Manage · Corporate Filings
You file Articles of Amendment. This is the filing that changes the fundamentals set in your original articles: the corporation's name, share structure, minimum/maximum number of directors, or restrictions on its business. It requires a shareholder or director resolution, then a filing with the registry. CorpStart prepares and files an amendment for a $199 service fee.
You file Articles of Amendment. This is the filing that changes the fundamentals set in your original articles: the corporation's name, share structure, minimum/maximum number of directors, or restrictions on its business. It requires a shareholder or director resolution, then a filing with the registry. CorpStart prepares and files an amendment for a $199 service fee.
Your articles of incorporation are your corporation's constitution: the foundational document filed when it was created. Articles of Amendment are how you change that constitution after the fact. The most common changes owners make are: changing the corporation's name (from a numbered company to a real name, or from one name to another after a rebrand), changing the share structure (adding a new class of shares, changing the rights attached to a class, or adjusting the authorized number), changing the minimum or maximum number of directors, and changing any restrictions the articles place on the business the corporation can carry on.
It helps to know what an amendment is not for, so you don't overpay or over-engineer. Changing your directors themselves is a Notice of Change, not an amendment. Changing your registered office is a Notice of Change. Filing your annual confirmation is an annual return. Amendments are reserved for the structural things baked into the articles, which is why they carry more weight (and usually a shareholder vote) than the lighter notice filings.
If you're not sure whether what you want to change lives in your articles or elsewhere, that's a normal question, and we'll tell you which filing actually applies before you pay for the wrong one.
The single most common amendment is a name change, and there are two flavours. Going from a numbered corporation (say, 1234567 Ontario Inc.) to a named one (Northwind Advisory Inc.) is extremely common: plenty of owners incorporate as a number to get moving fast, then add a real name once they've settled on branding. Going from one name to another happens after a rebrand, a merger of activities, or simply a change of direction.
A name change amendment requires a NUANS name search to confirm your desired name is available and not confusingly similar to an existing corporation or trademark, the same search you'd run for a brand-new named incorporation. Ontario names get a NUANS report; federal names go through Corporations Canada's name examination. If the name's taken or too close to something else, you'll need an alternative, so it's smart to have a backup in mind.
Once the amendment is filed, your legal name changes on the public record, and you'll update your bank, contracts, invoices, and licences to match. The corporation is the same legal entity, just under a new name.
Share-structure amendments are where an amendment stops being purely administrative. Adding a new class of shares, changing the rights or conditions on a class, or restructuring who owns what can have real tax and legal consequences: for how profits are distributed, for eventual sale or estate planning, and for the lifetime capital gains exemption on a future sale.
A common example: bringing in a business partner or an investor, or setting up shares so a spouse or a family trust can hold a different class. These moves can be entirely sensible, but the design of the shares (the exact rights, conditions, and classes) is something you'll usually want an accountant or corporate lawyer to shape, because getting it wrong is expensive to unwind and can trigger tax you didn't intend.
CorpStart's role here is honest and specific: we prepare and file the Articles of Amendment that put an agreed share structure into effect. We don't design the tax plan behind it. If your amendment is a straightforward one you and your advisor have already settled on, we're the efficient way to file it. If you're still working out what the shares should look like, that conversation belongs with your accountant or lawyer first.
An amendment isn't just a form; it reflects a decision the corporation formally made. Depending on what's changing, an amendment to the articles generally requires a special resolution of the shareholders (often a two-thirds majority), and the decision needs to be recorded in your minute book. Skipping the internal paperwork is the classic way a valid-on-the-registry amendment ends up looking sloppy when someone later reviews the corporate records.
So a clean amendment has two matching halves: the resolution authorizing the change (in your minute book) and the Articles of Amendment filed with the registry, both consistent and dated. When we handle an amendment, we prepare both (the filing and the supporting resolution) so your record holds up.
This is also why we ask a few questions up front: we need to know who's authorizing the change and confirm the change is one your shareholders can and did approve.
Tell us what you're changing (a name, your share structure, your director range, or a restriction) and confirm who's authorizing it. We prepare the Articles of Amendment, run the NUANS search if you're changing the name, and prepare the supporting shareholder or director resolution for your minute book.
We file the amendment with the Ontario Business Registry or Corporations Canada, and send you the filed confirmation and updated documents. The service fee is $199; government fees vary by amendment type and jurisdiction, and we'll tell you the exact number for your specific change before you pay.
Three steps from decision to filed Articles of Amendment.
Tell us what's changing
Name change, share structure, director range, or a restriction: confirm the change and who's authorizing it.
We prepare and file
CorpStart drafts the Articles of Amendment plus the supporting resolution, runs a NUANS search for name changes, and files with the registry.
Get your updated documents
You receive the filed amendment and matching minute-book resolution, so your public and internal records stay consistent.
Which filing do you actually need?
| What you want to change | Filing required |
|---|---|
| Corporation's name | Articles of Amendment (+ NUANS) |
| Share classes or rights | Articles of Amendment |
| Min/max number of directors | Articles of Amendment |
| Business restrictions in articles | Articles of Amendment |
| Who the directors are | Notice of Change (not an amendment) |
| Registered office address | Notice of Change (not an amendment) |
What's the difference between an amendment and a Notice of Change?
Articles of Amendment change the fundamentals set in your articles (the corporation's name, share structure, director range, or business restrictions) and usually need a shareholder resolution. A Notice of Change updates lighter details like who your directors are or your registered office address. Changing a director is not an amendment; changing your name or shares is. We'll confirm which one applies to your change.
How much does an amendment cost?
CorpStart's service fee is $199 per amendment. Government fees vary by the type of amendment and whether your corporation is provincial or federal, and a name change also involves a NUANS search. We tell you the exact all-in figure for your specific change before you pay, so there are no surprises.
I want to change my numbered company to a real name: is that an amendment?
Yes. Going from a numbered corporation to a named one is a name-change amendment. It requires a NUANS name search to confirm the name is available and not confusingly similar to an existing corporation or trademark. Once filed, your legal name changes on the record (same corporation, new name), and you update your bank and contracts to match.
Should I get advice before changing my share structure?
Usually, yes. Share-structure changes can have real tax and legal consequences for how profits are distributed, for a future sale, and for the capital gains exemption. The design of the shares is best shaped by your accountant or corporate lawyer. CorpStart files the amendment that puts an agreed structure into effect; we don't design the tax plan behind it.
Do my shareholders have to approve an amendment?
Typically, yes. An amendment to the articles generally requires a special resolution of the shareholders (often a two-thirds majority), and it must be recorded in your minute book. CorpStart prepares both the Articles of Amendment for filing and the supporting resolution for your records, so the internal and public sides match.
Change it properly
$199 service fee, government fee varies by change. We draft the amendment and the supporting resolution and file it with the registry, so the change holds up on the record.
Start my corporationCorpStart is a document preparation service, not a law firm. The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal or tax advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed lawyer or accountant.