How to Register a Business in Nunavut

Registering a business in Nunavut depends on the kind of registration you mean.

A business name declaration, partnership declaration, territorial incorporation, municipal business licence, CRA business number, WSCC registration, and NNI registration are separate steps. Some businesses need several of them. Some do not.

The practical way to start is to identify your structure, your legal or operating name, where you will operate, and whether you want to bid on Government of Nunavut work.

Start With the Business Structure

The structure determines the registration path.

If you operate alone, you may be a sole proprietor. Nunavut Legal Registries says the Declaration of Use of a Business Name form is used by a person or company carrying on business in Nunavut under a business name other than their own name, or using their own name with an added element that suggests more than one person is operating the business. For example, a person operating as Jean Doe does not need to register that business name, but Jean Doe & Company must register.

If two or more people are carrying on business together, you may be forming a general partnership. Nunavut Legal Registries says the Declaration of Partnership form is for people associated in a general partnership in Nunavut and must not be used to incorporate a business.

If you want a separate corporation, shares, directors, a registered office, and a legal structure separate from the owner, incorporation is a different process under the Business Corporations Act. Nunavut Legal Registries has a territorial incorporation package for that process.

If the structure affects liability, partners, taxes, financing, Inuit firm status, or government procurement, get professional advice before you file.

Register a Business Name When Required

For a sole proprietor or corporation using a business name, Nunavut uses a Declaration of Use of a Business Name.

Nunavut Legal Registries says the declaration should be filed within 60 days after the business name is first used. The form asks for the name of the business, the name and address of the individual or corporation using the business name, the business address, the date the business name was first used, and the nature of the business.

The full name of the business name user must be provided. Initials as first names are not accepted for registration. Complete postal and street addresses, including postal codes, must be provided. If a street address is not available, another form of physical address, such as a house number or legal description, must be provided.

Nunavut Legal Registries reviews proposed names to make sure they are not confusingly similar to names already on record. Do a practical search before you file, including existing Nunavut records, federal corporations, trademarks, domain names, social profiles, and similar businesses.

Register a Partnership

If you are forming a general partnership, use the Declaration of Partnership process.

The form asks for the partnership name, the names and addresses of the partners, the business address, the date the partnership was formed, and the nature of the business carried on by the partnership. Nunavut Legal Registries says every member of the partnership must sign the form.

A partnership registration records the business relationship, but it does not replace a partnership agreement. Put the agreement in writing before the business takes on customers, debt, leases, inventory, or employees. It should address contributions, authority to sign contracts, banking, profits, losses, exits, disputes, and what happens if a partner leaves or dies.

If you are looking at a limited partnership or extra-territorial limited partnership, use the specific process and fee schedule for that structure.

Know How to Submit the Forms

Nunavut Legal Registries allows email submission for these filings if the documents are scanned properly.

For business names and partnerships, you complete the required form, print it, sign it, scan it as a PDF at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi, and email it to Legal Registries. You must contact Legal Registries by phone to provide a credit card number for payment. Do not include credit card information in email.

Alternatively, you can send the originally signed form by mail or deliver it by hand. Faxed delivery is not accepted. If you are paying by cheque, the cheque must be made payable to the Government of Nunavut.

The fee schedule lists a fee for partnership and business name declarations, a fee for changes, and no fee for declaring the dissolution of a partnership or ceasing to use a business name. Always check the current fee schedule before submitting.

Incorporate Only If That Is the Right Structure

Incorporation is not the same as registering a business name.

Nunavut’s territorial incorporation package says you need a Name Search and Reservation request unless you are requesting a numbered name, Form 1 Articles of Incorporation, Form 2 Notice of Registered Office, Form 4 Notice of Directors, and applicable fees.

If you choose a word name, Legal Registries reviews the proposed name and may reserve it for 90 days if accepted. If the reservation period lapses before incorporation, you need to renew or submit a new request. A numbered company does not need a name search fee in the same way because Legal Registries assigns the number.

The package also notes that incorporation materials do not tell you everything you may need to know. If share structure, directors, ownership, borrowing authority, or restrictions matter, speak with a lawyer or accountant before filing.

Check CRA Accounts

Nunavut registration and CRA registration are separate.

The Canada Revenue Agency uses the business number to identify a business for federal program accounts. Depending on what you do, you may need GST/HST, payroll, corporation income tax, import/export, or other CRA accounts.

The Nunavut start-up guide points business owners to CRA information for GST, payroll deductions, remittances, and other tax details. If you sell taxable goods or services, hire employees, incorporate, import or export, or operate outside Nunavut, confirm which CRA accounts apply before you invoice customers or pay workers.

Check WSCC, Municipal Licences, and Other Permits

Business registration does not replace permits, licences, or worker coverage.

Nunavut’s start-up guide says your business may need registration with the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, a municipal business licence, registration with Nunavut Legal Registries, a CRA business number, registration with the Department of Health, NNI registration, or registration with the NTI Inuit Firm Registry.

The WSCC registration page for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut says employers who employ one or more workers under a contract of service must register within 10 business days. The Nunavut guide also flags WSCC registration as an early setup step, so check directly with WSCC before operations begin, especially if you hire, subcontract, bring workers into Nunavut, or bid on work that asks for proof of coverage.

Municipal business licensing can also apply. The Nunavut guide says businesses may need municipal business licences and must meet zoning and fire safety requirements. Check your hamlet or city office before opening a public location, working from home, using signage, handling food, operating vehicles or equipment, or providing regulated services.

Understand NNI Registration

NNI registration is not the same as basic business name registration.

The Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti registry matters when a business wants Nunavut Business status for Government of Nunavut procurement. The NNI site says registered Nunavut Businesses are eligible for a 5% bid adjustment when bidding on Government of Nunavut contracts. If the business is an Inuit Firm registered with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, additional bid adjustments may apply under the NNI.

To register as a Nunavut Business, the business must comply with legal requirements to carry on business in Nunavut and meet NNI criteria. The criteria include ownership, Nunavut residency, registered office, resident manager, majority operations in Nunavut, and being registered before the procurement closing date.

If government procurement is part of your plan, review NNI and Inuit Firm Registry requirements early. NNI registration has its own supporting documents, timeline, renewal, and eligibility rules.

Keep Records and Public Information Aligned

After registration, keep copies of every filing and approval. That may include the business name declaration, partnership declaration, incorporation documents, municipal licence, WSCC registration, CRA accounts, NNI status, Inuit Firm Registry documents, permits, insurance, banking records, and contracts.

Use the same business name, address format, phone number, website, service area, and service description across invoices, contracts, proposals, tax accounts, licences, websites, social profiles, and directory listings.

After your Nunavut registration, licensing, tax, and procurement-related details are in order, you can request a listing in the Tech Help Canada Business Directory. Treat the listing as another public profile for customers to review, and keep the business name, service area, website, and contact details consistent with your official records.

Before You File

Before filing, confirm the right sequence. Decide whether you are registering a business name, a partnership, a corporation, or a procurement profile. Check whether the name must be declared. Confirm CRA accounts, WSCC registration, municipal licences, and permits. If government contracting matters, review NNI and Inuit Firm Registry requirements before the bid deadline is close.

If the decision affects liability, ownership, tax treatment, partnership responsibilities, Inuit firm eligibility, or procurement status, get advice from a qualified professional or the relevant government office before you file.

Sources

• https://nunavutlegalregistries.ca/cr_pdf_en/Partnerships/Packages/PA_Package_DeclarationOfUseOfABusinessName.pdf
• https://nunavutlegalregistries.ca/cr_pdf_en/Partnerships/Packages/PA_Package_DeclarationOfPartnership.pdf
• https://nunavutlegalregistries.ca/cr_pdf_en/Partnerships/Legislation/PA_FeeSchedule.pdf
• https://nunavutlegalregistries.ca/cr_pdf_en/BCA/Packages/BCA_Package_Incorporation.pdf
• https://www.gov.nu.ca/sites/default/files/documents/2022-12/7%20steps%20to%20start%20a%20business%20full%20-%20ENG.pdf
• https://connect.wscc.nt.ca/Employer-eServices/Register-Business
• https://nni.gov.nu.ca/regmain
• https://nni.gov.nu.ca/criteria
• https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/business-registration.html