Annual report filing for a British Columbia (BCBCA) corporation
British Columbia corporations file an annual report with BC Registries within two months after the anniversary of incorporation. The filing is straightforward online through Corporate Online, the fee is roughly $43, and the BC system is one of the most efficient in Canada.
| BCBCA s. 51 | Annual report required |
|---|---|
| Filing authority | BC Registries and Online Services (Corporate Online) |
| Form | Annual Report, filed online |
| Deadline | Within two months after anniversary of incorporation |
| Filing fee | $43.39 online |
| Late consequences | Eventual dissolution under BCBCA s. 422 |
| Restoration | BCBCA s. 360 (limited restoration within 10 years) |
- Filed with BC Registries and Online Services through the Corporate Online portal
- Fee is $43.39; due within two months after the corporation's anniversary of incorporation
- Confirms the registered office, records office, directors, and share-structure summary
- Failure to file leads to dissolution by the registrar under BCBCA s. 422
- Restoration is available under BCBCA s. 360, generally within 10 years of dissolution
What BCBCA s. 51 requires
Section 51 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) requires every BC corporation to file an annual report with the registrar within two months after the corporation's anniversary of incorporation. The report is filed online through Corporate Online at a fee of $43.39, and it confirms the corporation's registered office, records office, directors, and share-structure summary.
BC is notable for distinguishing between the registered office (for service of process) and the records office (where corporate records are kept). The annual report confirms both. If the records office address has changed, the change can be made through the annual report without a separate Notice of Change filing.
Dissolution for non-filing
If a corporation fails to file annual reports, the registrar may dissolve the corporation under BCBCA s. 422 after sustained non-filing. The registrar provides notice before dissolution, but the timeline moves faster than some Canadian jurisdictions. Once dissolved, the corporation can no longer conduct business and its property may vest in the government under the Escheat Act after a further period.
Restoration after dissolution
BC allows restoration of a dissolved corporation under BCBCA s. 360, typically within 10 years. Restoration requires filing all missing annual reports (each at $43.39), a restoration application, and the prescribed fee. A restored corporation is treated as having continued in existence for most purposes, which preserves contracts and avoids re-incorporation costs.
What's distinctive about British Columbia
BC's annual report is one of the most efficient in Canada: low fee, fast online filing, and a single integrated portal (Corporate Online) that handles annual reports, name reservations, and most other registry filings. BC also requires confirmation of share-structure information annually, which is more detailed than the federal CBCA's annual return. For firms managing BC corporations alongside CBCA corporations, the two-month window after anniversary should be calendared separately from the CBCA's 60-day post-anniversary deadline.
Octelligence tracks the annual return deadline alongside every other corporate obligation, prompts ahead of the due date, and stores the filed return in the minute book so the corporate registry record matches the internal record.
See Digital Corporate RecordsFilings calendar, jurisdiction-aware deadlines, and a record of every return filed in the corporate records.