Nova Scotia Incorporation Service: Companies Act Filing, $699 All-In
Ready to incorporate in Nova Scotia? Start your NS incorporation — $699 all-in → · Memorandum + Articles filed with the RJSC, minute book delivered as signable PDFs. Not sure NS vs. federal? Book a free 15-min consultation → — no obligation.
Nova Scotia is one of the more distinctive Canadian jurisdictions to incorporate in. Unlike Ontario, Alberta, or BC — all of which use modern Business Corporations Acts — Nova Scotia companies are formed under the older Companies Act, which uses a Memorandum + Articles of Association structure inherited from English company law. That creates some unique advantages, a few unique compliance requirements, and one specialised vehicle (the NSULC) that no other Canadian jurisdiction offers.
Includes government fees, NUANS (if named), articles, and organizing resolutions. Filed within 1 business day.
Why incorporate in Nova Scotia?
No Canadian resident director requirement. Nova Scotia does not require any of your directors to be Canadian residents — just 18 or older. Alongside BC, Alberta, and Quebec, this makes NS one of the four Canadian provinces genuinely open to international founders. Federal (CBCA) requires 25% Canadian residents; a US-founded startup incorporating federally would have to appoint at least one Canadian director to the board.
The NSULC option for cross-border structures. Nova Scotia is unique in Canada for offering the Unlimited Liability Company (NSULC), a vehicle US tax planners use for "check-the-box" pass-through treatment under US law. If your business involves US shareholders or a US parent, an NSULC can materially improve after-tax outcomes. This is a specialist decision — book the consultation if you're not sure whether it applies to you.
Straightforward annual compliance. Nova Scotia's annual return government fee is $25 — one of the cheapest in Canada. Deadline is within 30 days of your anniversary date each year (one of the tightest windows, but CRS monitors it for you).
Atlantic Canada operations stay simple. If you're operating primarily in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, or Newfoundland, provincial NS incorporation avoids the extra-provincial registration you'd need on top of a federal corporation.
Nova Scotia incorporation requirements
Because Nova Scotia uses the Companies Act rather than a modern BCA, the founding documents and required officers look a little different from other provinces:
- Memorandum of Association — the founding document specifying the corporation's name, share structure, and objects. Signed by the incorporator(s). Unique to NS's Companies Act framework.
- Articles of Association — the internal governance rules (share transfers, meetings, director powers, officer roles). Serves the role that by-laws serve in a BCA jurisdiction.
- At least one director — must be 18+. No Canadian residency requirement.
- Corporate secretary appointment — mandatory under the Companies Act. The secretary can be a director or a separate person, but the role must be filled.
- Registered office in Nova Scotia — a physical address (not a PO box) where records can be inspected.
- Name reservation — a name search through the Registry of Joint Stock Companies plus a NUANS report if the name has federal reach or cross-provincial similarity risk.
What's included in the $699 all-in fee
- Preliminary name availability check against the NS Registry of Joint Stock Companies
- NUANS or provincial name search filed
- Memorandum of Association drafted for your corporation
- Articles of Association drafted, customised to your ownership structure
- Notice of Directors + Notice of Registered Office prepared and filed
- Direct filing with the Registry of Joint Stock Companies (RJSC)
- Corporate secretary appointment reflected in your organizational resolutions
- Personalised by-laws (standard set — meetings, share transfers, borrowing powers)
- Organizational resolutions (first directors' and shareholders' resolutions)
- Complete minute book: Register of Directors, Register of Officers, Securities Register, Ledger of Shareholders
- Share certificates for founding shareholders
- BN (Business Number) application filed with the CRA
- Lifetime good-standing support — CRS tracks your annual return deadline every year and notifies you before it's due
All government fees, NUANS charges, and RJSC filing fees are included in the $699. No surprise charges at checkout.
The Nova Scotia incorporation timeline
Standard CRS turnaround for a Nova Scotia incorporation:
- Day 1 (order received): We confirm your intended names, director list, registered office, and share structure. Preliminary name check against the RJSC database.
- Day 2–3: NUANS or RJSC name search filed. Memorandum + Articles of Association drafted. If any name fails the search, we move to your second or third choice without restarting the clock.
- Day 3–5: Names cleared. Incorporation documents submitted to the Registry of Joint Stock Companies.
- Day 5–10: Certificate of Incorporation issued by the RJSC. Minute book, share certificates, and organizational resolutions delivered as signable PDFs. BN application submitted to the CRA.
Total: typically 5–10 business days end-to-end. NS processing times can vary with RJSC volume — we track the file daily and email you as each milestone lands.
What happens after you incorporate
Every Nova Scotia corporation has ongoing statutory obligations. In your first year:
- Annual return — due within 30 days of your anniversary date, filed with the RJSC. NS has one of the tightest anniversary windows in Canada. CRS files this for you at $239 all-in. See our Nova Scotia annual return guide for the details.
- Directors' resolutions — decisions about share issuances, dividends, officer appointments, and the annual approval of financial statements must be documented in the minute book. See our director resolutions guide — CRS prepares these at $79 per resolution set.
- CRA T2 corporate income tax return — annually, due 6 months after your fiscal year-end (this is separate from the RJSC annual return, handled by your accountant).
CRS can bundle all three ongoing filings if you'd prefer to keep everything under one roof.
Nova Scotia or federal? Not sure yet — book a free consultation
Not sure whether Nova Scotia is the right jurisdiction for your business? A CRS incorporation specialist will walk through where you operate, who your founders are, whether you'd benefit from national name protection under the CBCA, and whether the NSULC vehicle fits your situation. Free 15-minute call, no obligation.
Book a free incorporation consultation →
Or read the comparison in Federal vs. Provincial Incorporation in Canada for a self-serve overview.
Ready to incorporate in Nova Scotia?
Start your Nova Scotia incorporation — $699 all-in → · Memorandum + Articles filed with the RJSC, minute book delivered in 5–10 business days.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Canadian resident directors to incorporate in Nova Scotia?
No. Nova Scotia does not impose a Canadian residency requirement on directors — the only requirement is that each director be at least 18 years old. Combined with British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec, this makes NS one of the four Canadian jurisdictions open to founders and boards with no Canadian residents. By contrast, federal (CBCA) incorporation requires that at least 25% of directors be Canadian residents.
What's the difference between Nova Scotia's Companies Act and a Business Corporations Act?
Most Canadian provinces incorporate under a modern Business Corporations Act (OBCA in Ontario, ABCA in Alberta, BCA in BC). Nova Scotia uses the older Companies Act, which is inherited from English company law and structures the founding documents differently — a Memorandum of Association (setting the corporation's name, objects, and share capital) plus Articles of Association (the internal governance rules, equivalent to by-laws elsewhere). The corporation still has limited liability and behaves the same commercially; the paperwork just looks different. A corporate secretary is also required under the Companies Act.
What is a Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Company (NSULC)?
A Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Company is a specialised NS vehicle in which shareholders remain liable for the corporation's debts on wind-up — but in exchange, the entity gets 'check-the-box' pass-through treatment under US tax law. This makes NSULCs valuable in cross-border transactions involving US shareholders or subsidiaries. The vehicle is a specialist tool: not the right choice for a standard Canadian domestic business, but often the right choice for cross-border structures. Ask on your consultation call whether this fits.
Should I incorporate in Nova Scotia or federally?
Provincial NS is usually simpler and cheaper if your operations are in Atlantic Canada. Federal (CBCA) makes sense if you want cross-Canada name protection or plan to raise national capital — but federal requires 25% Canadian resident directors, whereas NS has no residency rule. On the consultation call, the specialist walks through where you operate, your expansion plans, and your founder makeup to recommend the right jurisdiction.
How long does Nova Scotia incorporation take?
CRS-filed NS incorporations typically complete end-to-end in 5–10 business days: names cleared through the RJSC database and NUANS on day 1–2, Memorandum + Articles drafted and submitted to the Registry of Joint Stock Companies by day 2–3, and the Certificate of Incorporation issued and full minute book delivered within 5–10 business days depending on RJSC processing volume.
We'll pull your registry record, confirm what's changed, and file. No lawyer needed.