Importer/Exporter Account Number

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

Last Verified: 2005-05-09

There is a registration process for businesses involved in import/export activities. The Business Number - (BN) is a numbering system used to identify clients that transact business with Canada Border Services Agency (ASFC). The BN provides businesses with a unique number to identify them and their accounts.

Eligibility Criteria

All Canadian businesses involved in the importing and/or exporting of commercial goods must obtain a BN in order to account for their goods. Foreign-based or non-resident importers must also get a BN.

Summary

The BN is made up of 15 digits -- nine digits registration numbers to identify the business, followed by a six digit alphanumeric account identifier; currently the BN includes the following four major Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business accounts:

import/export;
corporate income tax;
payroll deductions;
goods and services tax (GST).

Quebec

In Quebec, the ministère du Revenu du Québec (MRQ) administers GST on behalf of the CRA, so businesses registering in Quebec have to contact both the CRA and the MRQ. Contact the MRQ by:

telephone, toll-free, 1-800-567-4692;
Internet: http://www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca/eng/ministere/index.asp

Application forms

Clients can register for a BN by telephone, by fax or at the counter. All requests for a BN are processed at a Tax Service Office.

Non-Residents

There are six tax services offices that provide BN registration services for non-residents. Please refer to the attached list. This list is also available on the CRA Web site.

In the United States

State	Tax Services Office
Alaska Arizona California Hawaii Idaho Nevada Oregon Utah Washington	Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services Office 1166 West Pender Street Vancouver BC V6E 3H8 (604) 691-4308
Colorado Montana New Mexico Oklahoma Texas Wyoming	Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services Office 220 4th Avenue SE Calgary AB T2G 0L1 (403) 233-6211
Arkansas Iowa Kansas Louisiana Minnesota Missouri Nebraska North Dakota South Dakota	Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services Office 325 Broadway Avenue Winnipeg MB R3C 4T4 (204) 984-2061
Maine	Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services Office 1256 Barrington Street P.O. Box 638 Halifax NS B3J 2T5 (902) 426-5150

Alabama Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Kentucky Michigan Mississippi New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Virginia West Virginia Wisconsin	Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services Office 185 Ouellette Avenue P.O. Box 1655 Windsor ON N9A 7G7 (519) 252-4705
Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey Rhode Island Vermont	Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services Office 333 Laurier Avenue W Ottawa ON K1A 0L9 (613) 598-3942

Outside the United States

Location	Tax Services Office
Albania Austria Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Finland Former Soviet Union Former Yugoslavia Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Spain Sweden The Netherlands United Kingdom	Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services Office 1256 Barrington Street P.O. Box 638 Halifax NS B3J 2T5
Asia Australia	Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services Office 1166 West Pender Street Vancouver BC V6E 3H8 (604) 691-4308

Africa
Central America
France
Luxembourg
Middle East and
Gulf States
South America
Switzerland
West Indies
All other countries

Canada Revenue Agency

Tax Services Office
333 Laurier Avenue W
Ottawa ON K1A 0L9
(613) 598-3942

New Brunswick Contact(s):
Bathurst Tax Services Office
Canada Revenue Agency
2nd Floor
201 St. George Street
P.O. Box 8888
Bathurst, New Brunswick E2A 4L8
Fax: (506) 548-9905
Toll-free (information): 1-800-959-5525 (Business Enquiries and Registrations)
Toll-free (publications): 1-800-959-2221 (Forms and Publications)
Web site: http://www.cra.gc.ca/menu-e.html

Moncton Tax Services Office
Canada Revenue Agency
50 King Street
Mail: P.O. Box 1070, Moncton, NB E1C 8P2
Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 1E9
Fax: (506) 851-7018
Toll-free (information): 1-800-959-5525 (Business Enquiries and Registrations)
Toll-free (publications): 1-800-959-2221 (Forms and Publications)
Web site: http://www.cra.gc.ca/menu-e.html

Saint John Tax Services Office
Canada Revenue Agency
126 Prince William Street
Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4H9
Fax: (506) 636-9658 (English) / (506) 636-5200 (français)
Toll-free (information): 1-800-959-5525 (Business Enquiries and Registrations)
Toll-free (publications): 1-800-959-2221 (Forms and Publications)
Web site: http://www.cra.gc.ca/menu-e.html

National Contact(s):
Border Information Service - BIS
Canada Border Services Agency
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L5
Toll-free (information): 1-800-461-9999
Toll-free (publications): 1-800-959-2221
Web site: http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/menu-e.html

National Capital Region only
Canada Revenue Agency
333 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0L9
Telephone: (613) 957-8109
Fax: (613) 238-7125
Toll-free (information): 1-800-959-5525 (Business Enquiries and Registrations)
Toll-free (publications): 1-800-959-2221 (Forms and Publications)
Web site: http://www.cra.gc.ca/menu-e.html

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Last Modified: 2005-02-08

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