A corporation is an independent legal entity that exists separate and apart from its owners (shareholders).
The Business Corporations Act (BCA) sets out the legislative requirements and mechanisms for a business to incorporate in Alberta and maintain that corporation, including, but not limited to, changing its corporate name, filing annual returns, and changing directors and shareholders of that corporation.
Corporate Registry of Service Alberta can find information on the certificates and history of Alberta societies, non-profit organization, trade names, limited liability partnerships and corporations;
registration services include registrations, revivals, name changes, and amendments.
There are several ways to set up the legal structure of the business or non-profit organization.
- Alberta corporations: Incorporating a corporation creates a legal person that's separate and distinct from its individual owners.
- Out-of-province corporations: A corporation formed in another province or country must be registered to carry on business in Alberta.
- Non-profit companies: Organizations can choose to incorporate a non-profit company when they want a legal structure that is similar to the structure of a for-profit corporation.
- Religious societies: Religious organizations and congregations can incorporate so they can own the land where their house of worship or cemetery is located.
- Societies: Similar to non-profit companies, organizations can incorporate a society for social, recreational and other useful purposes, but not for carrying on a business.
- Alberta-based cooperatives: A cooperative is a business organization started by people who want to use services or buy goods as a group, have an equal say in how the business is run and share in any profits the business makes.
- Out-of-province cooperatives: Out-of-province cooperatives operate like Alberta-based cooperatives, but have a different process in place for incorporation.
Information about Alberta corporations is public information, including a corporation's registered office address, as required by corporate laws that govern corporations.
This applies even after a corporation has been dissolved, amalgamated or discontinued. Corporate information is made public to help people, like investors, financial institutions and other stakeholders, make timely and informed decisions about corporations, and let people know who is responsible for the corporation.
Information and documents filed are not removed from the corporate records even when new information or documents are filed, including documents previously filed, filed for previous years or filed by mistake. Corporate laws require the public disclosure of this information. |