Business or Investor

• What changes under the NWPTA?
• How does the NWPTA affect my corporation?
• What advantages does the NWPTA provide to businesses?
• When did the new registry system take affect?
• Will businesses automatically be registered in the other provinces?
• If I am registered in British Columbia Alberta or Saskatchewan, what happens to my corporation's status when I register in one of the other provinces?
• How do I register extraprovincially in British Columbia, Alberta or Saskatchewan if I want to do business there?
• My corporation is based in British Columbia, Alberta or Saskatchewan and is already extraprovincially registered in one of the other provinces. How does the NWPTA affect that registration?
• Can I get information about businesses from the other provinces in my own province's corporate registry?
• Can businesses choose which province's regulations to operate under?
• Will governments still be able to control business operating conditions-things like municipal licensing and taxation, land use regulations, health and safety requirements?

What changes under the NWPTA?

At the time the NWPTA came into effect on July 1, 2010, the seamless business registration process relative to British Columbia and Alberta continued between them. In addition, residency requirements had already been eliminated in these two provinces and unnecessary differences in regulations between them had been largely reconciled.

As of July 1, 2012, this seamless corporate registration process was extended to Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan residency requirements had been eliminated and the regulations of the three NWPTA provinces were reconciled.

As of July 1, 2013, Saskatchewan residency requirements and regulations related to the financial services sector were covered by the NWPTA resulting in all Saskatchewan requirements being fulfilled and the NWPTA being fully implemented.

This process extended to Manitoba on January 1, 2020.

How does the NWPTA affect my corporation?

Removing duplicative registration and reporting requirements will make it easier and more cost effective to expand your corporation into the other provinces. Now that the Agreement’s business registration and reporting requirements are integrated across all three provinces, a corporation only needs to file its annual report in the jurisdiction where it is incorporated. All filing fees have been eliminated.

What advantages does this Agreement provide to businesses?

Aside from ensuring more secure access to the other provinces, this Agreement commits British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to reconciling business reporting and registration requirements. If a business meets requirements in its home province, registration in the other province can be initiated in the home jurisdiction.

When did the new registry system take effect?

The seamless business registration that existed between British Columbia and Alberta was extended to Saskatchewan effective July 1, 2012 and Manitoba effective January 1, 2020.

Will businesses automatically be registered in the other provinces?

Companies in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba will be asked upon incorporation/registration in their home province if they want to be extraprovincially registered in the other province. If the answer is yes, then the home registry will facilitate that extraprovincial incorporation/registration, as well as forward periodic updates to the other registry.

If I am registered in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba what happens to my corporation's status when I register in the other provinces?

Your corporation's status in your home province will remain the same.

How do I register extraprovincially in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba if I want to do business there?

If your business is intending to conduct business in one or more of the other NWPTA provinces, you can do so by contacting your province’s corporate registry service if you are a resident of British Columbia, Saskatchewan or Manitoba. If you are a resident of Alberta, contact a member of Alberta’s private registry agent network. 

My corporation is based in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba and is already extraprovincially registered in the other provinces. How does the NWPTA affect that registration?

British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan corporations that are already registered in one of the other provinces do not need to take any additional action.

Can businesses choose which province's regulations to operate under?

No. Businesses must comply with the regulations of the province in which they are operating.

Will governments still be able to control business operating conditions, such as municipal licensing and taxation, land use regulations, health and safety requirements?

Yes. The NWPTA provides governments with the necessary level of control over business operating conditions. However, in exercising this control,  governments must ensure that their measures are non-discriminatory and do not impose any more restrictions on trade, investment and labour mobility than absolutely necessary.