It is the simplest kind of business structure. Potential investors, lenders, suppliers, customers and employees will immediately know that you are serious and thinking about the longer term. Do you really need to incorporate, or is it more appropriate to use a partnership or sole proprietorship? ... Companies can officially incorporate, or they can register as a sole-proprietorship or a partnership. Services for British Columbia Corporations . You may choose to incorporate federally or in one of 13 provincial/territorial jurisdictions. A sole proprietorship doesn’t stand alone as a legal entity as it’s just you operating a business. Additional benefits of incorporating Raising money. When a business is started, it can be structured as a proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. References *1- Sole Proprietorships. Before registering your business in British Columbia, you need to decide how your new business will be legally structured. British Columbia Sole Proprietorship Registration Details. So succession planning is much easier in a corporation than a sole proprietorship. Sole Proprietorship and Incorporated are the two most common types of personal businesses that we see with the IT contractors that work for Stafflink. A sole proprietorship is one person operating a business, without forming a corporation. The sole proprietorship may be a suitable choice for a one-person start-up operation with no employees and little risk of liability exposure. While incorporating a business can take some time and planning, a sole proprietorship is the most basic form of business. OneStop Help Desk 1 877 822-6727 (Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 5:00 pm) or Email: OneStop.Help@gov.bc.ca OSMA01 BC Government With some tax and reporting implications, BC allows all of the directors, officers, and shareholders of the corporation to be non-residents of Canada. You may have registered a business name, but legally that’s only a marketing tool. What are the main advantages of a sole proprietorship? Advantages If you have decided that this is the best type of business for your needs, ask other business owners to refer a trusted professional. Since no other business organizations are involved, you will then have to deal with any legal and financial situations that arise. In this video, I cover a lot of the common questions about should you set up as a corporation or as a sole proprietor when you are starting your Amazon business. One person performs all the functions required for the successful operation of the business. 504-439 University Avenue, Toronto, ON 402-8815 Ave. du Parc, Montreal, QC 2030-10013 River Dr, Vancouver, BC 3275 Parsons Rd, 2nd Fl, Edmonton, AB Disadvantages of incorporating include the cost and the additional paperwork. It is easier to raise money from investors as incorporated businesses can sell shares in exchange for investment capital. Sole Proprietorship. It can cost $1000 or more to incorporate yourself as a business and incorporation brings some extra work for you to manage your taxes. Instant credibility. Incorporating Limited Liability. Incorporate Your Business. Difference between incorporation and sole proprietorship. In other words, the owner of the business would not assume the entire liability of the company. Transferable. A British Columbia sole proprietorship must register a business name when they carry on business under a name that is not their own personal name.. We’ll help you officially register your business with the government. Incorporating a Company in BC. The Special Cases of British Columbia, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; 1. Incorporated companies are more likely to attract investors than a sole proprietor or partnership. Once the name has been cleared by the BC government, it will be given a registration number that will last two months. Conversely, sole proprietorships automatically dissolve when their principals pass away. To learn more about how to incorporate in Canada and determine whether incorporation is appropriate for you, contact Incorporate BC to book your free high-value face-to-face consultation. It is easy to see why so many businesses start out as sole proprietorships. Having the sole proprietorship of a business could be a major risk. Sole Proprietorship. Incorporating your business can provide an instant dose of credibility to your business. The ownership of a corporation is easy to transfer. *5 By incorporating your business you will improve your image and attract more inves tors than a sole proprietorship. Proprietorship. A sole proprietorship is a quick and inexpensive way to … The decision to incorporate depends on the personal needs of the individuals involved (often called the "principals") and the goals of the organization. During that period of time the sole proprietorship registration can be done. A sole proprietorship is a business with a single owner who alone is responsible for all liabilities—legal debts a company owes to third-party creditors.   A sole proprietor is a self-employed individual who operates an unincorporated business. The owner of a sole proprietorship has sole responsibility for making decisions, receives all the profits, claims all losses, and does … Setting up a sole proprietorship is easy, as anyone who begins doing business in their personal capacity is by definition a sole proprietor. Pros and Cons of Sole Proprietor Versus Incorporation. How to establish a sole proprietorship in British Columbia. There is … It can be embarrassing if your poor little corporation dies, as well as leading to legal and financial hassles. Business Development Centre provides complete registration services for Corporations in BC. Incorporating a company is much more complex than registering a sole proprietorship or partnership; in this situation the services of a lawyer are often required. CanadaBusiness.ca. For many sole proprietors, however, this is a temporary choice, and as the business grows, the owner may be unable to operate with limited financial and managerial resources. The income of the business is then taxed in the hands of the owner (the proprietor), at … When operating a business, there is a risk the business will incur losses or will build up debts it cannot pay. Unfortunately all of the liabilities of this type of business also belong to you as the owner. The sole proprietorship will collect customer balances owing, and pay bills. All of the profits of the sole proprietorship belong to that person. We'll help you incorporate your business, including managing and filing the necessary paperwork and securing the documentation you need. We look forward to hearing from you. Advantages of Incorporating . *2-Ward, Susan. Corporations have less flexibility when it comes to handling business losses than a sole proprietorship or even a partnership. Currently serving Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. ... consider setting up a British Columbia corporation. Once the business generates more income than you need for your living expenses, incorporating can save you money. Often, it's not worthwhile to incorporate According to the Province of British Columbia, a Sole Proprietor is “said to be self-employed and performs all the functions required for the successful operation of the business and assumes all the liabilities.” Listed below are some advantages and disadvantages to becoming a sole-proprietor. In British Columbia, you can establish a sole proprietorship by filing a statement of sole proprietorship business name registration with the British Columbia Registries Office. Limited Liability The main advantage to incorporating is the limited liability of the incorporated company. If the business operates as a proprietorship, your personal assets such as your house and car can be seized to pay for the business’ debts. For the first $400,000 in income, the tax rate would be about 17% compared to the top personal tax rate of about 44%. A sole proprietorship is when you own and operate a private business, which can be accomplished by filling out the appropriate permits. Limited liability can be considered as the key advantage that is associated with incorporating. Retrieved on 2008-02-01. Differences Between Sole Proprietorships and Corporations. All is yours: Since the business only involves one person, you can make all the decisions, receive all the profits and register your business at a much lower cost than incorporating. Incorporating a Company in British Columbia. Formally referred to as sole proprietorship or proprietorship, but occasionally referred to as DBA (doing business as) or Trade Name or Business Name, this is the simplest form of a business structure. Simplicity: Best of all, registering your business as a sole proprietorship is simple and easy to do. Sole proprietorship is one of three ways of organizing a business in Canada: The other two are general partnership and incorporation.Each has its own operational, accounting, tax and legal requirements. In Canada, there are basically four choices of business ownership, a sole proprietorship, a partnership, an incorporated business, or a cooperative. Introduction. Incorporating your business may lead to lower taxes depending on your particular situation and on the province in which you operate. A sole proprietorship is a business that is owned and run by a single person. Whether you choose option 1 or 2, the sole proprietorship’s bank account must remain active to clear out old balances. The Care & Feeding of Corporations A corporation, like a living person, needs maintenance to survive. If you are looking to register a sole-proprietorship or a partnership follow this link. Sole proprietors have the option to use business losses to reduce other types of personal income, while corporations can merely carry them forward or back to reduce the corporation’s income from other years. A business with anticipated losses and little legal risk can likely start as a sole proprietorship, but increasing risk and more significant earnings will favour incorporating later on. 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