Privacy Policy

Effective June 2026

1. Who We Are

Startcorp is a Canadian online incorporation and CPA services platform operated by 15662524 Canada Inc. ("Startcorp", "we", "us", or "our"), a corporation incorporated under the federal laws of Canada. Our CPA review services are provided through a CPA Professional Corporation licensed under CPA Ontario.

We are the data controller for the personal information you provide to us through startcorp.ca. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard that information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws, including Quebec's Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (Law 25).

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you use Startcorp's website, intake form, or services, you may provide us with:

• Identity information: First name, last name, and (if applicable) the names of other directors or shareholders
• Contact information: Email address, phone number, city and province of residence
• Business information: Proposed corporation name, business type, province of incorporation, intended business activities
• Financial information: Payment card details and billing information (processed by our payment processor; we do not store raw card data)
• Communications: Any messages or questions you send us via email or our contact form

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit startcorp.ca, we may automatically collect certain technical and usage data, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, device type, and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URL
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 9)

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive limited information about you from third-party analytics or advertising platforms (such as Google Analytics or Meta Pixel) when you interact with our advertising. We do not purchase or acquire personal data from data brokers.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

• Service delivery: To process your incorporation order, prepare and file Articles of Incorporation, and deliver your corporate documents
• CPA services: To conduct the CPA review of your corporate structure, provide bookkeeping, tax, and payroll services under a Monthly CPA Plan, and correspond with the Canada Revenue Agency on your behalf where authorized
• Account management: To create and manage your client account and communicate with you about your file status
• Payment processing: To process your payments and issue receipts
• Legal compliance: To meet our obligations under federal and provincial corporate, tax, and professional accounting standards
• Marketing communications: To send you newsletters, service updates, or promotional content — only where you have consented (see Section 8)
• Website improvement: To understand how visitors use our website and to improve our content and user experience
• Security: To detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent or unauthorized activity

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We rely on the following grounds to process your personal information under PIPEDA and applicable law:

• Consent: You provide consent when you submit our intake form, purchase a service, or opt in to our newsletter. You may withdraw consent at any time (see Section 10).
• Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary to fulfill your incorporation or CPA services agreement with us.
• Legal obligation: We may be required to retain or disclose certain information to satisfy our professional obligations under CPA Ontario's standards, the Income Tax Act, or other applicable law.
• Legitimate interests: We may process limited technical data for website security and fraud prevention where these interests are not overridden by your privacy rights.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with the following categories of parties, strictly as needed:

5.1 Government Authorities

We share your corporation name, director information, and related filing details with Corporations Canada, provincial registries, and the Canada Revenue Agency as required to complete your incorporation and any authorized CPA services.

5.2 Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who process data on our behalf. These may include:

• Payment processors (for secure card transactions)
• Cloud storage and document management providers
• Email delivery and communication platforms
• Website analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Accounting and practice management software providers

All service providers are contractually required to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify. Some providers may be located outside Canada — where this is the case, we take reasonable steps to ensure comparable privacy protections are in place.

5.3 Professional Obligations

As a CPA-backed service, we may be required to disclose information to CPA Ontario or other regulatory bodies in connection with our professional compliance obligations.

5.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of others.

5.5 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you by email or by prominent notice on our website before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

6. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. Our general retention guidelines are:

• Client files and incorporation records: 7 years from the date of service, consistent with CRA record-keeping requirements and CPA Ontario professional standards
• Payment records: 7 years for tax and accounting compliance purposes
• Marketing consent records: Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent, plus a reasonable period to record the withdrawal
• Website analytics data: Up to 26 months, in accordance with standard analytics retention settings
• Enquiries that did not result in a purchase: Up to 2 years, or until you request deletion

When we no longer need your information, we securely delete or anonymize it.

7. How We Protect Your Data

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, or destruction. These include:

• TLS/SSL encryption for all data transmitted through our website
• Access controls limiting who within our team can view your file information
• Secure, password-protected systems for document storage and delivery
• Regular review of our data handling practices

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we take your data security seriously and use commercially reasonable safeguards, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately at info@startcorp.ca.

8. Marketing & Newsletter Communications

We may send you newsletters, tax tips, business resources, and promotional updates about Startcorp services. We will only do this if you have expressly opted in — either through the newsletter sign-up bar on our website or by checking the consent box in our intake form.

Every marketing email we send will include an unsubscribe link. You can opt out at any time by clicking that link or by emailing info@startcorp.ca with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line. We comply with Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and will not send commercial electronic messages without your consent.

Please note: even after you unsubscribe from marketing emails, we may still send you transactional or service-related communications necessary to complete or manage your active orders.

9. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate effectively, analyze traffic, and support marketing efforts. The types of cookies we use include:

• Essential cookies: Required for basic website functionality (e.g., form session state). These cannot be turned off.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the site (e.g., Google Analytics). These are used in aggregate and do not identify you personally.
• Marketing/advertising cookies: Used by platforms such as Meta (Facebook/Instagram), TikTok, and LinkedIn to measure the effectiveness of our advertising and to serve relevant ads. These are only active where required consent is obtained.

You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect your experience on our website. For more information about managing cookies, visit allaboutcookies.org.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Under PIPEDA and applicable provincial privacy legislation, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to correct: You may ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to withdraw consent: You may withdraw your consent to the collection or use of your personal information at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. Withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide you with services.
• Right to deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information where we no longer have a legal or legitimate basis to retain it.
• Right to complain: If you believe we have handled your personal information inappropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca. Quebec residents may also contact the Commission d'accès à l'information (CAI).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us in writing at info@startcorp.ca. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).

11. Children's Privacy

Startcorp's services are intended for adults who are legally permitted to form corporations in Canada. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately and we will delete it promptly.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email or by a notice on our website.

Your continued use of Startcorp's website or services after any changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, how we handle your personal information, or you wish to exercise a privacy right, please reach out to our privacy contact:

We take all privacy concerns seriously and will respond promptly and professionally.