Starting Tuesday, July 14, 2026, you’ll need to sign in to your CRA account before you can use Business Registration Online (BRO). That’s the Canada Revenue Agency service used to register for a business number or open program accounts such as GST/HST and payroll.
If your CRA sign-in already works, the change should be straightforward. If you don’t have an account or can’t access the one you created, sort that out before you need to register. Identity verification can be immediate, but the mail option can take up to 10 business days.
What’s changing on July 14
BRO will only be available through a CRA account. You can sign in with a CRA user ID and password, a participating bank or credit union through Sign-In Partner, or a provincial partner in British Columbia or Alberta.
Once you’re signed in, BRO lets you:
- Register for a business number (BN)
- Open CRA program accounts, including GST/HST and payroll
- Add program accounts to an existing BN
The CRA says registrations completed through BRO receive immediate confirmation. The service is available 21 hours a day, seven days a week, with daily maintenance between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Eastern time.
This follows another access change. The CRA stopped accepting BN and program-account registrations by phone on November 3, 2025. Starting July 14, the remaining unauthenticated BRO access method will also disappear.
Who should check their access now
You don’t need to create a separate sign-in if you already use a CRA account. The same account provides access to personal, business, representative, and other CRA services. Sign in with your existing credentials and confirm that you can reach the welcome page.
You should check now if you’re starting a business, expect to hire employees, may need a GST/HST account, or haven’t used your CRA account in a long time. A forgotten password is easier to fix before you’re trying to meet a payroll or filing deadline.
Bookkeepers, accountants, and other representatives should also confirm that they can access Represent a Client with their RepID. That’s how representatives reach BRO.
Before registering, make sure the business doesn’t already have a BN. Federal incorporation, registration in some provinces, a previous CRA registration, or even an unfinished BRO session may have created one. Our business number registration guide explains where a BN fits into the broader process of setting up a business in Canada.
How to register for a CRA account
For a CRA user ID or Sign-In Partner registration, have the following ready:
- Your social insurance number
- Your date of birth
- An amount from your most recent assessed income tax and benefit return filed within the last two years
- At least one multi-factor authentication option
The CRA offers two ways to finish identity verification. Its Document Verification Service gives you immediate access when you use a mobile device and an accepted Canadian passport, driver’s licence, or provincial or territorial photo ID. Otherwise, the CRA can mail a security code to the address it has on file within 10 business days.
When you first register, the CRA prompts you to enrol in two multi-factor authentication options. The available choices are a third-party authenticator app, a passcode grid, and a phone. Existing users may be prompted to add a backup option, but the CRA currently allows them to skip that step.
After you sign in, select + Add account, then Business account, followed by Register a business. Accept the disclaimer and follow the instructions in BRO.
What to do if you can’t sign in
The CRA now allows some users to regain access by registering again with a new sign-in credential. This may work if you forgot your user ID, password, or security answers, changed banks, or had a credential revoked.
You still need access to an MFA method already connected to your account and must complete identity verification. The online recovery route won’t work if the CRA locked the account for security or another reason. In that situation, or if you no longer have your existing MFA option, you’ll need to contact the CRA.
What if you’ve never filed a tax return?
To register for a CRA account with a CRA user ID or Sign-In Partner, you must have an assessed income tax and benefit return from the current or previous tax year. If you’ve never filed or haven’t filed in the last two years, the CRA directs you to Form RC1, Request for a Business Number and Certain Program Accounts.
Residents of British Columbia and Alberta have another option. They can register for a CRA account through a provincial partner even if they’ve never filed a tax return.
When BRO isn’t available
A working sign-in doesn’t make every registration eligible for BRO. You can’t use the service to:
- Reactivate a previously closed program account
- Register a business owned by another business, such as a partnership with a corporation or partnership as a partner
- Register a business when an owner or director is deceased
- Register a Canadian business with only non-resident owners
Some CRA program accounts also have separate registration processes. Businesses physically located in Quebec register and file for GST/HST through Revenu Québec. Check the CRA’s instructions for your situation rather than assuming Form RC1 covers every exception.
Check before the login gate goes up
The change itself is simple: BRO is moving behind a CRA sign-in. The risk is discovering an access problem when you urgently need a BN, payroll account, or GST/HST account.
Sign in now and confirm that your credentials and MFA option work. If you can’t get in, start the registration or recovery process today. That gives you time to use the mailed-code route or contact the CRA if immediate identity verification isn’t available.
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