Act within your purposes

Showing Yukon. Select your province in settings.

Yukon stands fully covered: its own filings and guidance stand in the books beside the federal ones.

A society is formed for the purposes its constitution names, and its money is spent on those purposes.

A Yukon society is incorporated for one or more lawful purposes — never for carrying on a business for profit or gain, though it may carry on a business to advance its purposes. Its constitution names only its name and its purposes, it holds no share capital, and its money and property move only as the Act allows. Binds: Yukon societies (Societies Act, SY 2018, c. 15).

The law’s own words

“a society may be incorporated under this Act for one or more lawful purposes.”

Societies Act (Yukon), s. 3(1) · Read it at Yukon Legislation · Verified 2026-11-09

“A society must not have, as one of its purposes, the carrying on of a business for profit or gain, but a society may carry on a business to advance or support the purposes of the society.”

Societies Act (Yukon), s. 3(2) · Read it at Yukon Legislation · Verified 2026-11-09

“A society must not have capital divided into shares.”

Societies Act (Yukon), s. 4 · Read it at Yukon Legislation · Verified 2026-11-09

“A society must not distribute any of its money or other property other than (a) for full and valuable consideration; (b) in furtherance of the purposes of the society; (c) for the payment of costs and expenses incurred in the normal course of the society’s activities and operations, including wages and other operating expenses; (d) to a qualified recipient.”

Societies Act (Yukon), s. 5 · Read it at Yukon Legislation · Verified 2026-11-09

“A society must not carry on any activity or exercise any power in a manner contrary to its purposes or bylaws.”

Societies Act (Yukon), s. 8(1) · Read it at Yukon Legislation · Verified 2026-11-09

“A society must have a constitution that sets out only the following: (a) the name of the society; (b) the purposes of the society.”

Societies Act (Yukon), s. 11 · Read it at Yukon Legislation · Verified 2026-11-09

“The constitution of a society must not include the statement set out in subsection (1) if the society is a registered charity as defined in subsection 248(1) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) or is another qualified donee as defined in subsection 149.1(1) of that Act”

Societies Act (Yukon), s. 185(2) · Read it at Yukon Legislation · Verified 2026-11-09

“A distribution of money or other property under paragraph (1)(b) must be made only (a) to a qualified recipient specified in the bylaws of the society; or (b) if the bylaws do not specify a qualified recipient for such a distribution, to a qualified recipient specified in an ordinary resolution of the society or, if passing an ordinary resolution is not feasible, specified in a directors’ resolution.”

Societies Act (Yukon), s. 137(2) · Read it at Yukon Legislation · Verified 2026-11-09