Federal Certificates of Compliance are issued by the federal government for federal companies. Sometimes these are called Certificates of Good Standing or Certificates of Status and all companies registered in all jurisdictions in Canada and for that matter all countries can obtain these certificates when needed. However, in the federal jurisdiction they are called Certificates of Compliance.
When is a Federal Certificate of Compliance Required
Basically a Certificate of Compliance is required when you need to provide someone or some other company with the assurance that your federal company is in good standing.
Federal Companies in Good Standing
Being in good standing means that the company is still active and has not been dissolved for non-filing of federal and/or provincial tax returns or non-filing of federal annual returns.
Every year a federal company has to file a federal annual return with Corporations Canada at the anniversary date of incorporation in each year. There is a two month period for making this filing. If you do not file this federal return your company will not be able to obtain a Certificate of Compliance.
What is Shown on a Federal Certificate of Status
The Certificate of Compliance for a federal company will provide the accurate current name of the federal company, the federal corporate number and its status.