For an outline of how to register a partnership in New Brunswick, see "Registration of a Partnership". You’ll need to fill out "Form 1 - Certificate of Partnership or Certificate of Renewal of Partnership" and take or send your completed form and $110 fee to the Corporate Affairs Branch in Fredericton or Business Service Centre. (Why is it more than double the price to register a partnership in New Brunswick than it is in Nova Scotia?) Like a sole proprietorship, a partnership must be renewed every 5 years.

Registering a Society

Registering a Society in Nova Scotia is also fairly straightforward, although there are a lot more forms to be filled out. "Society Registration" provides an overview of the procedure. The Society Forms you need are available for downloading. There doesn’t appear to be any information about registering a society in New Brunswick online, so contact your nearest Business Service Centre for information on this topic.

Registering a Corporation

The procedure for incorporating a company in either province, however, becomes considerably more complicated (and expensive).

An excellent summary of the procedure for registering a corporation in Nova Scotia is given in the Registry of Joint Stock Companies’ outline of the steps for Limited Company Registration. While some of the forms you will for incorporation in Nova Scotia are available for downloading at Limited Company Forms, they’re not all here, and as incorporation can be complicated, it’s best if you hire a lawyer rather than trying to do it yourself. The current fees for incorporating a business in Nova Scotia are $335; you must renew your registration annually, which costs $85. Every limited company in Nova Scotia. must operate through a Recognized Agent (see above).

In New Brunswick, you may get an Incorporation Kit from the Corporate Affairs Branch of the Department of Justice or the Business Service Centre. I assume it provides information about the incorporation procedure. Here’s an online outline of the Incorporation procedure. This document contains links to the various forms you will need; they can also be downloaded from this Information and Forms page. Incorporating a business in New Brunswick currently costs $260; once again, I strongly recommend having a lawyer guide you through this procedure.

Making Your Decision

Deciding how your business is going to be structured legally and choosing a business name are decisions you’re going to be living with a long time. While you can create a business name that’s appropriate and distinctive through your own inspiration or with the help of your friends and family, I strongly advise seeking the advice of a lawyer and/or accountant to determine which business form is best for you.

Have a Comment or Question? If you have a question you would like to ask, a topic you would like to see discussed, a favorite resource you want to share, or a comment you want to make, I'd like to hear from you. Email me at sbinfocanada.guide@about.com.