Sole proprietor or partnership
File an Amended Registration.
- Done online in the Ontario Business Registry with your company key
- The change must be reported within 15 days
- We also check whether your change counts as an amendment or a new registration
Business Name Change Help
Business Name Change Help for Ontario and Federal Businesses
A business name change is a filing with the registry, not just a new sign. The right one depends on whether you are a sole proprietor, a partnership or a corporation, and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and everyone else you deal with needs to hear about it. We search the new name, file the change and tell the right people.
- Sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations
- Ontario and federal filings, prepared and filed for you
- Free first call, with no obligation
What are you changing?
Tap your situation. Nothing you pick is saved.
Tap one to see the filing, the clock and where to read more.
How do you change a business name in Ontario?
Three routes, depending on what kind of business you have. They are alternatives, and only one applies to you.
Ontario corporation
Change the legal name in your articles.
- Needs an Ontario-biased NUANS report for the new name, unless it is a number name
- The report may not be dated more than 90 days before the articles are submitted
- Filed in the Ontario Business Registry
Federal corporation
File an amendment online.
- The name search is built into the Online Filing Centre
- A report bought separately is not accepted for this filing
- Corporations Canada reviews the proposed name against its requirements
A corporation’s legal name and the operating or trade name it uses day to day are different things. Tell us which you want to change and we will file the right one.
Who do you need to tell after a name change?
The registry filing is only the start. These are the usual places the old name is still on file.
The CRA
You must tell the CRA when your operating name changes, in My Business Account, by phone or by mail.
Your bank
Accounts, cheques, cards and loans are in the old name until the bank updates them.
Licences and permits
Municipal and professional licences name the business, and each may need the change.
Insurance and contracts
Policies, leases and supplier agreements should show the new name.
Customers and suppliers
Invoices, quotes and statements need the new name, and a short notice avoids confusion.
Your website and marketing
Signage, your website, email signature and online listings all carry the old name.
How does a business name change work with us?
Four steps, and the paperwork is the only part that needs you.
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1
We search the new name
A name search first shows whether a similar name or trademark is already in use.
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2
We prepare the filing
An Amended Registration, Articles of Amendment or a federal amendment, whichever applies.
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3
We file it
Submitted in the right registry, and we follow up until the change is on record.
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4
We help you tell others
A checklist of who to notify, and the CRA update done with you.
What’s included in our business name change
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Name search
The new name checked, with a NUANS report where the filing needs one.
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Filing prepared
The change prepared for your type of business.
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Filing submitted
Filed in the Ontario Business Registry or with Corporations Canada.
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CRA updated
Guidance on, and help with, telling the CRA about the new name.
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A who-to-tell checklist
Bank, licences, insurance and customers listed for you.
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Plain answers
Questions about names and filings answered by a person.
What stays with the registry
The registry decides whether a new name is accepted, and no one can promise it. We promise the right search, an accurate filing made in time and clear next steps.
How much does a business name change cost?
A simple change to a business name and a corporation with accounts, licences and contracts to update are different jobs. We quote each case, and you will know what we charge before we start. Here is what shapes the quote.
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Type of businessSole proprietor, partnership or corporation.
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Ontario or federalWhich registry and which filing.
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A name searchNUANS report needed, or not.
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A second nameIf the first choice is taken.
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Others to notifyFew, or many.
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TimingPlenty of time, or a date close.
- Free, no-obligation consultation
- Clear quote agreed before we start
- No hidden fees or surprise billing
Prefer to talk it through first? Call us, or send a quote request.
Call (437) 421-7171 Request a QuoteBusiness name change across Canada
Get directionsName changes are filed online, so you can work with us by phone, video and secure upload. You are always welcome at one of our four offices.
Outside Ontario or Alberta? We can still help.
Ask about your name change
We file Ontario and federal name changes for businesses anywhere in Canada. Other provinces have their own rules, so ask us about yours.
What our clients say
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“A friend recommended me Lira tax for my personal and corporation tax and it was done perfectly. Excellent service. If you think of someone to do your taxes, I recommend Lira tax 100%”
Business name change FAQs: Ontario, federal and who to tell
Straight answers to what people ask us before they change a name.
It depends on your type of business. A sole proprietor or partnership files an Amended Registration in the Ontario Business Registry. An Ontario corporation files Articles of Amendment with an Ontario-biased NUANS report for the new name.
A change to an entity’s information must be reported to the ministry within 15 days. We file it as soon as the details are settled.
In Ontario, yes, unless the new name is a number name. The report must be an Ontario-biased one, dated not more than 90 days before the articles are submitted. For a federal corporation the name search is built into Corporations Canada’s online filing.
A corporation’s legal name is the one in its articles. An operating or trade name is a name the business uses day to day that may differ from its legal name. They are changed with different filings.
Ontario’s registry updates business names with an Amended Registration. Older guidance described a name change as a new registration, so we confirm which applies to your case before we file.
Yes. The CRA says you must tell it when your operating name changes. You can do that in My Business Account, by phone or by mail, and we can walk you through it.
No. The business number stays with the business. What changes is the name on record, so the CRA and the registry both need updating.
Your bank, licence and permit authorities, insurer, landlord, customers and suppliers, and anywhere your old name appears, such as your website, invoices and signage. We give you a checklist.
You choose a different one. A name search first shows what is already in use, and we can search several alternatives so you are not starting over each time.
Yes. Giving a numbered company a name is a name change, filed as Articles of Amendment with an Ontario-biased NUANS report for the new name.
Yes. For an Ontario business we file with your company key, and for a federal corporation in the Online Filing Centre. We also help with the CRA update and the list of who to tell.
We quote each case after a free consultation, because a simple name change and one with many updates are very different. You will know the cost before we start.
Official sources we check
We confirm the rules on the registries’ and the CRA’s own pages. You can read them too:
- Registering your business name (Ontario)ontario.ca (opens the official site in a new tab)
- Ontario Business Registryontario.ca (opens the official site in a new tab)
- Amendment of a business corporation (Ontario)ontario.ca (opens the official site in a new tab)
- Changes to the corporate name proposal processised-isde.canada.ca (opens the official site in a new tab)
- Change a business operating name (CRA)canada.ca (opens the official site in a new tab)
Checked against these pages in October 2026. Naming and filing rules change, so we confirm the current position for your business before we start. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Related services
View other servicesNUANS Business Name Search
Check the new name before you file.
Learn moreRegister/Renew a Business
Register or renew a business name.
Learn moreOntario Incorporation
Ready to incorporate instead? We do that too.
Learn moreOntario Company Key
The key you need to file in the Ontario Business Registry.
Learn moreAnnual Return Filing
Keep your corporation in good standing every year.
Learn moreBusiness Licence Applications
Update the licences and permits that carry your name.
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Read the guideChanging your business name? Let’s file it for you
Book a free consultation. Tell us what kind of business you have and the new name you want, and we will tell you what to file, by when, with no obligation.
