AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
A federally incorporated company gets a CRA business number (BN) and a corporation income tax (RC) account once incorporation is approved, and provincial incorporation gives you a BN in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan; elsewhere you register separately with the CRA. You then add program accounts such as GST/HST (RT) and payroll (RP) through Business Registration Online, as at October 2026.
The business number is the CRA's single identifier for your company. Every tax account the company opens hangs off it. For most new corporations the BN arrives without a separate application; what founders then need to do is add the right program accounts at the right time.
Do you get a BN automatically?
The CRA's "When you need a BN" page (modified June 2026) sets it out by route:
| How you incorporated | BN |
|---|---|
| Federally (Corporations Canada) | BN issued once incorporation is approved, with a corporation income tax (RC) account |
| Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan | BN issued on provincial incorporation |
| Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Yukon | Register for a BN separately with the CRA |
An unincorporated business (a sole proprietorship or partnership) needs a BN only when it registers for a CRA program account. Federal government suppliers need a BN before bidding on contracts.
Program accounts
A program account is the BN plus a two-letter code and a reference number. The CRA's registration page (modified October 2026) lists them, including:
- RC
- Corporation income tax
- RT
- GST/HST (outside Quebec)
- RP
- Payroll deductions
- RM
- Import and export, administered by the Canada Border Services Agency
- RZ
- Information returns
- RR
- Registered charity
Most small companies need RC (which comes with incorporation), RT once GST/HST registration applies or they choose to register, and RP before paying the first employee, including a founder who takes a salary. A company importing goods, such as food or fabrics from Nigeria, needs an RM account for customs.
How to register
- Use Business Registration Online (BRO), which the CRA calls the fastest way to get a BN or program account. You need a CRA account to use it.
- If you cannot register online, complete form RC1 and mail it to a tax centre.
- Owners, directors, partners or trustees with a temporary SIN starting with 9 must use BRO.
- Save or print your BN: the CRA says "it won't be sent to you".
- BRO is unavailable from 3am to 6am Eastern each day for maintenance, sessions time out after 10 minutes of inactivity, and you cannot save progress, so have your information ready.
Alberta: the common business number
Alberta issues the federal BN through its Corporate Registry. Its Common Business Number page says you receive an email when the BN is issued and that "There is no cost to obtain a business number." See registering a business in Alberta.
Worked example (illustrative)
Tunde incorporates an Ontario company to import packaged foods from Lagos. His BN arrives with the Ontario incorporation. Before the first shipment he adds an RM account so his customs broker can clear goods. He expects to pass the GST/HST registration point in his first year, so he registers for RT now rather than later. He plans to pay himself a salary from month four, so he adds RP in month three. One BN; four program accounts.
Timing: when to add each account
Founders often register every account on day one, then file nil returns for months. Others wait too long and find they should have been collecting GST/HST. A sensible rule is to add each program account when the event that needs it is close, not before and not after:
- RC: comes with incorporation; the company files a corporate return every year even with no profit.
- RT: register when the company must, or earlier if it wants to claim input tax credits on start-up costs; check the CRA's GST/HST registration rules for the current threshold.
- RP: before the first payroll, including a salary to yourself.
- RM: before the first commercial import or export clears customs.
Each account brings its own filing calendar. Diarise them as soon as the accounts open, because each account has its own deadlines and late filing can bring penalties.
If your directors live in Nigeria
Founders with directors abroad sometimes find BRO asks for details a non-resident director cannot provide, such as a SIN. The CRA's resident-registration page deals only with temporary SINs beginning with 9, which must use BRO. Read the CRA's gather-your-information and non-resident pages before your session, because BRO cannot save progress and times out after 10 minutes of inactivity.
What the BN is not
- It is not your Ontario BIN; Ontario says the two are different numbers.
- It is not a Nigerian TIN. If your company also deals with Nigerian tax, that is a separate registration; see a Nigerian TIN while living in Canada.
- It does not register the company in another province; see federal incorporation steps for provincial registration.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme Business Accounts come with a Finance agent that prepares bookkeeping and payment work for a person to approve, and a multicurrency account that holds NGN, USD, GBP and EUR. Pryme's activities outside Nigeria are carried out through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Does a new corporation get a CRA business number automatically?
Yes if incorporated federally or in Alberta, BC, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, PEI or Saskatchewan. In Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and the territories, register separately.
How do I add a GST/HST account to my BN?
Through Business Registration Online, or form RC1 by mail if you cannot register online.
Will the CRA mail my business number?
No. The CRA says it won't be sent to you; save or print it when you register.
Does a sole proprietor need a BN?
Only when registering for a CRA program account such as GST/HST or payroll.
Sources
- CRA: When you need a BN · accessed Oct 2026
- CRA: Register as a resident with a Canadian business · accessed Oct 2026
- Alberta: Common Business Number program in Alberta · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.