CRA Business Registration Online (BRO) is the CRA’s online route for a new Business Number (BN) and eligible CRA program accounts, including GST/HST. You need a CRA account to use it and must save the number shown at the end of the session.
Prepare before opening BRO
Gather the legal and operating business names, owner names and SINs, mailing and physical addresses, business type, major activity, main products/services, and incorporation details if applicable. If the business already has a nine-digit BN, have it and information that matches CRA records. For GST/HST, also determine the effective date, fiscal-year information, and annual revenue information before registering. If you have a temporary Social Insurance Number (SIN) that starts with 9 and are a business owner, director, partner, or trustee, the CRA says you must use BRO to register for a BN and most CRA program accounts, including a GST/HST account. (CRA: gather registration information). The same preparation applies if you need an Ontario HST number. For fees, see our GST registration cost guide.
How to register with CRA Business Registration Online: step by step
Inside BRO, the registration runs in this order:
- Sign in to your CRA account.
- On the Welcome page, select + Add account, choose Business account, and select Register a business to continue to BRO. Outside Quebec, this is the same route used to get a GST number in Alberta or any other province.
- Review the disclaimer and select that you agree to continue, or the session ends.
- Confirm your identity when BRO asks.
- Select the situation that matches your business — a new BN, or adding a program account such as GST/HST to an existing BN.
- Follow the prompts to complete the registration. If you are adding a GST/HST account, BRO will ask for the effective date and revenue details you gathered beforehand.
- Save or print the BN and program-account number during the session because CRA will not send the BN afterward.
CRA says the session expires after 10 minutes of inactivity and cannot be saved partway through. CRA: GST/HST registration through BRO
Recent changes to BRO
Two changes affect when and how you can use BRO. Starting November 3, 2025, new BN and CRA program account registrations must be done online — CRA is redirecting phone callers to BRO instead of registering them by phone (CRA, October 28, 2025). Since July 14, 2026, BRO is only available after you sign in to your CRA account. BRO itself is available daily except between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. ET for system maintenance. CRA: how to register
When BRO does not fit
CRA lists restrictions: BRO cannot reactivate a closed account, register a business owned by another business, register when an owner or director is deceased, or register a Canadian business with only non-resident owners. Use CRA’s other registration route where one applies. If BRO does not accept your postal code, you must register by mailing a form to CRA instead. If your business is physically located in Quebec, register and file GST/HST with Revenu Québec, not through BRO. Residents of Ontario and Nova Scotia can reach their provincial registration sites directly from BRO. You must have a CRA account to access BRO, and CRA says you cannot register for a CRA account if you have enhanced protection enabled on your account. If you have never filed your taxes or cannot meet the CRA account registration requirements, CRA says to use Form RC1 instead; if you live in Alberta or British Columbia, you may still register using a provincial partner even if you have never filed your taxes. (CRA: BRO access changes). CRA registration restrictions
Is a GST number the same as a business number? No. Your GST/HST number is your 9-digit Business Number plus the GST/HST program account code, shown as RT0001. See CRA Business Number: BN and program accounts explained for how the BN and its program accounts fit together.
Do I need to register for GST/HST? Most businesses must register once they exceed the small-supplier threshold; some register voluntarily before that. See the GST/HST small supplier threshold for who must register and when.
After registration
Add the BN to the CRA account to manage the program account. For a GST/HST account, registration creates obligations to charge, collect, file, remit, and keep records from the effective date; it does not decide the tax rate for every sale. See GST/HST registration in Canada and filing guidance for those next jobs.