How to register a business and HST number in Ontario as a tradesperson

Two different governments are involved, which is where most of the confusion comes from. Ontario registers your business name or your corporation. The federal Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) issues the business number (BN) and the program accounts hung off it, including GST/HST and payroll. An Ontario registration does not give you an HST number, and an HST number does not register your name.

Do I need to register a business name in Ontario?

Only if you trade under a name other than your own legal name. Under Ontario's Business Names Act, an individual may not carry on business under a different name unless it is registered. If you invoice as Maria Lopez, you need no registration; if you invoice as Lopez Tile or Maria Lopez Renovations, you do.

• Where: the Ontario Business Registry online, which processes the registration immediately, or by mail in about 15 business days.
• Cost: $60 to register or renew a sole proprietorship or partnership name.
• Validity: five years from the day it is accepted; renew before it expires.
• Service companies: private intermediaries can file for you, but they charge on top of the government fee.

Should a tradesperson be a sole proprietor or a corporation?

Most start as sole proprietors because it is cheap and simple; a corporation costs more to set up and run but separates the business from you. The right answer depends on your income, your risk and whether you plan to hire, so it is a question for an accountant, and for liability questions a lawyer.

How do I get a CRA business number and HST account?

Register online through the CRA's Business Registration Online service, or by mailing Form RC1. You get a nine-digit business number, and each account the CRA opens for you adds a two-letter code and a four-digit reference: RT for GST/HST, RP for payroll, RC for corporate income tax. So an HST number looks like 123456789 RT0001. A sole proprietor who is not registering for HST or hiring may not need a BN at all yet.

When do I have to start charging HST in Ontario?

When you stop being a small supplier, which happens when your taxable sales worldwide pass $30,000. The CRA applies two tests, and you have 29 days from the effective date to register:

• One calendar quarter over $30,000: you are considered registered from the day of the sale that took you over, and you charge HST on that sale.
• Four consecutive calendar quarters over $30,000, but no single quarter: you stop being a small supplier at the end of the month after the quarter in which you went over, and charge HST from your first sale after that.
• The rate in Ontario is 13% HST.
• Count only your own taxable sales. If a platform is the seller of record to the customer and pays you, ask an accountant how your sales to that platform count.

Should I register for HST before I reach $30,000?

It can pay off if you buy a lot of tools and materials, or sell mainly to businesses. A registered business can claim input tax credits for the HST it pays on business purchases, and business customers can usually claim back the HST you charge them. The trade-off: you must charge HST to every customer, file returns, and stay registered for at least one year. For homeowners, who cannot claim it back, 13% HST makes you look more expensive than an unregistered competitor.

What other tax rules apply to a new trade business?

• Income tax: sole proprietors report business income and expenses on Form T2125. Nothing is withheld from what customers pay, so set money aside every month.
• Instalments: if your net tax owing is over $3,000 in the current year and in either of the two previous years, the CRA expects quarterly instalments on March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15.
• Canada Pension Plan: self-employed people pay both the employee and employer halves; in 2026 that is 5.95% plus 5.95% on eligible earnings, up to the yearly maximum.
• Records: keep every invoice and receipt for at least six years; it is what lets you claim expenses and input tax credits.

What do Doyo's partner and pro programs ask for?

Doyo Area Partners need a registered business: a corporation, or a sole proprietor with a registered business name or HST number. Partners never pay Doyo to join; Doyo pays them a share of its fee. Pros on Doyo are independent contractors, and their taxes, HST and business registration are their own.

Registered business? See Doyo's partner territoriesSee how