Register Your Business Number and Tax Account in Canada
Get your BN and tax accounts set up correctly from day one.
Your Business Number (BN) is the backbone of every dealing your company has with the Canada Revenue Agency. Set it up correctly and the rest of your tax admin falls into place; set it up wrong and you'll be back-filing for months.
What the Business Number is
The BN is a nine-digit identifier that links all your CRA program accounts - GST/HST, payroll and corporate income tax - under one number. You get it once and reference it everywhere.
GST/HST account
You must register for GST/HST once you cross the small-supplier threshold, but many businesses register voluntarily from the start to reclaim input tax credits on their expenses. Whether voluntary registration helps depends on your model.
Getting it right the first time
Register the correct program accounts for your actual activity from day one. Adding the wrong accounts - or missing one you needed - creates avoidable corrections and penalties. This is part of the same groundwork covered in incorporating in Canada as a non-resident.
If money services are part of your plan, read the Canadian MSB licence guide too. Need it done properly? We'll handle the setup.