Alberta Corporate Search for QuickBooks Online Verification

When QuickBooks Online asks an Alberta corporation to verify its business for Payments or payroll direct deposit, the document Intuit lists for Alberta is the Corporation/Non-Profit Search from Alberta's Corporate Registry. It's what most people call an Alberta corporate profile report. CRS pulls it from the registry and emails you the PDF within one business hour — $69 + GST, government fee included.

What QuickBooks Online asks an Alberta corporation for

The request comes from Intuit's obligations under FINTRAC, Canada's anti-money-laundering regulator, and applies to anyone using QuickBooks Payments or Payroll direct deposit. For a private corporation, Intuit asks for three things:

• Co-owners — the name and address of everyone who owns 25% or more of the business.
• Directors — the name and address of every director.
• One current government-issued document showing the business name and address, the business name and directors, or all three. Intuit's list includes a company/corporate profile report, articles of incorporation, a certificate of incorporation, or an unexpired business licence.

In Intuit's table of provincial documents, Alberta's entry is the Corporation/Non-Profit Search. New Payments or Payroll customers have 30 days from sign-up to provide it, and Intuit says reviews for new customers typically take 2–3 business days once the documents are in.

What's on an Alberta Corporation/Non-Profit Search

The search is produced by Alberta's Corporate Registration System and carries the Registrar's statement that it's an accurate reproduction of the public record as of the date and time it was run. For a typical Alberta business corporation it shows:

• Corporate Access Number (Alberta's 10-digit corporation number) and Business Number
• Legal entity name, status (Active, Struck, Dissolved…) and corporation type — for example, Numbered Alberta Corporation
• Registration date
• Registered office and records address
• Directors, with their addresses
• Voting shareholders and their percentage of voting shares, as reported on the corporation's annual returns
• The minimum and maximum number of directors
• The last annual return filed and a list of filings (incorporation, address changes, name changes, annual returns)

That combination matters for QuickBooks: Intuit's check is business name, address and directors, and the Alberta search shows all three on one page. Articles of incorporation only show who the directors were when the company was formed.

Check these four things before you upload

Most rejected uploads come down to the document not matching what was typed into QuickBooks. Before you upload, compare the search with your QuickBooks business profile:

1. The legal name, exactly. "1234567 Alberta Ltd." and "1234567 Alberta Inc." are different companies. Use the name as it appears on the search, punctuation included.
2. The address. If QuickBooks has your operating address and the registry has a lawyer's or accountant's registered office, that can be fine — but if your company has moved and never filed the change, file the change first.
3. The directors. The directors you list in QuickBooks should be the directors on the search. If someone joined or left the board and Alberta was never told, the search will show the old board. Fix the record with a notice of change of directors, then order a fresh search.
4. The status. A corporation that's behind on Alberta annual returns can be struck from the register. If the search says anything other than Active, sort that out first — QuickBooks verification and your bank will both care.

Where the search comes from

Alberta doesn't offer a public self-serve portal for these searches. Corporate searches are run through CORES, the system used by Alberta's private registry agents — which is why people searching for "CORES Alberta" often end up here. CRS works with a CORES-certified registry agent, so you don't need an account or a trip to a registry office.

How to get it from CRS

1. Search your corporation in the box at the top of this page — company name, Corporate Access Number or Business Number.
2. Pick your corporation from the results and enter your name, email and phone.
3. Pay $69 + GST by card.
4. We pull the Corporation/Non-Profit Search and email you the PDF within one business hour.

The same report is also available on our Alberta corporate profile report page if you need it for a bank, landlord or lender rather than QuickBooks.

Uploading it in QuickBooks Online

Intuit sends an email with a link to the upload application. You can also reach it from the banner at the top of QuickBooks Online or the notice on the Payroll Overview page. Upload the PDF there, along with the co-owner and director details it asks for. A confirmation window appears when the submission is complete.

Two things that worry people but are normal:

• The upload banner keeps showing. Intuit says the reminder can keep appearing for 2–3 business days after a successful upload. If you've seen the confirmation, you don't need to upload again.
• A follow-up email asks for more. Intuit may ask for additional documents. The resolution centre link in that email shows exactly what's still needed.

If the information QuickBooks pre-filled on the form is wrong — an old address, say — Intuit asks you to contact QuickBooks support to correct it before you submit.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Alberta search a certified document?

It carries the Registrar of Corporations' statement that, as of the time of the search, it's an accurate reproduction of the official public record. That's what QuickBooks, banks and lenders rely on. If you need a certificate confirming the corporation is in good standing, that's a separate document — a certificate of status.

Can my accountant or bookkeeper upload it for me?

Yes. Intuit says accountants can complete and submit the information on a client's behalf. They should make sure the owner and director details are the business owner's, not their own.

Does the search list the owners QuickBooks asks about?

It lists the voting shareholders reported on the annual return and their percentages, which usually covers the 25%+ owners Intuit asks for. QuickBooks still asks you to enter those owners yourself — the search supports what you enter.

My company is federally incorporated but operates in Alberta. Which report do I need?

Use the report from where the company is incorporated. For a federal corporation, Intuit lists the Corporate Profile from Corporations Canada — see our guide to profile reports for QuickBooks in every province.

How recent does the search need to be?

Intuit asks for a current document. A search run this week reflects today's record; one from two years ago may not show your current directors or address.