The business registration of a sole proprietorship or partnership is easy in Nova Scotia; basically all you have to do is fill out and file the "Application For Registration of a Business Name, Sole Proprietorship, or Partnership in Nova Scotia" form and pay the appropriate fee. (And remember, you don't have to register your sole proprietorship if you're going to be operating your business solely under your own name.)
You can download the "Application For Registration..." form, print it, fill it out, and take it to any Nova Scotia Access Centre, or send it (along with the $55 fee) to the Nova Scotia Registry Of Joint Companies. You may find it more convenient to register your sole proprietorship online through the Nova Scotia Business Registry.
Don’t be alarmed because the "Application For Registration of A Business Name, Sole Proprietorship, or Partnership in Nova Scotia" form uses the word “partnership” throughout, instead of “sole proprietorship”; in Nova Scotia, a sole proprietorship is defined as “a partnership of one”.If you are registering a partnership, there is space on the form for all the partners to be listed. You'll also need to completely list the addresses of each partner, and fill in the company information for any incorporated partner.
There is also space on the form for information about the Recognized Agent. A Recognized Agent is essentially a person who operates as a legal contact for your business.
If you are a Nova Scotia resident, and registering a sole proprietorship, you don't need to appoint a Recognized Agent. However, if you aren't a Nova Scotia resident and are registering a sole proprietorship, you do.
You must also appoint a Recognized Agent if you are registering a partnership and one of your business partners lives outside of Nova Scotia, if there are two or more partners (besides you), or if you are registering a partnership on behalf of a limited company (a corporation).
The Recognized Agent you appoint must reside in Nova Scotia. He or she will “receive official correspondence and ...may be served, on behalf of the company or society, with a writ, summons, process, or other legal notice”. Here is the "Appointment Of Recognized Agent" form.
Once you have registered your sole proprietorship or partnership, you will be issued a Certificate of Registration, which will include a Business Number (BN), assigned by the Canada Customs And Revenue Agency. You will need your Business Number to register for any CCRA accounts, such as payroll or GST/HST accounts.
Your business's Certificate of Registration needs to be renewed each year, which costs $55.
But what if you decide to incorporate your business? Information about the procedure for registering a corporation in Nova Scotia is on the next page. Click to continue reading.
