Keep the records

The law’s own words

“A corporation shall prepare and maintain records containing … accounting records adequate to enable the directors to ascertain the financial position of the corporation with reasonable accuracy on a quarterly basis …”

Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, s. 92(1) · Read it at Ontario · Verified 2026-11-08

“Subject to any other Act or rule of a taxing authority that requires a longer retention period, a corporation shall retain the accounting records referred to in clause (1) (i) for six years.”

Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, s. 92(3) · Read it at Ontario · Verified 2026-11-08

“A corporation shall keep the records described in clauses 92 (1) (a), (b), (c), (f), (g) and (h) at the corporation’s registered office or another place in Ontario designated by the directors.”

Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, s. 93(1) · Read it at Ontario · Verified 2026-11-08

“A member, a member’s attorney or legal representative and a creditor of a corporation may examine and, on payment of a reasonable fee, take extracts from the records referred to in clauses 92 (1) (a), (b), (c), (f), (g), (h) and (j) during the corporation’s regular office hours.”

Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, s. 95(1) · Read it at Ontario · Verified 2026-11-08

“A member of a corporation is entitled on request and free of charge to one copy of the articles and by-laws, including any amendments to them.”

Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, s. 95(2) · Read it at Ontario · Verified 2026-11-08

“If a corporation has been wound up … and is about to be dissolved, its documents and records and those of the liquidator may be disposed of, (a) as it by resolution directs in the case of a voluntary winding up; or (b) as the court directs in the case of a winding up under an order.”

Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, s. 165(1) · Read it at Ontario · Verified 2026-11-08

“After the expiration of five years after the date of the dissolution of the corporation, no responsibility rests on it or the liquidator, or anyone to whom the custody of the documents and records has been committed, by reason that the documents or records or any of them are not forthcoming to any person claiming to be interested in them.”

Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, s. 165(2) · Read it at Ontario · Verified 2026-11-08

Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, section 92.1

“A corporation shall prepare and maintain at its registered office a register of its ownership interests in land in Ontario.” “The register shall, (a) identify each property; and (b) show the date the corporation acquired the property and, if applicable, the date the corporation disposed of it.”

Source: Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, ss. 92.1(1), 92.1(2) · Checked 2026-11-10

Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, sections 93 and 94

“A corporation shall keep the records described in clauses 92 (1) (d), (e) and (i) at the corporation’s registered office or another place designated by the directors.” “Despite subsections (1) and (2), but subject to federal and Ontario tax statutes or any other Act, a corporation may keep all or any of its records described in subsection 92 (1) at a place outside Ontario if, (a) the records are available for inspection, by means of any technology, during regular office hours at the registered office; and (b) the corporation provides the technical assistance to facilitate an inspection of the records.” “The records described in subsection 92 (1) must be open to inspection by the directors during the corporation’s regular office hours.” “The corporation shall, at the request of any director, provide the director with any extract of the records free of charge.”

Source: Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, ss. 93(2), 93(3), 94(1), 94(2) · Checked 2026-11-10