Corporation income tax program account

Incorporate your business

If you want to incorporate your business provincially or territorially, contact your provincial incorporating authority. If you want to incorporate your business federally, contact Industry Canada. When you incorporate your business, you need to register for a business number (BN) and a corporation income tax program account.

When you incorporate with the province of British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, or Saskatchewan, or with Industry Canada, your business will automatically receive a BN and a corporation income tax program account.

When you incorporate with another 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.

After you register for a corporation income tax program account

Within 45 days of incorporation, you should receive a notice confirming your BN and a summary of your program accounts.

If you need your BN before we send you 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

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

• Guide T4012, T2 Corporation - Income Tax Guide

Date modified:

2015-11-26