A Certificate of Status is sometimes called a Certificate of Compliance or a Certificate of Good Standing and in Ontario a Certificate of Status is issued by the Ontario Ministry of Government Services. All companies can obtain a Certificate of Status in the jurisdiction in which they have been incorporated.

There will be times when a company must prove to an institution of some sort that it is in good standing pursuant to the requirements under the Ontario statutes. A Certificate of Status provides this confirmation.

An Ontario Certificate of Status shows whether the company is in good standing or not, the exact and proper name of the company and the corporation number.

Revenue Canada Agency requires that every Ontario company file a tax return each year. If the company does not file Revenue Canada Agency will send notices and then eventually dissolve the company if it continues to not file. A dissolved company cannot obtain a clear Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Status.

Ontario companies must file Ontario annual returns each year and if those returns are not filed for a number of years the company will be dissolved. You will not receive a favourable Certificate of Status if a company has been dissolved for non-filing of Ontario annual returns.

The government does not refund the money if a clear Certificate of Status cannot be issued. Basically it will issue a Certificate of Status that indicates the Ontario company is not in compliance and you will then need to file any outstanding returns and order a new Certificate of Status. A Certificate of Status is not cheap so if you know in advance you have not made your filings you should at the least ensure all Ontario annual returns are filed before ordering your Certificate of Status. If you have some outstanding tax returns but have not been dissolved then you will still receive a favourable Certificate of Status as long as your Ontario annual returns have been filed with the Ontario Companies Branch.

A Certificate of Status is not an Ontario corporate search. If you are trying to determine information about an Ontario company you should have an Ontario Corporate Profile search done rather than ordering a Certificate of Status.

When do you need to obtain a Certificate of Status? Well, if the company is entering into an agreement with another company or individual that company or individual might want to know if the company is in good standing. Sometimes banks or law firms might wish to order a Certificate of Status on a company in cases where property is being sold or for many other reasons. Any company might be asked to provide confirmation to someone or some institution that it is in good standing and a Certificate of Status will be requested.

Resources for Canadian Business Owners provides information about Certificates of Good Standing and other legal products including Ontario Company Searches.

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