How to Get a Business Number in Ontario After Incorporation (2026)

A Business Number (BN) is a 9-digit CRA identifier assigned to your corporation after incorporation. In Ontario, you receive it automatically within 2–5 business days after filing your Articles of Incorporation federally. Provincial incorporations require manual registration at canada.ca or by calling CRA at 1-800-959-5525.

What is a Business Number in Ontario?

A BN is a nine-digit number that the Canada Revenue Agency issues to your business. It can be considered like the Social Insurance Number of your company. This number is the identifier that the Canada Revenue Agency uses when dealing with your company’s tax records.

Your BN is the root number that connects to all the CRA program accounts you’ll ever need — whether that’s HST, payroll, corporate income tax, or import/export.

A Business Number is used to:

• File your corporate tax returns
• Register for HST/GST
• Run payroll and remit deductions
• Import or export goods
• Communicate with the CRA on any business matter

Every corporation registered in Canada needs a BN. If you’re operating in Ontario — provincially or federally incorporated — you will need one before you can do much of anything on the tax side.

Do you automatically get a business number after incorporating?

Sometimes, yes — but not always. Here’s how it actually works:

Federal incorporation (Corporations Canada):

Once you have been incorporated through federal incorporation, Corporations Canada automatically connects your application to the CRA., then there will be an automatic connection made between your application for incorporation and the CRA. The CRA will issue your Business Number, as well as set up your corporation’s income tax account, almost immediately after you receive approval of your articles of incorporation.

Provincial incorporation (Ontario Business Registry):

However, if your company incorporated provincially via the Ontario Business Registry system, there is an additional step involved. The province does not automatically inform the CRA that your company has been incorporated provincially. Hence, it is incumbent upon you to register for your Business Number manually via either the Internet, telephone, or even by mail.

In any case, it would be prudent to check whether you have been registered for your BN as opposed to taking things for granted, since failure to obtain your Business Number could hamper other procedures.

If you haven’t incorporated yet, see our full guide on the cost to incorporate in Ontario.

How to register for a business number in Ontario (Step-by-step)

If you need to register your BN manually, the process is straightforward. Here are your three options:

Option 1: Register Online (Fastest)

• Step 1. Go to the CRA’s Business Registration Online (BRO) portal at canada.ca

• Step 2. Click on “Register for a business number and/or CRA program accounts”

• Step 3. Enter your business details: legal name, type of business, incorporation date, business address

• Step 4. Decide which program accounts you would like to create in addition to BN (HST, payroll, and others)

• Step 5. You will be assigned a BN immediately or within several business days

Option 2: Register by Phone

Call the CRA Business Enquiries line at 1-800-959-5525. Have your incorporation documents handy. A CRA agent will walk you through registration and assign your BN on the call.

Option 3: Register by Mail

Complete Form RC1 (Request for a Business Number) and mail it to your nearest CRA tax centre. This is the slowest option, allow several weeks. Only use this route if online and phone registration aren’t viable for you.

What you’ll need in all cases:

• Your corporation’s legal name (exactly as it appears on your articles of incorporation)
• Business address in Ontario
• Date of incorporation
• Your corporate number from the Ontario Business Registry or Corporations Canada
• Information about the business owner or director (name, SIN or individual tax number)

What CRA Accounts are linked to your business number?

Your Business Number is the foundation — all your CRA program accounts branch off it. Each account gets its own 6-character extension added to your 9-digit BN, which looks like this:

123456789 RT 0001  (HST account)

Common CRA accounts linked to your BN:

• RT — GST/HST account: For collecting and remitting HST on taxable sales
• RP — Payroll account: For remitting CPP, EI, and income tax deductions
• RC — Corporate income tax account: For filing your T2 corporate tax return
• RM — Import/export account: If your business imports or exports goods

You don’t need to open all of these at once. When you register for your BN, the CRA will ask which accounts you need right now. You can always add more later as your business grows.

How Long does it take to get a business number?

The process varies depending on the way of registration:

• Online (BRO portal): Instantly or in 1–5 working days.
• By phone: The BN number can be assigned right there, but the confirmation letter will take a week.
• By mail: Takes about 4-6 weeks, even longer in some cases due to the peak season

In case you were registered at the federal level, the process of issuing BN would take about 2–4 weeks from the date of approving the articles of incorporation.

Practical tip: Register for your BN the same week you incorporate. There’s no reason to wait, and many things — like opening a business bank account or invoicing HST-registered clients — will go more smoothly once your BN is in place.

Business number vs HST number: What’s the difference?

This is one of the most common points of confusion for new business owners in Ontario, and it’s understandable, the two numbers are related but not the same thing.

Your Business Number is the 9-digit root identifier (e.g., 123456789).

Your HST number is your BN with a program account extension added: 123456789 RT 0001. The “RT” stands for the GST/HST program account.

So when clients ask for your HST number, you give them your BN + the RT extension. When the CRA asks for your BN, you just give the 9-digit number.

Do you need to register for HST right away?

Not necessarily. HST registration is mandatory once your business earns more than $30,000 in taxable revenue in a single calendar quarter, or across four consecutive quarters. If you’re below that threshold, registration is voluntary, though many businesses register early to claim input tax credits on their expenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to get your business number sorted?

Getting a Business Number is one of the first real administrative tasks you’ll tackle as a new Ontario business owner — and once it’s done, a lot of other pieces fall into place. From HST registration to payroll to corporate tax filing, your BN is the key that unlocks all of it.

Here’s a quick recap:

• Federal incorporations often receive a BN automatically; provincial incorporations typically require manual registration.
• The fastest way to register is through the CRA’s online Business Registration portal.
• Your BN is 9 digits, your HST number is your BN plus a program account extension.
• Online registration can issue your BN the same day or within a few business days.
• Most banks require a BN before they’ll open a corporate business account.

If you’re still working through your incorporation or have questions about what comes next, we’re here to help. At Bizincs, we guide Ontario entrepreneurs through every step when you incorporate a business in Ontario, from filing your articles to understanding your post-incorporation obligations.

Have questions? Reach out to our team and we’ll point you in the right direction.