Think of a CRA Business Number (BN) as your company's equivalent of a Social Insurance Number (SIN). It's the unique, nine-digit identifier the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) gives your business to handle all its federal tax matters. This single number is the thread that ties all your government tax accounts together.
When you're launching a business, you get hit with a lot of new terminology, but the CRA Business Number is one you absolutely need to get right. It’s not just some random number; it's the official starting point for your company's relationship with the Canadian government.
This number is the key to operating legally. It’s what allows you to file corporate taxes, hire your first employee, and charge sales tax. Without a BN, you're essentially invisible to the federal tax system, which is not a place you want to be.
The whole point of the Business Number system is to make life simpler for entrepreneurs. Imagine the chaos if you had to juggle separate account numbers for payroll, GST/HST, and corporate taxes. That’s how it used to be. The BN brought all of that under one roof.
For a deeper dive into the specifics, BusinessOffers.ca provides some great insights into how businesses use their CRA number day-to-day.
To break it down, here’s a quick overview of what makes up your CRA Business Number.
The table below summarizes the key components of the CRA BN, showing how it's structured to manage different aspects of your business taxes.
This structure means your company has one main ID (the 9-digit BN) and then specific "sub-accounts" for things like payroll (RP) or GST/HST (RT).
Key Takeaway: Your Business Number is your company’s single, unified ID for all federal tax programs. It ensures every interaction you have with the CRA is tied back to one central account, reducing errors and saving time.
For a new entrepreneur, figuring out how to get a Business Number can feel like your first big administrative headache. While you can get this number through government portals, the process can be complex and confusing, and a small mistake can lead to frustrating delays.
That’s where a service like Start Right Now really shines. When you incorporate your business on their platform, getting your CRA Business Number isn't a separate, complicated step—it's built right into the process.
Start Right Now automates all the necessary government filings for you, making sure every detail is correct from the start. Your official incorporation documents and your brand-new CRA Business Number are delivered directly to you, all in one seamless package. It lets you skip the bureaucracy and get straight to what matters: building your business.
Getting your nine-digit Business Number is the first big step, but it's really just the beginning. To make that number do anything useful, you need to add what the CRA calls "program accounts."
Think of your Business Number as your company's unique account number at the CRA bank. The program accounts are like the specific sub-accounts you open for different purposes—one for taxes, one for payroll, and so on. They tell the CRA exactly what kind of financial activity you’re reporting.
Each program account adds a two-letter code and a four-digit reference number to the end of your BN. The result is a full 15-character identifier, like 123456789 RT 0001, which is your specific GST/HST account number. Getting the right accounts set up from the start is non-negotiable for running a compliant business in Canada.
While the CRA has several different program accounts, most new businesses only need to worry about a handful. These are directly linked to what your business actually does—whether that’s selling products, hiring people, or importing goods.
Here are the four heavy hitters you'll most likely come across:
The accounts you need depend entirely on your business model. It's pretty straightforward. An e-commerce store will need an RT account for GST/HST. A marketing agency that hires an administrative assistant on day one will need an RP account immediately.
If you want a deeper dive into the sales tax side of things, check out our guide on how to register for a a GST number.
Important Takeaway: Your Business Number is your core ID, but the program accounts are what make it work. Opening the right accounts at the right time isn't just good practice—it's essential for staying on the right side of the law.
Figuring out the specific rules and registration timing for each account can be a headache. The government websites aren't always the most user-friendly, especially when you're a new founder trying to do a million other things.
This is exactly the kind of friction Start Right Now was built to remove. When you incorporate on our platform, you're not just getting a name and a stack of legal papers. Our process automatically registers your corporation, gets your BN, and opens your essential program accounts—like Corporate Income Tax (RC) and GST/HST (RT)—all in one integrated flow. You get everything you need to be compliant and ready to go from day one, without any of the guesswork.
This is one of the first big questions that pops up for any new entrepreneur. It might feel like just one more piece of paperwork, but figuring out if you legally need a Business Number (BN) is a critical step. For many, the answer is a definite "yes," but what triggers that need usually comes down to your business structure and how much you're earning.
Not every side hustle needs a BN right out of the gate. But the moment your venture starts to look more like a formal business, the requirement kicks in. Getting this wrong can lead to headaches and penalties down the road, so it’s important to know exactly where you stand.
For most Canadian business owners, the need for a CRA Business Number boils down to one of two key events. Think of them as clear lines in the sand that officially move your business from a casual project to a formal entity in the eyes of the government.
Here are the two main triggers:
Incorporating Your Business: The moment you decide to incorporate—whether federally or provincially—you're creating a separate legal entity. This process automatically triggers the need for a CRA Business Number. Your new corporation is its own "person" for tax purposes and needs its own unique identifier, completely separate from you.
Needing a CRA Program Account: Even if you aren't incorporated, you'll still need a BN if you have to register for a CRA program account. The most common one by far is the GST/HST account. You are legally required to register for GST/HST once your business makes more than $30,000 in revenue over four straight calendar quarters (not just a calendar year).
Let's break this down with a couple of common scenarios.
Picture a freelance graphic designer running their business as a sole proprietor. In the first year, they make $25,000. At this point, a BN isn't mandatory. But in year two, a few big contracts push their revenue to $35,000. Boom. They've just crossed the GST/HST threshold and now must register for a BN and a GST/HST (RT) program account.
Now, think about someone starting an online store who decides to incorporate from day one to protect their personal assets. The act of incorporation itself, regardless of whether they've made a single dollar in sales, automatically requires a BN. The corporation exists as a separate legal entity and needs its own tax ID from the get-go.
The Bottom Line: If you incorporate, a BN is automatic and non-negotiable. If you're a sole proprietor or partnership, that $30,000 revenue threshold for GST/HST is the main signal to watch for.
Figuring out these rules and filing the right paperwork can be a real drag. That’s where Start Right Now comes in. When you incorporate through our platform, we handle the CRA Business Number registration as part of the package. We make sure your new company is set up correctly from the start, delivering your BN and official documents in one simple, guided process.
Knowing you need a CRA Business Number is one thing, but actually getting it is a whole different ball game. For anyone just starting out, this can feel like the first big piece of official red tape. Trying to make sense of government websites and forms often leaves you feeling confused and worried you’ve missed something important.
When you set up a corporation, the Canada Revenue Agency automatically issues a Business Number. The catch is, if you try to manage this through government portals yourself, you're the one responsible for getting every single detail right. One small mistake can cause delays, create compliance headaches down the road, and add a ton of stress right when you should be focused on getting your business off the ground.
Attempting to register directly with the government can be a frustrating experience, full of confusing jargon and vague instructions. This approach eats up precious time and energy—resources you’d much rather spend on perfecting your product, finding your first customers, or mapping out your business plan.
Some of the common headaches that come with manual government filings include:
This is exactly where Start Right Now changes the game. We built our platform to eliminate the friction and guesswork that comes with government paperwork. Instead of sending you into a bureaucratic maze, we provide a clear, guided path to get your business set up properly from the very beginning.
When you incorporate with Start Right Now, getting your CRA Business Number isn't another complicated task on your to-do list—it's just a seamless part of the whole setup.
Key Insight: The fastest and most reliable way to get your CRA Business Number is to bundle it with your incorporation. Start Right Now handles all the details, making sure your filings are accurate and your BN arrives without any hassle.
Our platform walks you through a simple questionnaire to gather all the required info. From there, we automate all the direct communication with the government for you, ensuring every form is filed correctly and on time. This not only speeds up your incorporation but also guarantees your new CRA Business Number and key program accounts are ready to go. You can find a deeper dive into the specifics in our guide on how to get a business number in Canada.
With Start Right Now, you get your official documents and your BN delivered in one tidy package. You can skip the headaches and move forward with confidence, ready to launch your business.
Once the CRA issues your Business Number (BN), it pops up everywhere in your company's official life. Knowing where to spot it and how to use it will make running your business a whole lot smoother.
Your BN will be printed clearly on any official mail you get from the Canada Revenue Agency. Think of documents like your statement of account, GST/HST return forms, and corporate tax notices. It's a good habit to keep these records organized so you can grab your number in a pinch.
The very first place you’ll see your BN is on the confirmation letter or email the CRA sends after you register or incorporate. This is the official document that welcomes your business into the system and lists the program accounts you’ve opened.
After that, you'll find it clearly printed on:
If you happen to misplace these documents, don’t worry. For business owners who need to look up their number on the fly, Start Right Now offers a handy Business Number Chrome Extension that helps you find and manage this crucial piece of information.
Your BN isn't just for tax season—it's a number you'll use constantly to operate your business legally and efficiently. It’s your company’s main ID for all sorts of financial and administrative jobs.
Your Business Number is the key that unlocks formal business operations in Canada. It proves your company is a legitimate entity, allowing you to interact with banks, government agencies, and other businesses with confidence.
You'll need your BN for a whole range of activities that are the bread and butter of your operations. This includes filing corporate taxes, opening a business bank account, running payroll for your team, and sending in your GST/HST payments. It’s what makes your business a legitimate player in the Canadian marketplace.
To really get why the modern Business Number (BN) is such a big deal, you have to imagine what life was like for entrepreneurs before it existed. Think of it like trying to use a different key to unlock every single door in your own house—it was a bureaucratic nightmare.
Back in the day, a single business had to juggle a whole collection of different numbers for different government agencies. You’d have one number for your federal taxes, another for provincial paperwork, and separate ones for things like payroll and sales tax. This messy setup meant endless paperwork, a higher chance of making costly mistakes, and ate up precious time better spent actually running the business.
The creation of the CRA Business Number was the government's answer to all that chaos. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Canadian government decided to consolidate everything under one roof, creating a single, unified number for all federal business programs. This move made Canada one of the first countries to adopt a single identifier, which massively improved how businesses and the government worked together. If you're curious about the history, you can learn more about the BN program on the Government of Canada's website.
Switching from that tangled web of numbers to one straightforward system was a game-changer. It paved the way for a much more business-friendly environment, making it far simpler for entrepreneurs to interact with the government.
The Business Number system replaced administrative chaos with clarity. It was a pivotal step that allowed Canadian entrepreneurs to spend less time on compliance and more time building their businesses.
Understanding this history shows just how valuable today’s system is. It also puts a spotlight on why a service like Start Right Now is so important. We take that foundational simplicity and build on it, automating the registration process to make it even faster and more reliable. By taking care of the complexities of incorporation and BN registration for you, Start Right Now lets you focus on what really matters: bringing your business vision to life.
Getting your head around business registration can feel like learning a new language. Let's clear up some of the most common questions that pop up for new entrepreneurs when it comes to the CRA Business Number.
Not quite, but they're two sides of the same coin. The best way to think about it is that your nine-digit Business Number is the main trunk of a tree, and your GST/HST number is one of its major branches.
Your full GST/HST registration number will actually include your Business Number, plus a program account identifier. It will look like this: 123456789 RT 0001. The "RT" is what tells the CRA (and you) that this specific number is for all things GST/HST.
Yes, you definitely will. This is a big one that trips people up. When you incorporate, you’re not just changing the name of your business; you’re creating a completely separate legal entity. That new corporation is its own "person" in the eyes of the law.
Because of that, the Canada Revenue Agency needs to issue a brand new Business Number for the corporation. It's also really important to make sure you officially close out the old BN tied to your sole proprietorship to keep your filings clean and avoid headaches down the road. This is a key step Start Right Now simplifies for you when you make the switch on our platform.
The time it takes to get a Business Number can vary, but it's typically issued within a few business days after your incorporation is officially approved. The biggest hold-ups usually come from small mistakes or missing details in the government paperwork.
The fastest way to get your Business Number is to make sure your incorporation is filed perfectly the first time. Most delays aren't caused by the government being slow, but by simple, avoidable errors in the application.
This is where using a trusted, reliable service makes a huge difference. Start Right Now’s automated platform helps you get your information right from the start, which speeds up the whole process and gets that new CRA Business Number to you without any frustrating back-and-forth.
Ready to launch your business the right way? Start Right Now makes incorporation simple, fast, and reliable, delivering your official documents and CRA Business Number in one seamless package. Get started today at StartRightNow.co.
