Which Tax Accounts Do You Need After Incorporating?

The BN and the GST/HST, Payroll and import-export accounts, and what each one is for

Scott Tang, CPAUpdated 2026-11-032026 rules5 min read

Once your company is incorporated, the CRA gives it a 9-digit Business Number (BN). Most of its tax accounts then sit under this number: two letters added after the BN show which type of tax the account is for (the RM import-export account is administered by the Canada Border Services Agency, CBSA; if you make payments to non-residents that require tax to be withheld, there is also a separate non-resident withholding account). You don't need to open every account — it depends on what business the company does and when it starts hiring and bringing in goods.

1 BN

One Business Number per company; all its accounts sit under it

Automatic

Ontario, BC and federal corporations get a BN and a corporate income tax account at incorporation

Mostly online

Since 2025-11-03, mainly done online; non-residents who can't register online can use Form RC1

The accounts at a glance

Account	Code	When to open it	What it's for
Corporate income tax	RC	Automatically at incorporation	Filing the T2 and paying corporate income tax each year
GST/HST	RT	Generally required if the combined worldwide taxable sales of the company and its associates (including the foreign parent company) exceed C$30,000 and the company carries on business in Canada making taxable sales; you can also register voluntarily below the threshold	Charging and reporting HST, and claiming eligible input tax credits
Payroll	RP	Before the first payday	Withholding and remitting income tax, CPP and EI; issuing T4s at year-end
Import-export	RM	Before importing or exporting commercial goods (register in the CBSA's CARM)	Customs declarations; paying import duties and GST
Non-resident withholding	NR account	When you pay dividends, interest, royalties and similar amounts to non-residents such as the foreign parent company and tax has to be withheld	Withholding and remitting Part XIII tax; filing NR4s at year-end
Information returns	RZ	When you have to file certain information returns	For example, issuing T5s

Open them in this order

1
Incorporate
Receive the certificate of incorporation
2
BN + RC
Issued automatically with incorporation
3
RT · HST
Can be opened before you start selling
4
RP · Payroll
Before the first payday
5
RM · Import-export
Before your first shipment is imported

Should you open the HST account (RT) early? If worldwide taxable sales, combined with associates, exceed $30,000, the subsidiary may not be a small supplier; its business in Canada then sets the date from which it must register. If the parent company is of a certain size, the subsidiary may have to register from the start. Many new companies below the threshold also register voluntarily: the HST paid on early purchases of equipment, renovations and services can be recovered only once the company is registered, and only where the conditions are met. For whether and when to register, see "Do You Need to Register for GST/HST? The Small Supplier Threshold and Input Tax Credits" in this series.

Payroll account (RP). Even if the only person you pay is yourself (as a director), you need to open it first. Source deductions for employees sent to Canada and for staff hired locally all go through this account.

Import-export account (RM). Since October 21, 2024, it has been managed in the CBSA's CARM system; you register online in CARM using your BN. If you want to take delivery of goods first and pay the duties and GST later, you also need to post security.

Don't miss the accounts outside the CRA

Ontario
If you hire staff and your industry has mandatory coverage, register with the WSIB (workplace injury insurance) within 10 days after the first employee starts work. Once total payroll is large, there is also Ontario's Employer Health Tax (EHT); eligible employers are generally exempt on the first $1 million.
BC
BC's provincial sales tax (PST, 7%) is not administered by the CRA; you register separately with the BC Ministry of Finance. In Ontario, the HST (13%) covers both in a single account.

How Sheng Qian CPA can help

Opened as soon as you're incorporated
Incorporate through EasyU Incorporation (Express incorporation available); once the certificate is issued, we apply for the accounts you need at the same time — HST, Payroll and import-export, depending on your business.
Your authorized representative
Once the authorization is in place, we handle dealings with the CRA and filings within the scope of that authorization; providing information and confirmations on time remains the company's own responsibility.
Then we carry on
HST returns each period, Payroll source deductions, year-end T4s and the T2 are all handled by the same team (for prices, see What Sheng Qian CPA Can Do for Foreign Companies in this series).

Sources

Disclaimer

This article is general information only and is not tax advice. Every company's situation is different; please consult a CPA about your specific arrangements. Service fees are as set out in our written quote.

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