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Incorporate your business

If you want to incorporate your business provincially or territorially, contact the incorporating authority that applies to you. If you want to incorporate your business federally, visit Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

When you incorporate with the province of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, or with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, your business will automatically be assigned a Business Number (BN) and a corporation income tax program account.

When you incorporate with any other province or territory, you will have to register for a BN and corporation income tax program account by contacting the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). For more information, go to How to register for a BN or CRA Program Accounts.

Information you need to register for a corporation income tax program account

You must have all of the following on hand:

  • corporation name
  • certificate number
  • date of incorporation
  • jurisdiction

After you register for a corporation income tax program account

If you incorporate online using the Business Registration Online (BRO) service or by phone you will receive your BN right away, online.

If you incorporate by submitting form RC1, Request for a business number and certain program accounts, or with the province of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, or with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, you should receive a notice confirming your nine-digit BN and a summary of your CRA program accounts by mail.

Your corporation income tax program account will include the letters RC and a four digit reference number. For example:

  • Business number:
    • 123456789
  • Corporation income tax program account:
    • 123456789 RC 0001

If you need your BN before you receive the confirmation notice, call us at 1-800-959-5525. Have a copy of your certificate of incorporation on hand, because we may ask you for it.

Non-resident corporations that register for a BN with the CRA will also be registered with a corporation income tax program account.

For more information, go to Corporations.

Corporate income tax obligations

Corporations have to meet certain obligations, such as:

  • reporting all income and expenses
  • notifying the CRA when there is a change of directors 

Corporate filing and timelines 

If your business is federally, provincially, or territorially incorporated, or if you are a non-resident corporation operating in Canada, you have to file Form T2, Corporation Income Tax Return. Corporations that we consider to be registered charities are the only exception. For more information on corporate filing, see the topics at Corporation income tax return.

As a corporation, you have special filing requirements. For information on when you must file your Corporation income tax return, go to When to file your corporation income tax return.

Generally, corporations have to pay their taxes in monthly instalment payments or quarterly instalment payments. For more information go to Corporation payments. 

Liabilities and responsibilities

When a corporation fails to deduct, withhold, remit, or pay amounts held in trust for the Receiver General for Canada, the directors of the corporation may be held personally responsible, along with the corporation, to pay the amount owing. This amount includes penalties and interest.

However, if the directors take action to ensure the corporation makes the necessary deductions or remittances, we will not hold the directors personally responsible.

Forms and publications

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Original source: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/registering-your-business/corporation-income-tax-program-account.html