Company Registration Number Check: Same Legal Entity on Every Supplier Document

This article is provided for information only and is not legal advice. References are accurate as of 24 October 2026. Check current rules with a qualified professional before applying them to a specific supplier file.

A company registration number check on a Canadian supplier confirms that the entity named on each document exists in the register that governs it and that its name, status and tax identifiers agree across the file. Canada has no single register for all companies: a business may be incorporated federally, under Corporations Canada, or in a province or territory, and Québec keeps its own enterprise register. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) then issues a business number for tax purposes. A supplier file therefore usually mixes at least two identifier systems, and the check is to confirm they point to the same entity.

Which identifier belongs to which entity?

The corporation number identifies the legal entity in the register where it was incorporated; the CRA business number identifies it for tax programs; the two are not the same number. Write down which one each document shows before comparing.

The CRA describes a program account number as the nine-digit BN, a two-letter program identifier and a four-digit reference number, with GST/HST shown as RT and payroll as RP (CRA). Provincial identifiers such as an Ontario business identification number are separate from the federal BN. In Québec, the NEQ is a ten-digit identifier assigned to each enterprise registered with the Enterprise register, and its first two digits indicate the category, 11 for legal persons for instance (Québec.ca).

What does the cross-check matrix look like?

A Canadian supplier file needs at least seven cross-checks, each with a defined failure pattern. This is the core of the process.

Normalize before comparing. Strip "Inc.", "Ltd." and "Corp." for a first-pass match, then compare the full name. In Québec, also expect the French form of the name ("Inc." and "Ltée"), and treat an English and a French form of a name as a possible alias, not automatically a mismatch.

What does each lookup prove?

A register lookup shows the public record of the entity; it does not authenticate the PDF in front of you.

I could not confirm a public CRA validation tool for GST/HST numbers during the preparation of this article, so the guide does not describe one. If your organization has access to a tax-number validation service, treat its result as a dated observation and read its documentation for what it covers.

Which mismatches are harmless and which are red flags?

An amalgamation can change the corporation number while the business continues, so a mismatch on a number sometimes has an innocent explanation. The reviewer asks for the amalgamation certificate instead of guessing.

What do users ask about this check?

Users on specialized forums often ask two things. The first: "Is the business number the same as the GST number?" Not exactly. The GST/HST account is the BN plus RT and a four-digit reference, so the first nine digits are the BN but the account number is a program account. The second: "Do I have to search each province?" You search where the supplier says it was incorporated. If it claims a federal incorporation, use the federal search. If a document names a province, search that province's registry. Québec suppliers also have an NEQ, which you can look up in the Enterprise register.

How do you run the check step by step?

1. Extract name, jurisdiction, corporation number, BN and address from each document, keeping the document type next to each value.
2. Search the register of the incorporating jurisdiction and save the result with the date.
3. Compare each extracted value using the matrix above.
4. Classify each difference as formatting, alias or identity.
5. For identity differences, contact the supplier through a channel from the register or a prior contract, not from the document in question.
6. Record the decision and evidence in the supplier file.

For the document list, see our supplier onboarding documents checklist and the article on cross-document verification. The overall method is in the document verification guide.

How can the check be automated?

CheckFile compares the fields extracted from each document, such as legal name, corporation number, BN, NEQ, address and account holder, with each other and with the register data you supply, and lists the differences for a reviewer. It does not decide that a document is authentic; it shows where the file is inconsistent so a person can act. See how document validation works and the pricing.

FAQ

What is a company registration number check in Canada?

It is a comparison of the name and number on a document with the register of the jurisdiction where the entity was incorporated. It confirms that the entity exists and shows its public status.

Is the CRA business number the corporation number?

No. The BN is issued by the CRA and used across tax program accounts. The corporation number is issued by the incorporating registry. A file should carry both and tie them to the same name.

Does a register lookup prove the document is genuine?

No. It shows the public record of the entity. A forged certificate can still quote a real number, so name, status, signer and bank account holder must also match.

How often should the check be repeated?

At onboarding, when the supplier changes its bank details or address, and at each periodic review. A status that was active last year says nothing about today.