Coming This Month: Changes to Business Registration Online

Geoff Currier

More changes are coming to how your clients will access Business Registration Online (BRO). Starting July 14, 2026, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) your business clients will only be able to access BRO through their CRA account. As usual, it’s the taxpayer who is responsible for on time remittances and the burden of proof in an increasingly digital relationship with CRA. Here’s what you need to know:

The Backdrop. The BRO online service is what clients must use to register for a Business Number (BN) or to add program accounts to an existing BN. Importantly, taxpayers must also use it to open CRA tax remittance accounts like GST/HST or payroll.  

CRA says all business number and CRA program account registrations must be completed online using BRO. To use BRO, a user must sign in with a user ID and password, a Sign-In Partner or, in the cases of B.C. and Alberta, a Provincial partner.

Unfortunately, this can be fraught with time-consuming trial and error your clients may increasingly seek your help with.

Providing Guidance: To access BRO, go to the client’s CRA account, select + Add account on the welcome page and then Business account. Select Register a Business and accept the disclaimer. Then, follow the instructions to register.

Exceptions: It’s important to note that there are some situations in which BRO can’t be used:

• When an individual needs to reactivate a previously closed program account
• when registering a business owned by another business, the owner or director is deceased or when registering a Canadian business with non-resident owners.

You may have clients who are newcomers to Canada and are filing for the first time or others who have not filed in the last two years. There may also be clients who cannot meet the CRA account registration requirements needed to register for a BN or CRA program accounts. In these cases, you will need to use Form RC1 (Request for a Business Number and Certain Program Accounts).

For those in B.C. or Alberta they may still register using a provincial partner even if they have never filed taxes previously.

The Bottom Line: The government says this move is designed to “improve service delivery and enhance security”. Professional advice, however, increasingly includes guidance on data protection, and how to navigate CRA’s increasing push to an online relationship.  

Be sure to inform your new and existing business owner clients of these changes and, if necessary, take the time to walk them through the process. It is sure to win both gratitude and referrals to your services in the process.