start-ups

incorporation. You want to know whether you should incorporate. You hear that there are tax reasons for doing so but are unsure whether they apply to you. You are looking for someone to talk you through the considerations and costs and, if advisable, set up a Nova Scotia company or federal corporation. You have not yet decided whether or not you should issue shares to family members. (The following post on my blog sets out some of the things you may want to consider.)

partnership. You are expecting losses in your business for the first few years and want to be able to offset such losses against other income that you earn. Or, perhaps you are engaging in a short-term project that does not justify the costs of setting up (and eventually winding down) a corporation. You want a simple or, perhaps, a very complicated partnership agreement.

shareholders agreement. You realize that your business’ success depends on everyone’s expectations being on the table and clear as your business grows. You are looking for someone to tread carefully while balancing the benefit of surfacing unstated expectations against the possibility of focusing on unlikely scenarios. Or, perhaps you simply want the handshake agreement already struck to be reduced to words.

societies and not-for-profit entities. You struggle with whether you should incorporate as a company limited by guarantee or as a society. You realize that, especially in the case of societies, default documents are available from the Registry of Joint Stock Companies, but you are concerned that these documents do not adequately represent the organization that you envision. The distinction between members and the board means little to you. You want information on how to become a registered charity under the Income Tax Act (Canada).

amalgamations / wind-ups. The end of one business structure is the beginning of the next. You have determined that it is time to change your corporate structure tax-efficiently.