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Province guide · YT

Doing business inYukon

No territorial sales tax, with northern incentives that help attract and keep staff.

Start a business here →Grants & fundingWhat to watch in Yukon
Sales tax5% GST only

No territorial sales tax

Workers’ compYWCHSB

Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board

Payroll taxNone

No territorial payroll tax

RegisterCorporate Affairs

Registration and annual returns

Photo: Whitehorse by Gareth Sloan from Montreal, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
About the province

Yukon at a glance

CapitalWhitehorse
Largest cityWhitehorse
Key industries
MiningTourismPublic services
Local business networkWhitehorse Chamber of Commerce

Who’s who for small businessFull cabinet ↗

Currie DixonPremierCurrie DixonPremier of YukonRechie ValdezFederalRechie ValdezSecretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
2,791Small employer businessesYukon, NWT and Nunavut combined, Dec. 2024
29.1Businesses per 1,000 adultsTerritories combined; national 32.7
13,000Private-sector jobs2024
99Goods exportersTerritories combined, 2024

Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Key Small Business Statistics 2025 (Statistics Canada Business Register). Portraits: Wikimedia Commons (Currie Dixon: Canada's Premiers, Public domain; Rechie Valdez: Patrick Doyle, CC BY 4.0).

Yukon: Northern Business with Room to Grow

Yukon has a small but entrepreneurial economy centred on Whitehorse, where most residents live. Small businesses serve local residents, visitors and resource projects.

Contractors, tourism operators, retailers, restaurants and professional services make up most employers.

Industries and Regional Strengths

Whitehorse is the centre for government, retail, health care and services. Dawson City and Klondike communities draw visitors for history and the outdoors. Mining exploration and development support suppliers in transportation, camps and equipment. Yukon First Nations, many with modern treaties, are major economic partners.

The Alaska Highway links Yukon to British Columbia and Alaska.

Opportunities for Small Businesses

Opportunities include adventure and cultural tourism, mining services, construction and local food production.

High costs, long shipping distances and a small labour pool require careful planning. Northern incentives can help attract staff.

Discover Yukon’s Business Community

CanadianSME shares the stories, insights and experiences of Yukon’s entrepreneurs and business leaders. Explore small business news, founder interviews, practical resources and industry perspectives that connect and inform the territory’s business community.

Step-by-step guide

How to start a business in Yukon

  1. 1

    Choose your business structure

    Decide between a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. Incorporating — provincially or federally through Corporations Canada — limits personal liability and can lower tax on retained profits, but adds filing work.

    Corporations Canada ↗
  2. 2

    Register your business

    Register a business name or incorporate with Yukon Corporate Affairs, and check whether your municipality requires a business licence.

    Doing business in Yukon ↗
  3. 3

    Set up your tax accounts

    Get a CRA business number and register for GST once taxable sales pass $30,000. There is no territorial sales tax.

    Register for a business number ↗
  4. 4

    Get licences and permits

    Use BizPaL to see the federal, provincial and municipal permits your type of business needs, then confirm zoning and any local business licence with your city or town.

    BizPaL permit finder ↗
  5. 5

    Prepare to hire

    Open a CRA payroll account, register with YWCHSB for workplace insurance, and review the province’s employment standards for pay, hours and leave.

    YWCHSB ↗
  6. 6

    Find advice and funding

    Talk to a local small business centre, check the funding finder for programmes that fit, and build a relationship with a bank or credit union early.

    Yukon business funding ↗

What to watch in Yukon

  1. 01Staff may qualify for the northern residents deduction on their personal taxes.
  2. 02Remote shipping adds cost and time — build it into pricing.
  3. 03CanNor is the federal regional development agency.

Register and stay compliant

Provincial funding and support

Federal support in Yukon

Business networks and data

Reviewed October 2026. Rates, thresholds and programmes change — confirm with the official source before you file or apply. CanadianSME is not affiliated with these agencies.

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