Step 10: Complete Other Registrations

If you're thinking about hiring employees or if you've set up your business as a corporation, there are two things you need to do:

1. Sign Up with WorkSafeBC: This means you let WorkSafeBC know that you're starting a business and will be hiring staff.
2. Pay WorkSafeBC Insurance Premiums: You'll also need to pay a fee to WorkSafeBC to make sure costs are covered if someone gets hurt while working for you.

Employers, regardless of size, must ensure the health and safety of their workers. WorkSafeBC has resources for small business owners that can quickly help you understand what is required to meet your legal obligations, including registering your business and applying for coverage, managing claims, and meeting your responsibilities for health and safety. Generally, you need coverage if you:

• Employ and pay workers on a regular, casual, or contract basis.
• Come from another province or country to do work in B.C.
• Work in the commercial fishing or trucking industries.

Contact information for WorkSafeBC is:

Website: www.worksafebc.com

Call: 604 244-6181 (Lower Mainland)

Call toll free: 1-888-922-2768 (Canada)

Email: smallbiz@worksafebc.com

If you are hiring employees and you are paying them salary, wages, bonuses, vacation pay or tips, or providing them with another benefit such as housing or boarding, you will need to register with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for a payroll deductions account.

Your CRA account will allow you to make the required Income Tax, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Employment Insurance (EI) payments.

For more about payroll deduction accounts, call toll free: 1-800-959-5525 or go to the CRA’s website at: Payroll - Canada.ca.

If your business is incorporated, or you are a non-resident corporation operating in Canada, you will need to register for a Corporate Income Tax account with the Canada Revenue Agency at Corporation income tax program account - Canada.ca.

If you have a restaurant and will be serving food as the focus of your business, instead of liquor, you can apply for a restaurant liquor license through the Liquor and Cannabis Licensing Portal at: Home - Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (gov.bc.ca).

For more information about a restaurant liquor license, go to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch’s website at: Liquor and cannabis regulation - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca).

If you need to change your business address through the BC Business Registry or plan to use other government e-services regularly, you will need a business BCeID. You can apply for a business BCeID through BCeID - Business BCeID: Getting Started.

A BCeID is an online service that makes it possible for you to use one login ID and password to sign in securely to any BCeID participating provincial government website. For a complete list of government e-services that use BCeID, visit the Online Service Directory at: BCeID - Service Directory.

If you are going to import or export goods, you will need to register with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). For more information about importing and exporting, go to the CBSA’s site at: Canada Border Services Agency (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).

If you have not made up your mind about importing or exporting, Trade and Invest BC introduces you to the benefits of exporting, provides a list of resources to help you get started exporting, and centralizes the various export programs available for B.C. businesses. Learn more about Trade and Invest BC’s trade and export services at: Export from Canada | BC Export Tools | Trade and Invest BC (britishcolumbia.ca).