Dylan YoungIncorporating a business creates a separate legal entity from its owners, and that comes with clear benefits. In Toronto, those include improved access to capital, lower tax rates, and limited liability.
The process, however, isn’t exactly thrilling stuff. You’ll draft, review, and file mountains of paperwork while ticking seemingly endless requirements, which all quickly becomes a distraction from your core operations.
Professional company registration firms exist to help you avoid that. They have the staff to sort compliance needs, reduce admin errors, provide strategic advice (which these business consultants are also great at), and manage post-registration support.
If you’re not sure where to find a reliable provider, this article is a practical starting point. All the names below are trusted by investors and entrepreneurs.
How much does it cost to incorporate a company in Ontario?
The cost of provincially incorporating a company in Ontario is around $300 for both online and mail, with business name registration costing an extra $60.
How We Chose
GTA Professional Accounting
Address: 250 Consumers Rd, North York
Contact Details: +1 416-900-3826
Operating Hours: Mon to Fri – 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
GTA Professional Accounting isn’t a file-and-forget company. Booking them means getting a strategic partner that can handle the nuts and bolts of admin work.
That includes registration. With CPAs on board, incorporation laws and procedures are typically light work for them.
Post-registration is where their value truly shows, though. The firm can manage tasks such as providing tax advice, bookkeeping, and even hiring staff.
And they do it fast, as most clients have it. Questions are often answered in detail within 30 minutes (or at least on the same day), either through emails or video calls.
Not every client is fond of dealing with junior staff members, unsurprisingly. Some business owners claimed the inexperienced consultants weren’t as tip-top as the senior ones.
Pricing is another spot to keep an eye on. GTA Professional Accounting isn’t exactly overly dear, but you can’t expect a steal; cheaper options are in town.
Very Approachable
GTA Accounting has been excellent — especially Austin, who has helped with both personal and business-related questions. He’s always responsive, usually getting back the same day or by the next day at the latest. No matter how many questions I’ve asked, he’s never hesitated to guide me through every detail.
Their service is top-class and they genuinely focus on helping clients save on taxes while finding the best financial strategies for both personal and corporate needs. Austin is knowledgeable, easygoing, and very approachable — he never says no to any question. Strongly recommended!
Harmandeep Singh, Google Review
Answered Every Question Promptly
GTA Accounting came highly recommended by peers in the Canadian CPG space, and we’re so glad to be in their care. Our accountant, Samuel Brown, has answered every question promptly and with plenty of detail, ensuring we fully understand each step.
We look forward to continuing our bookkeeping and accounting work with GTA Accounting.
Glazed Cake Co., Google Review
Insight Law Firm
Address: 160 Eglinton Ave E Suite 300
Contact Details: +1 647-300-8391
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 9 am to 6 pm
- Sun – 11 am to 4 pm
Word has it that Insight Law Firm is swift. Most clients report having their paperwork done in hours, with proactive and multilingual comms (English, French, and Turkish) smoothing the process even more!
Lawyer Demet Altunbulakli is particularly lauded for her patience and efficiency in responding to questions. What’s great is that she comes with 10-plus years of corporate know-how.
The 2023-founded firm itself, however, isn’t our most time-tested entrant. You’ll come across way older picks below.
Size might also be a deal-breaker for some, since we’re talking about a small, four-lawyer company here.
We can’t say the same for their end-to-end services. Insight can oversee the entire process of provincial and federal registrations while also thinking of smart legal moves to keep shareholders covered.
They’re not exclusive to established names either. You’ll find startups and SMES in their 700-plus-client portfolio.
Highly Recommended
If you need a lawyer for estate planning, look no further than Ms. Demet Altunbulakli at Insight Law Professional Corporation. She handled my Will and Power of Attorney documents with genuine care and meticulous attention to details. Demet patiently explained every clause in my Will and POA, answered all my questions until I was completely comfortable with the process. I felt completely confident and her expertise gave me total peace of mind knowing my loved ones are protected. Demet has provided outstanding legal service from start to finish. Special thanks to her assistant Jessica as well. Truly exceptional service! Highly recommended!
Necmi Baturay, Google Review
Personable
Found Insight Law online to notarize some standard forms for probate purposes. I was able to book an appointment day of and notarized the documents on the same day. Demet is great. Very high attention to detail and concise information. Gary was personable and easy to work with too.
Nick Sucharski, Google Review
Pawlina Law
Address: 2 St Clair Ave W #1800
Contact Details: +1 416-434-6566
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 8 am to 9 pm
- Sat – 9 am to 3 pm
If you’re running a small or medium-sized business, Pawlina Law is worth a bell. They’ve been helping SMEs federally and provincially incorporate since 2016.
Karol Pawlina, their go-to guy, is reportedly quite efficient, usually responding promptly and wrapping up in just days. The bonus is that he’s often described as a personable attorney who’s not stressful to chat with.
Better yet, he’s sound on the pricing end. The fees for his packages are transparent and fair for Toronto.
And you’re paying for end-to-end services that cover areas such as shareholder agreements, continuances, annual filings, and minute book management. Unlimited calls and emails even come with the bundles.
That said, one of his biggest assets has a catch: large outfits are rarely on his radar.
Karol also lacks a sizeable legal crew to back him up. That might put off business owners who are after larger teams with 10 or more lawyers.
Responsive to Questions
Pawlina Law provided efficient service to establish my professional corporation. Karol is very knowledgeable and communicates effectively. He is responsive to questions and takes the time to understand the client’s needs and follows up throughout the process. He helped navigate the nuances of incorporating and provided informative advice, which made the process feel effortless.
Helen Thu Vu, Google Review
Used Our Time Efficiently
Karol is incredibly knowledgeable, thoughtful and kind and carries these traits into his practice. He ensured that the process of incorporating our business was smooth and easy to navigate. He used our time efficiently and was upfront about costs. Highly recommend!
Alison Chisholm, Google Review
Hadri Law
Address: First Canadian Place, 100 King St W, Suite #5700
Contact Details: +1 437-974-2374
Operating Hours: Mon to Fri – 9 am to 5 pm
One thing clients keep saying about Hadri Law is that they stick to timelines. Replies come back within 24 hours (especially if you talk to Nassira), and documents are often sorted on time.
Those who plan to expand internationally might also find their multilingual support a real boon; legal associates here speak English, Catalan, Spanish, and French (hiring a translator is a great idea, too!).
Hadri’s approach to incorporation is well-rounded as well. Business structure advice, paperwork drafting, IP protection, and employee contract management all fall within their scope.
Longevity-wise, they sadly lag behind the rest, save for our second pick, which also started in 2023.
Another weak point is size. Some company registration firms in Toronto have more than five lawyers.
The upside is the fee. Most interviewees described Hadri’s pricing as “great,” and meetings even cost zero for the first 15 minutes.
Helped Us Negotiate Better
I approached Nassira of Hadri Law via Linkedln in March 2023 on our quest for a corporate legal representative. Hadri Law has never seized to impress us with their on-time approach to documents drafting and review. Most importantly they have brought with them seasoned skills in local and international corporate law that has helped us negotiate better terms with overseas vendors. We strongly recommend Hadri Law for start up businesses and already existing corporations.
Chigozie Agbasi, Google Review
Very Professional
I used Hadri Law to resolve some corporate law issues I had and definitely recommend their services. Very professional, great communication, and excellent results.
Adam Chioua, Google Review
Mills & Mills LLP
Address: 2 St Clair Ave W, Suite 700
Contact Details: +1 416-863-0125
Operating Hours: Mon to Fri – 9 am to 5 pm
Nobody here matches the staying power of Mills & Mills LLP. Opening way back in 1884, they have over 140 years of history!
We wouldn’t say the firm is stuck in the olden days, though; modern solutions are on deck. LegalShield, a subscription-based service for clients short on funds, is one prime example.
It can be quite handy for smaller businesses. For a cheaper amount, you benefit from quality legal assistance, including document reviews.
Larger players, meanwhile, should take advantage of Mills & Mills’ full-service support. Going down that route secures you a massive team of experts in incorporation, taxation, contracts, IP, labour law, and more.
It’s just a pity that updates aren’t as sharp as they could be. Email replies and callbacks, for one, tend to be sluggish.
Some have also raised concerns about being assigned less experienced or dismissive lawyers.
Incredibly Friendly
I had the pleasure of speaking with Sabina Mexis from Mills and Mills LLP regarding a concern I had about my company’s tax situation, and I can’t say enough about how helpful the experience was. She was incredibly friendly, professional, and genuinely caring throughout our conversation. Her ability to explain complex legal matters clearly and calmly made all the difference, and she helped me navigate a situation that had been causing me a great deal of stress.
It’s rare to come across someone in the legal field who combines such deep knowledge with such a warm, reassuring approach. I truly appreciate her time and support, and I highly recommend her to anyone seeking trustworthy and compassionate legal guidance in corporate matters.
Cana Build, Google Review
Always Professional
Mills & Mills have handled the corporate legal work for my company starting with our shareholder’s agreement 12 years ago, and continuing to this day. They are always professional and helpful, and have saved us more than once from making a potentially serious mistake. I highly recommend their work.
Mike Tucker, Google Review
