Start a business in Northwest Territories.
Registration with the Corporate Registries, Department of Justice, 5% sales tax, Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC), licences, bank account and Northwest Territories Nominee Program business plans. Here is how it works and what we do for you.
- Capital · cities
- Yellowknife (capital) · Hay River, Inuvik, Fort Smith
- Statute
- Business Corporations Act (Northwest Territories)
- Name search
- NUANS report (Northwest Territories)
- Sales tax
- 5% combined: 5% GST
- Workers’ compensation
- Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC)
- Business immigration
- Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP): Business Stream
- Business support
- NWT Business Development and Investment Corporation (BDIC) · Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment
What makes Northwest Territories different.
The Northwest Territories has no territorial sales tax, high demand for services in Yellowknife and the regional communities, and a Business Stream in its nominee program for entrepreneurs who invest and operate locally. Corporations and business names are registered with Corporate Registries at the Department of Justice.
Because the territory is served largely remotely, our model fits it well: we prepare the NUANS report and registration, the CRA accounts, the WSCC registration and your NTNP business plan, and we keep the books running from wherever you are.
- Businesses register through Corporate Registries (Department of Justice); extra-territorial registration is required for companies incorporated elsewhere that operate in the NWT.
- No territorial sales tax; GST at 5% applies once registered.
- The WSCC covers both the NWT and Nunavut; most employers must register.
- Many communities require a municipal business licence.
- Annual returns are filed with Corporate Registries.
Popular with newcomers here: Mining services, Construction, Transportation and logistics, Tourism and outfitting, Retail and food, Professional services.
How to start a business in Northwest Territories.
The sequence matters: a bank will not open the account before the registration exists, and CRA cannot issue accounts before the Business Number. We run the steps in order.
Plan the business
Confirm the idea, the market and the money. If you are applying through the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP), this is where the business plan is written.
Business plansChoose the structure and the name
Sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation, Northwest Territories or federal. Name search: NUANS report (Northwest Territories).
Registration & incorporationRegister with the Corporate Registries, Department of Justice
File the registration or articles of incorporation under the Business Corporations Act (Northwest Territories). Federal corporations register extra-provincially here as well.
Get your CRA Business Number and tax accounts
Business Number with GST/HST (5% GST), payroll and corporate tax accounts. No provincial sales tax. You charge 5% GST once registered.
Register as an employer
Register with Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) when you hire, set up payroll deductions and remittances, and issue T4s each February.
Payroll & taxLicences, permits and bank account
Municipal business licence and industry permits (BizPaL lists them), then the business bank account with the registration documents in hand.
Bank accountsBrand, website and launch
Logo, signage, Google Business Profile, business email and website, so the business looks established from day one.
Branding & signsKeep it running and in good standing
Monthly bookkeeping, sales tax returns, payroll, the T2 or T1 at year-end, and the annual return with the Corporate Registries, Department of Justice.
ComplianceEvery business solution, delivered remotely in Northwest Territories.
From Yellowknife to Fort Smith, the same eight service lines, with the Northwest Territories rules handled for you.
Business Registration & Incorporation
Sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation, federal or provincial, in all 13 provinces and territories.
Make it official. Anywhere in Canada. 02 · PlanBusiness Plans for Immigration, Banks & Investors
Canada and USA immigration business plans, bank and BDC loan plans, investor pitch decks and financial projections.
A plan that opens doors. 03 · BankBusiness Bank Accounts
Open your business account at any Canadian bank or credit union, with the paperwork prepared and the appointment booked.
Open for business. Literally. 04 · CountAccounting, Bookkeeping & Tax
Monthly bookkeeping, payroll, GST/HST, T1 personal and T2 corporate returns, financial statements and CRA support.
Books that balance. Filings on time. 05 · BrandBranding, Marketing, Social Media & Signs
Logo and identity, business cards and print, storefront and vehicle signs, social media, Google Business Profile and ads.
Look established from day one. 06 · BuildIT & Digital Solutions
Domain and business email, website and online store, booking and POS, accounting and CRM software, cloud and security basics.
Your business, online by launch day. 07 · RunVirtual Assistance & Office Support
Inbox and calendar, appointments, customer follow-ups, data entry, document preparation and the back office, monthly.
A back office without the overhead. 08 · KeepCompliance, Corporate Changes & Closing
Annual returns, director and address changes, name changes, extra-provincial registrations, licences, dissolutions and wind-downs.
Stay in good standing. Change with confidence.Business plans for the Northwest Territories Nominee Program.
We write the plan to the stream’s criteria (investment, job creation, location, your experience) in the format the program expects, working directly with your licensed immigration consultant or lawyer, who manages the application. We do not provide immigration advice.
Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP)
- Business Stream
Federal pathways that also apply
- Start-up Visa (SUV)
- Intra-Company Transfer (ICT)
- C11 entrepreneur and self-employed work permits
- Owner-operator and LMIA-supported plans
Program names, streams and intake status change; your consultant confirms what is open before we start the plan.
Starting a business in Northwest Territories: questions we hear most
Short answers. For anything specific to your situation, book a consultation and we will walk through it.
How do I register a company in the Northwest Territories?
Order a NUANS report, file articles of incorporation or a business name with Corporate Registries, then set up your CRA Business Number, GST and payroll accounts and WSCC registration. We do it end to end.
What is the NTNP Business Stream?
A territorial nomination pathway for entrepreneurs who invest a minimum amount in a new or existing NWT business and actively manage it. A business plan is required, which we prepare with your immigration consultant.
Is there sales tax in the NWT?
Only the 5% federal GST. There is no territorial sales tax.
Can you support a business outside Yellowknife?
Yes. Our services are remote and document-based, so Inuvik, Hay River and Fort Smith receive the same support.
Start a business in another province or territory.
Expanding from Northwest Territories to a second province? That is an extra-provincial registration; we file it and keep both in good standing.
Starting in Northwest Territories? Tell us what you are opening.
One short call, then a written scope with our fee and the government fees listed separately. Registration, bank account, books and brand can all be one scope.