificate.

What do numbered company names look like in each jurisdiction?

The digits in these examples are illustrative. The registry assigns your actual number when it accepts the filing, so you can't choose it.

How does a numbered company work in Ontario?

For a numbered company, Ontario rules are simple. You file articles of incorporation through the Ontario Business Registry and leave the name out. The Director then assigns the number name. The government fee is the same $300 as for a named corporation, and online filings are approved immediately.

What you save is the name step. A named Ontario corporation needs an Ontario-biased or weighted NUANS report, dated within 90 days, from a private name search provider. A numbered company doesn't need one. Federally, a numbered company also skips the name examination built into the online incorporation process.

Numbered vs named company: what are the pros and cons?

Why choose a numbered company?

• You need the corporation quickly, for example to sign a lease, contract or purchase before you've settled on a brand.
• It's a holding company that doesn't deal with customers. Many holding companies stay numbered for life. See our holding company guide.
• It holds one asset, such as a rental property or an investment account.
• You plan to trade under several brands, each registered as a business name.

Why choose a named company?

• Customers see your legal name on contracts, invoices and bank payments.
• You want the corporate registry to block later corporations with a confusingly similar name in that jurisdiction.
• You want one name everywhere, with no separate business name registration to renew.

Neither choice gives trademark protection. A corporate name and a registered trademark are different things, and a lawyer should advise if your brand matters.

Can a numbered company use a business name?

Yes. A numbered company can trade under an operating name, but in Ontario it must register that name first. The Business Names Act says a corporation may not carry on business or identify itself to the public under a name other than its corporate name unless it has registered that name. Registration costs $60 and lasts five years.

Once registered, the corporation must show both names, for example "1234567 Ontario Inc. operating as Maple Ridge Bakery", on all contracts, invoices, negotiable instruments and orders. Other provinces have similar rules. Our Ontario business name registration guide walks through the filing.

A registered business name is not exclusive. Unlike a corporate name, it doesn't stop someone else registering the same or a similar name.

Does a numbered company keep your identity private?

Only partly. A number name hides your brand, not the people behind the corporation. This is the most common myth about numbered companies.

• Directors are public. Ontario corporations report their directors' names and addresses for service on their initial return and notices of change, and the public can search those filings. Federal corporations' directors are also public.
• Federal significant-control information is partly public. Since January 22, 2024, Corporations Canada publishes some information about individuals with significant control of CBCA corporations.
• Ontario shareholders are not on the public filings, whether the company is named or numbered. Ontario corporations keep their register of individuals with significant control privately at the registered office.

The number name changes none of this. If privacy matters, for example for a non-resident owner, the choice of jurisdiction and structure matters more than the name. A lawyer should review that structure.

How do you set up a numbered company?

1. Choose the jurisdiction: Ontario, federal or another province.
2. Leave the name blank, or choose the numbered option, when you prepare the articles.
3. Prepare the rest of the articles: registered office, number of directors, first directors, share classes and any restrictions on share transfers.
4. File and pay the government fee. In Ontario that's $300, approved immediately online.
5. Receive the certificate showing the assigned number name and corporation number.
6. Organize the corporation: by-laws, share issuance, officers and the minute book.
7. Register an operating name if you will trade under a brand.

You can start a numbered Ontario incorporation with us. We can also prepare your minute book and by-laws and set up the share structure in the same order. For a federal numbered company, see federal incorporation.

How do you change a numbered company to a named company?

You file articles of amendment to replace the number name with a word name. Both Ontario and the CBCA let the directors make this particular change, from a number name to a word name, without the special resolution of shareholders that most amendments need.

After the change, update the CRA, your bank, any business name registrations, contracts and your minute book. Our guide to changing a corporation's name covers each step, or we can file the Articles of Amendment for you.