Annual return requirements in Newfoundland and Labrador (NLCA)

What NLCA s. 359 requires

Section 359 of the Corporations Act (Newfoundland and Labrador) requires every NL corporation to file an annual return with the Registry of Companies within 60 days following the anniversary of incorporation. The return confirms the registered office, directors, and basic corporate information. Filings are submitted through Service NL at a fee of approximately $60.

Striking off for non-filing

If annual returns are not filed for a sustained period, the Registrar may strike the corporation from the register under NLCA s. 410. The corporation is given notice before striking. Once struck, the corporate name becomes available for re-use, and the corporation loses its capacity to enter into new contracts. Existing contracts may bind the directors personally for the period after striking.

Restoration under NLCA s. 411

A struck Newfoundland and Labrador corporation can be restored within 15 years under NLCA s. 411. Restoration requires filing all missing annual returns and the prescribed fee. The restored corporation is treated as having continued in existence, which preserves contracts and corporate history. The 15-year window is one of the most generous in Canada and gives corporations significant runway to recover from a missed cycle.

What's distinctive about Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland's 15-year restoration window is among the most generous in Canada. The corporation also files the annual return on the 60-day-post-anniversary deadline that mirrors the federal CBCA (s. 263), which simplifies calendar management for corporations registered in both jurisdictions. The fee is modest and the process is largely paper-or-portal optional, with no service-provider intermediary required (unlike Alberta).