What is a Numbered Corporation?
To speed up the incorporating process and to permit immediate delivery of the Articles of Incorporation, a corporation can, at the request of the people who incorporate the corporation, be assigned a number as its corporate name (for example, 123456 Canada Inc.). The corporation may then register a trade name and be known to its customers as doing business under the trade name. Although the corporation must be identified by its actual name (i.e., the number followed by Canada Inc. or Ltd.) for all formal and legal matters and relations (e.g., contracts), the corporation may use its trade name for exterior signs, business cards, letterhead, etc.
Definition: A numbered corporation is not incorporated with a name but with a number generated by the government. Trade Name: Following incorporation, a trade name can be registered and the company can carry on business using the trade name instead of the number granted on incorporation. For example, Atrexelle Manufacturing div. of 1234567 Canada Inc. Please note that a trade name cannot be ended with a legal element such as Inc, Corp etc. Formalities: However, for all legal and government paperwork, the company will be referred to by its number rather than its trade name.
