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.

The Certificate of Status for an Ontario company will provide the name of the company, the Ontario corporation number issued by the Ministry of Government Services and its status whether it is or is not in good standing.

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.

When you order an Ontario Certificate of Status it will be issued whether it is clear or not and you cannot get your money back if it is not clear. The Certificate will show the company is not in good standing. Before you will be able to obtain a clear Certificate of Status you will need to update your filings. Any document that is being certified by the Ontario government has a high cost to it. Therefore you will want to ensure that you know in advance whether your company is in good standing so you do not have to order the certificate more than once. If you have outstanding tax returns you can still get a favourable Certificate of Status as long as you have not been dissolved for this reason but you will not receive a favourable certificate if Ontario annual returns are outstanding

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 Compliance and other legal products including Ontario Company Searches.