Business numbers

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The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) assigns a 9-digit business number (BN) to identify a business, incorporated company or society. The number stays with a business or organization while ever it's doing business or operating. There are no fees or renewal processes.

A business number is required for federal taxes and other government registrations like:

• WorkSafeBC
• PST
• GST
• Ccorporate income tax, payroll deductions and import/export tax with CRA

Getting a business number

A business number is automatically provided to new B.C. corporations, businesses or societies as part of the registration or incorporation process. Entities such as trusts, names of homes, municipalities, cemetery corporations, joint ventures and entities registered under The Libel & Slander Act, are not included in the automatic registration of a business number.

Program accounts

Some government programs add letters and/or numbers to the business number to identify registration in a specific program. This is called a program account. Here's an example:

123456789	9-digit business number issued by CRA (BN9)
123456789BW0001	Program number for a company registered with WorkSafeBC (BN15)

The following government agencies use the BN15 to identify incorporated businesses: 

Check with the Canada Revenue Agency...