Overview
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Region | United States & Canada |
| ISO 3166-1 | CA / CAN |
| Registry | Corporations Canada (federal CBCA) or provincial registry |
| Last updated | 2026-05-06 |
Identifiers
Collect two identifiers from each business customer in Canada and submit them as strings on the application body.| API field | Local name | Issuer |
|---|---|---|
businessInfo.taxId | Business Number (BN) | Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) |
businessInfo.businessEntityId | Corporation Number | Corporations Canada (federal CBCA) or provincial registry |
Sector regulators
OSFI · FCAC · FINTRAC · CIRO · CSA + provincial securities commissions · Bank of Canada · Provincial credit-union regulators (FSRA, BCFSA, AMF QC, ARCU AB)
Legal structures
| Local name | Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Corporation (Canada Business Corporations Act) | CBCA Corp. | Incorporated with Corporations Canada under the CBCA; nationwide name protection; must register extra-provincially in each province of operation. Equivalent to a US C-Corp. |
| Provincial Corporation | — | Business corporation incorporated under a provincial statute (OBCA — Ontario, BCBCA — BC, ABCA — Alberta, QBCA — Quebec, or equivalent in other provinces); separate legal personality with share capital. Equivalent to a US C-Corp. |
| Unlimited Liability Corporation | ULC | Share-capital corporation available in BC, Alberta, and Nova Scotia in which shareholders bear unlimited personal liability; used almost exclusively by US parents for check-the-box flow-through tax treatment. Closest US equivalent: C-Corp with pass-through tax election. |
| Not-for-Profit Corporation | NFP Corp. | Federal (CNCA) or provincial non-share-capital corporation incorporated for purposes other than financial gain; members rather than shareholders. Equivalent to a US Nonprofit Corporation (501(c)(3)-type). |
| Benefit Company | — | For-profit share-capital company (available in BC under the BCBCA) legally required to pursue one or more public benefits in addition to profit; directors have dual accountability to shareholders and stated public benefit. Closest US equivalent: Public Benefit Corporation. |
| Limited Partnership | LP | One or more general partners with unlimited liability and management authority plus one or more limited partners whose liability is capped at their contribution; registered provincially. Common for private equity, real estate, and fund structures. Equivalent to a US Limited Partnership. |
| Limited Liability Partnership | LLP | Partnership in which each partner’s liability for other partners’ negligence or misconduct is limited; available without restriction in Ontario and BC, and restricted to regulated professions in Alberta and most other provinces. Equivalent to a US Limited Liability Partnership. |
| General Partnership | GP | Two or more persons carrying on business together with all partners bearing unlimited joint and several liability; registration requirements vary by province. Equivalent to a US General Partnership. |
| Sole Proprietorship | — | A single individual carrying on business under their own name or a registered trade/business name (e.g., Ontario Business Name Registration); no separate legal entity, owner bears unlimited personal liability. Equivalent to a US Sole Proprietorship. |
| Cooperative | Co-op | Member-owned and controlled incorporated association under the federal Canada Cooperatives Act or provincial cooperatives legislation; profits or services distributed to members on a patronage basis rather than to shareholders. Equivalent to a US Cooperative. |
| Community Contribution Company | CCC | BC-only hybrid entity under the BCBCA required to direct at least 60% of profits and assets to a stated community purpose; can pay limited dividends to investors. Closest US equivalent: Public Benefit Corporation. |
| Extra-Provincial Registration | EP Reg. | The registration of a federal or out-of-province corporation (or other entity) in a province where it intends to carry on business; not a separate legal form but the registered presence that a fintech will encounter on KYB filings. Equivalent to a US Branch or Rep Office. |
How documents combine
For each evidence area, this table shows whether the listed documents are alternatives (any one of) or a bundle (all required). The artifact-by-artifact lookup follows below.| Evidence area | Documents needed |
|---|---|
| Legal Registration | Any one of: Certificate of Incorporation · Corporate Profile Report |
| Constitutive Documents | Articles of Incorporation |
| Tax Registration | CRA Business Number Confirmation (RC0001 / RT0001) |
| Operating Permit | Any one of: Municipal Business Licence · Extra-Provincial Registration Certificate |
| Governance Records | CBCA Form 2 — Initial Registered Office and First Directors |
| Signing Authority | Any one of: Directors Resolution · Officer Certificate · Power of Attorney |
| Address | Any one of: Lease Agreement · Utility Bill · Bank Statement |
| Good Standing | Any one of: Certificate of Compliance · Certificate of Status · Certificate of Good Standing · Certificat d’attestation · Certificate of Status |
Documents to collect
The physical documents you’ll collect from your customer, with the evidence area each one proves. One document can prove multiple areas — for example, Brazil’s Cartão CNPJ covers both tax and business-registration proof, so it appears once with both areas listed.| Document | Proves |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Incorporation (Corporations Canada — CBCA, or provincial registry) | Legal Registration |
| Corporate Profile Report (provincial registry extract) | Legal Registration |
| Articles of Incorporation (federal Form 1 / provincial equivalents) | Constitutive Documents |
| CRA Business Number Confirmation (RC0001 / RT0001) | Tax Registration |
| Municipal Business Licence | Operating Permit |
| Extra-Provincial Registration Certificate | Operating Permit |
| CBCA Form 2 — Initial Registered Office and First Directors | Governance Records |
| Directors Resolution | Signing Authority |
| Officer Certificate | Signing Authority |
| Power of Attorney | Signing Authority |
| Lease Agreement | Address |
| Utility Bill (≤90 days old) | Address |
| Bank Statement (≤90 days old) | Address |
| Certificate of Compliance (Corporations Canada — federal CBCA) | Good Standing |
| Certificate of Status (Ontario Business Registry) | Good Standing |
| Certificate of Good Standing (BC Registries) | Good Standing |
| Certificat d’attestation / Certificate of Attestation (REQ — Quebec) | Good Standing |
| Certificate of Status (Alberta Corporate Registry) | Good Standing |
| Sector-Specific License | OSFI Registration, FINTRAC Money Services Business Registration, Bank of Canada Retail Payment Activities Act Registration, CIRO (Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization) Dealer Registration, CSA (Canadian Securities Administrators) Provincial Securities Registration, Ontario Securities Commission Registration, BC Securities Commission Registration, Alberta Securities Commission Registration, Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF QC) Registration, AMF QC Money Services Business License (separate from FINTRAC) |
Collection notes
- Operating Permit: Extra-provincial registration required only when the entity operates in a province other than its formation jurisdiction.
- Sector-Specific License: Collect only the license(s) applicable to the entity’s regulated activities and operating jurisdiction. Federal (OSFI, FINTRAC, BoC/RPAA, CIRO) and provincial securities (OSC/BCSC/ASC/AMF QC) are mutually exclusive based on scope. AMF QC MSB license is a distinct Quebec provincial requirement separate from the federal FINTRAC MSB registration — both may apply to a Quebec-based MSB.
- Address: Lease (no time bound) OR utility bill OR bank statement, with utility/bank dated within 90 days. Same evidence satisfies both registered-address and operating-address checks.
- Good Standing: Federal CBCA corporations: Certificate of Compliance from Corporations Canada. Provincial: Certificate of Status (Ontario OBR), Certificate of Good Standing (BC Registries), Certificate of Status (Alberta Corporate Registry via registry agents), Certificat d’attestation (REQ — Quebec; bilingual). Quebec certificate valid 90 days from issue date. Order fresh; document confirms current active and compliant status, not merely that the entity was registered.
Person roles
When you submit a person on the application body, set theirrole to one of Conduit’s canonical BusinessPersonRole values. Use this table to map a local corporate-governance title onto the right canonical role.
| Local role | Canonical API role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Director | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Board member elected by shareholders; governs corporation; under CBCA s.105(3) ≥25% must be resident Canadians (still in force federally). |
| Officer (President, CEO, CFO, Secretary) | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Appointed by the board; day-to-day operational authority; not typically in publicly filed documents. |
| Authorized Signatory | LEGAL_REPRESENTATIVE | Person designated by board resolution or bylaws to execute contracts or bind the corporation; evidenced by board resolution or officer certificate. |
Notes
- CBCA section range for ISC is ss. 21.1–21.4 (with decimal subsections). Do not cite “ss. 21.1–21.9” — section 21.9 does not exist in the Act; the provisions end at 21.4 with decimal expansions (21.21, 21.301–21.303, 21.31–21.32).
- Canada is a Hague Apostille Convention party (accession 2023-05-12; in force 2024-01-11). Documents destined for Apostille-accepting jurisdictions no longer require full legalisation — but verify the receiving country’s status independently.
- CBCA director-residency rule still in force. Under s.105(3), ≥25% of directors must be resident Canadians (or, for boards <4, at least one). Most provinces have removed their equivalent (Ontario eliminated 2021-07-05; QC, BC, AB have no residency requirement) — verify the governing statute for each counterparty.
- ULCs flag a US-parent structure. Available only in BC, Alberta, NS. Used for “check-the-box” flow-through US tax treatment. Article IV(7)(b) of the Canada–US Tax Treaty adds complexity — flag for tax/legal review.
- MSB licensing: federal FINTRAC + Quebec AMF separately. A FINTRAC-registered MSB is not automatically licensed to operate in Quebec; the AMF process is materially more involved. Verify both registrations for any Quebec-facing MSB counterparty.