GST/HST Number Lookup & Verification Canada

Use the free CRA GST/HST Registry to check whether the business charging tax was registered on the transaction date. You need the supplier’s nine-digit Business Number and business name; the registry does not ask you to enter the RT program letters or the four-digit account reference.

This guide does not perform the lookup or collect a supplier’s number. Use the official CRA service for the actual result.

GST/HST number format

A complete GST/HST program account is normally written like this:

123456789 RT0001

A business can use the same nine-digit BN for different CRA programs. For example, a payroll account uses RP, while corporation income tax uses RC.

What you need for a CRA Registry search

The CRA Registry asks for:

1. the first nine digits of the GST/HST account number;
2. the supplier’s legal, operating, or trading name; and
3. the date of the transaction.

The name should match the invoice or the name displayed by the business. If the search does not match, check spelling, punctuation, and whether the invoice uses a legal name instead of a trade name before concluding that the number is invalid.

Why verification matters for input tax credits

A GST/HST registrant generally claims input tax credits only for tax charged by a registered supplier and supported by the required documents. Verifying the number helps catch:

• a mistyped or incomplete Business Number;
• a supplier using the wrong legal or operating name;
• a registration that was not active on the transaction date; or
• tax charged by a business that was not registered.

Keep the registry result with the invoice and the rest of the records supporting the claim. Use the GST/HST calculator to check the tax calculation, then follow the GST/HST return and NETFILE guide to report collected tax and input tax credits.

If the number is missing or will not validate

For taxable supplies of $100 or more, the supplier must show its GST/HST account number on the receipt, invoice, contract, or other business paper. Ask the supplier for a corrected document if it is missing.

If the supplier will not provide the number, the CRA directs businesses to its Business enquiries line at 1-800-959-5525 to confirm registration. Do not guess the missing digits or treat a provincial incorporation number as a GST/HST account.

GST/HST Registry versus QST validation

The CRA Registry validates normal GST/HST registrations. Use Revenu Québec’s separate validation service for a QST number. The CRA identifies a special case for selected listed financial institutions: their QST status may require telephone confirmation because neither public validator can confirm it.

If you are checking whether your own business must open a GST/HST account, use the GST/HST registration threshold calculator rather than searching the supplier registry.