What this area covers: SPV / special-purpose vehicle in Canada
SPV / special-purpose vehicle is one of 6 parts of our “Company Formation” practice. It covers the full cycle from initial scoping to operational launch, run by a single named partner from our Canada practice.
What it is in Canada: for a single asset, fund or financing arrangement.
How we handle SPV / special-purpose vehicle
The “SPV / special-purpose vehicle” project in Canada is structured as a 4-stage process run by a single named partner.
Entities in 50+ jurisdictions — federal Canada, UAE Free Zones, UK, US, Estonia, Singapore, and offshore. The right entity type, the right jurisdiction, a bank account that opens on the first attempt.
The same desk that runs SPV / special-purpose vehicle handles your banking, bookkeeping, compliance and — where needed — your wind-down.INNOVA · Operating model
Why Canada
Canada is our primary launchpad for MSB licensing and fintech projects. We know where you can genuinely open a corporate account, how to clear FINTRAC on the first attempt, and how to avoid the common pitfalls in provincial corporate law. A G7 country with a developed banking system, a broad network of tax treaties, and a bilingual operating environment.
A reliable regulatory environment
Banking ecosystem
Corporate tax 26.5% federal + provincial blended (Ontario)
INNOVA represented on the ground
Why INNOVA
Operational differences that hold up on the 2nd, 5th and 10th project — not just at first impression.
One partner — the whole cycle
Registration, banking, tax, compliance, immigration — run by one team from start to finish.
14 years of practice
Working since 2012 through several regulatory cycles — including FATCA/CRS, the tightening of banking, and the introduction of UAE CT.
Regulator-grade documentation
Every output document is ready for audit and investor scrutiny — whatever the size of the deal.
Multi-jurisdiction within the group
Cross-border work is handled inside the group — no chain of external subcontractors.
How the work is structured
A 4-stage process led by a single named partner — from the intro call to the operational hand-over.
Initial consultation
Activity, ownership structure, tax residency and banking needs
Structure design
Choice of jurisdiction and entity type for the specific objectives
Filing and registration
Document submission, registration and issuance of certificates
Post-incorporation
Account opening, tax registration and bookkeeping
What we need from you · what you get from us
What we need from you to begin — and what you walk away with. We won't pester you with needless questions: we already have most of the answers.
- Proposed company name (1–3 options)required
- Beneficial owner ID + proof of addressall UBOs
- Director and shareholder detailsstructured form
- Description of the intended activity1 page
- Source-of-funds declarationfor KYB
- Power of attorney (for remote handling)notarised
- Certificate of incorporationoriginal
- Memorandum and articles of associationsigned
- Share register + share certificatesissued
- Tax / registration numbersregistered
- Registered-address agreement12 months
- Corporate kit (seals, registers)delivered
Four ways to work together
We don't quote a fixed price without understanding your situation — cost depends on the complexity of your case. Start with an initial call, then we pick the right format.
Intro call
A 30-minute online consultation. We discuss your situation, define the project scope, and propose a structure and timeline.
Written analysis
A written consultation with a full review of the business — tax positioning, structure options, jurisdiction comparison, banking path. Turnaround: 5 business days.
Operating roadmap
For complex situations — multi-jurisdiction structures, regulated activity, founder relocation. A full plan with stages, dependencies, deliverables and timing.
Direct execution
You know what you need — we execute. No advisory mark-up and no discovery phase.
Fill in the questionnaire
Complete the online questionnaire: it creates your account on the portal, where your structure, renewal reminders and documents will live.
Fill in the questionnaire
4 steps · creates an INNOVA portal account · 24h review.
Once you submit the questionnaire we create a portal account. Inside: your live structure, a renewals calendar (annual returns, register updates, tax filings), a document vault (certificates, share register, bank letters), a partner chat and project status. A single place for your entire operational life.
From a client
A review from a client who went through a comparable project. Verified, the engagement is ongoing.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we're asked most often. If yours isn't here, an intro call is the fastest way to get an answer.
Most “SPV / special-purpose vehicle” projects in Canada run 2–4 weeks start to finish. The fastest stage is document filing; the longest is post-registration onboarding (banking, tax registration). A single named partner runs the project throughout.
From US$ 1,800 · depends on jurisdiction. The lower bound is for clean, standard profiles; the upper bound is for complex ownership structures, multi-jurisdiction projects or regulated activity. A fixed quote follows a 30-minute scoping call.
In most cases, no. The entire process runs remotely under a notarised power of attorney. A handful of jurisdictions require an in-person visit (typically biometrics for a residence permit) — we plan those as efficiently as possible.
Yes. A non-resident can own a Canadian corporation outright. The CBCA requires at least 25% of directors to be Canadian residents, but BC and Alberta impose no such requirement — which makes them the preferred jurisdictions for 100% non-resident ownership and control. For CBCA and Ontario structures we supply a nominee resident director. Threshold met — you keep the wheel.
Under the CBCA and the Ontario Business Corporations Act, at least 25% of the board must be Canadian residents — on a three-person board, one resident director covers it. BC (2019) and Alberta (2022) dropped the requirement: the board can be entirely non-resident. For CBCA and Ontario structures, the nominee resident director comes from us.
A federal CBCA corporation operates in any province under its own name after a standard extra-provincial registration, while provincial ones (Ontario, BC, Alberta) are chartered by a single province and register separately to work elsewhere. CBCA gives mobility and a national name. BC and Alberta mean simple director rules; Ontario is the pick for a regulated financial business.
Usually not — most jurisdictions require a registered address with an agent or office service. We provide it as part of the project for the first 12 months.
Yes. Changes to directors and shareholders are recorded in the register as needed. We handle this as part of ongoing administration.
SPV / special-purpose vehicle in other countries
The same service — in every jurisdiction we run. One desk, one standard.
