Minute book upkeep, kept in order
A minute book is your company's official record: its articles, registers, share certificates, resolutions and minutes. Finvo reviews what's in yours, prepares missing documents with registry software, keeps the registers current, including the BC transparency register, and adds signed copies after each change. Work is quoted after a free call. Finvo is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
Your company's official record
A minute book isn't filed with the government. It's kept with the company's records, and it should show who owns the company, who runs it and what they've decided.
Incorporation documents
The certificate of incorporation, the notice of articles or articles of incorporation, and the company's articles or bylaws.
Registers
Registers of directors, officers and shareholders, and a record of every share issued or transferred.
Share certificates
Copies of the certificates issued to shareholders, and any that were cancelled when shares changed hands.
Resolutions and minutes
Yearly resolutions, dividend declarations and the minutes of any meetings that were held.
Registry filings
Copies of annual reports or returns and notices of change, such as new directors or a new address.
BC transparency register
For private BC companies, the register of significant individuals, kept with the other records.
Who owns and controls the company
Since 1 October 2020, private BC companies have had to keep a transparency register of their significant individuals: generally, people who hold 25% or more of the shares or votes, or who can elect a majority of the directors.
It's kept in the company's records office, not filed with the government. Updates are due within 30 days of the company receiving new or different information.
Only certain people can inspect it, including the company's current directors, police, the CRA and some regulators.
This is the company's internal BC transparency register. It is distinct from the federal public beneficial-ownership register and the planned provincial public registry.
What the register holds for each person
- Full name, date of birth and last known address
- Whether they're a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and if not, their citizenships
- Whether they're resident in Canada for tax purposes
- When they became, or stopped being, a significant individual
- How they're a significant individual
For most small companies run by their shareholders, it lists the shareholders. We prepare it and keep it current.
Who asks to see it
A minute book can sit untouched for years, until someone asks to see it.
Opening accounts and borrowing
A bank can ask who the directors and shareholders are and who may sign for the company, and look for the resolutions that say so.
Selling or bringing someone in
A buyer or investor reviews the minute book to confirm who owns the shares and that past decisions were properly approved.
Reviews and audits
Resolutions show that dividends were declared and who owned the shares, which supports how payments were reported on the tax return and T5 slips.
Reviewed, caught up, kept current
Documents are prepared with registry software from standard templates, not drafted from scratch. A senior manager reviews them before anything is sent to you to sign.
If your lawyer keeps your minute book today, that's fine. We work alongside them and send the signed documents to add to it.
Finvo is not a law firm. If something needs legal advice, we say so and your lawyer takes it from there.
Records review
We go through what you have and compare it with the registry profile.
Gap list
You get a plain list of what's current, what's missing and what we'd prepare.
Catch-up
We reconstruct records from available evidence using actual preparation and signing dates. Your lawyer advises on missing historical approvals or uncertain share issues; we do not backdate signatures.
Sign online
Documents come to you through the client portal for e-signature.
Kept current
Each year's resolutions, filings and changes are added as they happen.
Who does what
Routine records and filings, prepared with registry software, and the financial side of bigger changes: books, financial statements and tax.
Anything that needs legal advice: amalgamations, restorations, dissolutions that need advice, share reorganisations, disputes and agreements.
We stay in the loop and give your lawyer accurate documents and figures.
Minute books, quoted for you
The price depends on how current your minute book is and how many years need catching up, so we quote it after a free call. For your books, payroll and GST/HST, the business full suite is from $99 a month.
Quoted after a free call
Prices in Canadian dollars, before GST.
- A review and a plain gap list
- Missing documents from standard templates
- Registers, including the BC transparency register
- Sent to you to e-sign
- Kept current each year
Minute books, answered
What is a minute book?
A minute book is a company's official record. It holds the incorporation documents and articles, the registers of directors, officers and shareholders, share certificates, resolutions and minutes, and copies of registry filings. It isn't filed with the government; it's kept with the company's records.
Where is a minute book kept?
It's kept at the company's records office, which is often the registered office or a lawyer's or accountant's office. BC's guidance says financial statements and meeting minutes stay with the company's other records rather than being filed with the annual report. If your lawyer holds it, we work alongside them.
Who can see the BC transparency register?
It isn't filed with the government or open to the public. This is the company's internal BC transparency register, distinct from the federal public beneficial-ownership register and the planned provincial public registry. The company's current directors and certain officials, including police, the CRA and some regulators, can inspect it. The company must update it within 30 days of receiving new or different information.
Why do banks and buyers ask for the minute book?
It shows who owns the company, who runs it and who can sign for it, and that decisions such as dividends were properly approved. Banks and lenders look at it when opening accounts or lending, buyers and investors review it before a deal, and it supports your records if the CRA asks.
My minute book is years behind. Can you catch it up?
Usually, yes. We compare what you have with the registry profile and your books, list what's missing and prepare the missing resolutions and registers, oldest first. If something needs a legal opinion, such as a share issue that was never documented, your lawyer advises and we support them.
Do you draft the documents from scratch?
No. Documents are prepared with registry software from standard templates, filled in from your company's records and reviewed by a senior manager before they're sent to you to e-sign. Anything unusual, such as a shareholder agreement, goes to your lawyer.
Is Finvo a law firm? Can you give legal advice?
No. Finvo is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. We prepare routine corporate records and filings with registry software, for matters that don't need legal advice. For anything legal, your lawyer (or a lawyer we can recommend) does that work, and we support them. Consultants and paralegals can support administrative work under a lawyer, or handle filings that need no legal advice.
Sources, checked 27 Oct 2026. Rules and fees can change. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice for your situation.
- gov.bc.ca, Incorporated companies (last updated 24 Sep 2026): financial statements and meeting minutes are not filed with the annual report and are kept with other records at the registered office.
- gov.bc.ca, Transparency Register (last updated 1 Sep 2022): required since 1 Oct 2020 for private BC companies; kept in the records office; not open to the public; who may inspect; contents; updates within 30 days. Significant individual (25% of shares or votes, or the right to elect a majority of directors): gov.bc.ca, as cited on our corporate records page.
Get your minute book in order
Tell us where your minute book is today and how current it is. We'll explain what we'd do and what it would cost.
Which office?
Book a free 15-minute call15-minute calls every weekday at 10 am and 2 pm Pacific (11 am and 3 pm Mountain), except holidays.
Typical next slots, confirmed when you book:
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