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  • Canada-Wide Holding Company Services

Register a Holding Company in Canada Online

Protect your assets, reduce tax, and take control of your corporate structure. AMQ Legals incorporates your Canadian HoldCo in as little as 2 business hours — fully online, in all provinces and territories.

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⚡  Ready in 2 Hours

★ 5,000+ Incorporations Filed

🇨🇦  All Provinces & Territories

✅  100% Legal Review

HoldCo Package

⚡ Most Popular

Packages starting from

$ 5

+ applicable government fees

  • Certificate of Incorporation
  • Articles of Incorporation
  • NUANS Name Search Report
  • Corporate Bylaws & Resolutions
  • Share Structure for Asset Protection
  • In-House Legal Counsel Review
  • Post-Incorporation Support
⚡ Express 2-Hour Incorporation Available
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Asset Protection

Shield personal and business assets from operational creditors by holding them inside a separate HoldCo.

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Tax Deferral & Savings

Flow profits from operating companies to a HoldCo as tax-free intercorporate dividends and defer personal tax.
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Succession Planning

Simplify the transfer of wealth and business interests across generations through a structured holding entity.
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Ready in 2 Hours

AMQ Legals delivers your HoldCo Certificate and Articles within 2 business hours. Expert review included.

How It Works

Understanding the HoldCo Structure

Simplified illustration — structure varies by individual situation

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What Is a Holding Company?

A Holding Company (HoldCo) is a corporation that owns shares in one or more operating companies or assets — rather than conducting business directly. It sits above your operating companies in the corporate structure, acting as a central ownership and management entity.
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Asset Firewall Between Companies

By holding assets (cash, real estate, investments, IP) in a HoldCo separate from your operating company, those assets are protected from creditors and legal claims against the OpCo. If one operating company fails, the HoldCo and its assets are insulated.
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Tax-Free Intercorporate Dividends

Under the Canadian Income Tax Act, dividends paid from an operating corporation to a connected holding corporation are generally received tax-free. This allows you to move retained earnings out of the OpCo and into the HoldCo without triggering personal income tax — deferring it until you withdraw from the HoldCo personally.
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Centralized Control & Flexibility

A HoldCo gives you a central point of control over multiple business ventures, subsidiaries, and investments. It simplifies ownership restructuring, investment management, and strategic decisions across your corporate group.

Everything Included

What’s in Your Holding Company Package

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Certificate & Articles of Incorporation

Official government-issued Certificate of Incorporation and professionally drafted Articles, including the appropriate objects clause and share structure for a holding entity.

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NUANS Name Search Report

Full NUANS report confirming the availability of your proposed corporate name across all Canadian databases, followed by government name approval prior to filing.
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Share Structure for Asset Protection

Custom share classes designed for a holding company — including common shares for ownership and preferred or freeze shares for income splitting and estate planning — drafted by our legal team.

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Corporate Bylaws & Initial Resolutions

Professionally prepared organizational bylaws, initial director and officer resolutions, and share issuance documents establishing the HoldCo’s governance framework from day one.

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In-House Legal Counsel Review

Every HoldCo application is reviewed by a corporate law specialist before submission — ensuring accuracy, correct structure, and full compliance with the applicable provincial or federal Act.
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Post-Incorporation Support

AMQ Legals supports your HoldCo beyond incorporation — annual returns, director changes, minute book setup, CRA account registration, and ongoing compliance filings are all available.

What You’ll Need to Get Started
01

Desired Corporate Name

Your HoldCo name — often “(Your Name) Holdings Inc.” or “(Your Name) Capital Corp.” AMQ Legals will run the NUANS search and confirm availability before filing.

02

Director & Shareholder Details

Full legal name, residential address, and date of birth for each director. For HoldCos, the director and shareholder is typically the business owner or family trust, but AMQ Legals can advise on the best structure

03

Desired Share Structure

Indicate whether you need multiple share classes (for income splitting, estate freezes, or family trust integration). Our legal team will draft the appropriate Articles for your goals.
04

Registered Office Address

A valid address in the province of incorporation is required as the registered office. This can be your business or home address. AMQ Legals also provides registered address services in Ontario.

05

Province of Incorporation

Choose between provincial (where your operating companies are located) or federal (for Canada-wide name protection and operating flexibility). AMQ Legals can help you decide based on your structure.

Key Advantages

Why Set Up a  Holding Company?

A Holding Company is one of Canada’s most powerful legal tools for business owners, investors, and high-income professionals. Here are the key reasons thousands of Canadians use one.

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Protecting Assets & Managing Risk

A Holding Company creates a protective layer between your operating businesses and creditors. Assets held in the HoldCo — cash, investments, real estate, IP — are shielded from claims against the operating company. If the OpCo faces a lawsuit or insolvency, the HoldCo and its assets remain protected.

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Strategic Tax Planning

Holding structures unlock powerful tax-planning opportunities — including income splitting among family shareholders, access to the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption, and the ability to pay tax-deferred intercorporate dividends from your operating company to the HoldCo without triggering personal income tax.
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Enhanced Business Flexibility & Control

By owning multiple subsidiaries, a Holding Company provides centralized control over different business ventures. It simplifies reorganizations, share transfers, and the addition of new business lines — all within a structured corporate group that you control from the top.
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Succession Planning & Wealth Preservation

A Holding Company is an ideal vehicle for transferring assets and business interests to the next generation. Shares in a HoldCo can be structured to facilitate an estate freeze — locking in your current value while allowing future growth to accrue to your children or heirs tax-efficiently.
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Tax Deferral & Reduction

Business owners can pay dividends from their OpCo into the HoldCo at a very low effective tax rate and accumulate wealth inside the corporation. The HoldCo can then reinvest those funds and defer personal tax indefinitely — allowing significant compounding advantages over paying personal income tax annually.
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Access to Financing & Acquisitions

A well-structured holding company with clean balance sheets and accumulated retained earnings can be better positioned to secure financing and acquire other businesses or assets — often at lower administrative cost and more discreetly than through direct personal or operational company ownership.

AMQ Legals vs Government Portal

More Than Just Government Filing

Incorporating a Holding Company through a government portal gives you bare-bones registration — no legal guidance, no custom share structure, no bylaws. AMQ Legals delivers a complete, professionally reviewed HoldCo setup.

Explore Our Packages
Feature
AMQ
Gov't
Government Incorporation Filing
NUANS Name Search Included
Custom Share Structure for HoldCo
Corporate Bylaws & Resolutions
In-House Legal Counsel Review
HoldCo Structure Guidance
Express 2-Hour Rush Filing
Post-Incorporation Support

Simple Process

Get Incorporated in 3 Easy Steps

No government portals. No confusing forms. Our team handles everything from name search to certificate delivery — and we explain every step of your HoldCo structure along the way.

1
Choose & Submit
Select your province and complete our simple online form. Provide your desired name, director details, office address, and share structure preferences. Takes under 10 minutes — no legal knowledge required.
2
Expert Preparation

Our legal team reviews your submission, runs the NUANS name search, prepares your Articles of Incorporation with the appropriate HoldCo share structure and objects, and files directly with the provincial or federal registry.

3
Receive Your Certificate

Your Certificate of Incorporation, Articles, bylaws, and all corporate documents are delivered to your inbox within 2 business hours of government approval — your HoldCo is ready to use immediately.

Common Use Cases

Who Sets Up a
Holding Company?

At AMQ Legals, we offer comprehensive guidance on the official process of incorporating a Holding Company in Canada. A HoldCo is not just for large corporations — it is a widely used structure for individual business owners, professionals, real estate investors, and family wealth management.

A Holding Company is incorporated under the same provincial or federal Business Corporations Act as any standard corporation. What makes it a “HoldCo” is its purpose and share structure — it is designed to hold shares, assets, and investments rather than conduct day-to-day business operations directly.

AMQ Legals is an authorized agent of Corporation Canada and provincial registries. We incorporate your HoldCo through official channels, ensuring your Articles of Incorporation correctly reflect the objects and share classes appropriate for a holding structure — something a generic government portal filing cannot provide.

We strongly recommend discussing your holding company structure with a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) to ensure the tax planning and succession goals are optimally structured. AMQ Legals handles the legal incorporation — your CPA advises on the strategic setup.

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Business Owners with Multiple Companies

Entrepreneurs who own two or more operating businesses use a HoldCo to centralize ownership, protect assets across entities, and efficiently move surplus cash out of OpCos tax-free.
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Professionals with Professional Corporations

Doctors, lawyers, accountants, and dentists frequently use a HoldCo alongside their Professional Corporation to extract retained earnings tax-efficiently and build a passive investment portfolio.

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Real Estate Investors

Investors holding multiple properties use a HoldCo structure to separate active rental operations (OpCo) from asset holding, improving financing options and providing a clean liability firewall.
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Family Wealth & Estate Planning

Families use Holding Companies as the centerpiece of an estate freeze — locking in today’s values for parents while allowing future growth to flow to children or family trusts with minimal tax friction.

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Passive Investment Portfolios

Business owners who have accumulated significant retained earnings use a HoldCo to hold and grow a passive investment portfolio — stocks, bonds, GICs, and more — inside a corporate structure with tax deferral advantages.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions
A Holding Company (HoldCo) is a corporation that exists primarily to own shares in other companies, hold assets, or make investments — rather than carrying on an active business itself. In Canada, a HoldCo is incorporated under the applicable provincial or federal Business Corporations Act, just like any other corporation. What distinguishes it is its purpose and share structure, which are designed for ownership, asset protection, and tax planning rather than direct operations.
Most business owners incorporate their HoldCo in the same province as their operating company — typically Ontario, BC, or Alberta — to simplify compliance and administration. A Federal HoldCo is useful if you want to protect your corporate name across all of Canada or if you have operating companies in multiple provinces. AMQ Legals can guide you through this decision based on your specific situation and long-term goals.
Income splitting through a HoldCo is possible but subject to Tax on Split Income (TOSI) rules introduced in 2018. TOSI limits the ability to pay dividends to family members who are not actively involved in the business at their low personal tax rates. However, there are legitimate exceptions and strategies — particularly for spouses actively involved in the business, adult children in certain roles, and estate planning purposes. A CPA should be involved to structure this correctly.
AMQ Legals handles the legal incorporation of your HoldCo — including the Articles, share structure, bylaws, and government filing — with in-house legal counsel review on every file. However, the strategic tax planning decisions around a HoldCo (intercorporate dividends, income splitting, estate freeze) should involve a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). We handle the legal formation; your CPA advises on the tax strategy. Together, you get a fully optimized structure.
When a corporation pays a dividend to another connected Canadian corporation (like a HoldCo), those dividends are generally received tax-free under the Canadian Income Tax Act. This means you can move retained earnings from your operating company to your HoldCo without paying personal income tax on those funds right away — the tax is deferred until you withdraw the money personally. This deferral allows significant wealth accumulation and investment growth inside the HoldCo.
A HoldCo provides a firewall against the general business liabilities of your operating company — meaning if the OpCo faces lawsuits, debts, or insolvency, creditors cannot generally reach assets held in the HoldCo. However, this protection is not absolute: it does not protect against personal guarantees you’ve signed, director liability for certain obligations (like HST remittances or payroll deductions), or fraudulent transfer scenarios. Consult a legal professional about your specific risk profile.
After incorporating, you must file an Initial Return within 60 days, maintain a registered office address in the province, file Annual Returns each year, and report changes to directors, officers, or addresses. Even if the HoldCo has minimal activity, you must also file an annual T2 Corporate Income Tax Return with the CRA. AMQ Legals offers post-incorporation compliance services for all of these obligations to keep your HoldCo in good standing.
With AMQ Legals’ Express Service, your Holding Company is incorporated and all documents delivered to your inbox within 2 business hours of your application. This includes the NUANS name search, government name approval, Articles of Incorporation, bylaws, initial resolutions, and Certificate of Incorporation. Standard service is typically completed same-day. Your HoldCo is valid and immediately usable upon receipt of the electronic documents.
Ready to Register Your Holding Company?
Fast, compliant, and fully guided. Protect your assets and unlock powerful tax planning — get your Certificate of Incorporation within 2 business hours.
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