RoostPay calculates payroll deductions, but it does not remit them to the CRA. Your Business Number (BN) and Payroll Deductions (RP) account are stored for year-end tax forms. You use the same numbers when you remit income tax, CPP, and EI yourself. This article covers both ways to enter those numbers in RoostPay.
1. Open CRA payroll setup
From the Register CRA urgent action on Home, or from wherever CRA setup is linked in the app, you’ll land on the CRA payroll setup screen. It explains why this is required:
- Your 9-digit Business Number (BN) identifies you as an employer with the CRA, including on year-end tax forms.
- Your Payroll (RP) account is the CRA account you use to remit income tax, CPP, and EI. RoostPay does not send those remittances.
- We need both numbers for year-end tax forms. You also need them to remit to the CRA outside the app.
You have two paths from here: the guided wizard, or entering numbers you already have.
2. Option A — Use the guided wizard
If you haven’t registered with the CRA yet, tap I need help setting this up (guided wizard). The wizard has four steps:
- Before you start — a checklist of what to have ready: your SIN, full name, title and phone number; your business’s legal/operating name, business type, and start date; and your mailing address plus payroll details (first pay date, pay frequency, number of employees, expected annual wages).
- Register Payroll Deductions (RP) — instructions for using the CRA’s Business Registration Online (BRO) portal to create your BN and add an RP account. Tap Open CRA BRO portal to launch it in your browser, complete registration there, then return to RoostPay.
- Enter your CRA numbers — enter your 9-digit CRA Business Number and your 4-digit Payroll Number (RP extension) from your CRA confirmation (for example, BN
123456789and RP0001). - Are you switching from another payroll provider mid-year? — choose Yes, I’m switching mid-year or No, starting fresh with RoostPay.
Tap Next to move between steps and Back to return to a previous one. On the last step, tap Save CRA details to submit.
3. Option B — Enter an existing BN and RP account
If you’ve already completed CRA registration, tap Enter existing BN and RP on the CRA payroll setup screen. In the sheet that opens:
- Enter your CRA Business Number (9 digits) and your Payroll Number (RP extension) (4 digits).
- Answer whether you’re switching from another payroll provider mid-year.
- Tap Save.
RoostPay confirms with “CRA Information Saved,” showing your Business Number and Payroll Account. Tap Return Home to continue.
Edge cases
- Enter exactly 9 digits / Enter exactly 4 digits: shown if your Business Number or Payroll Number doesn’t match the expected length.
- Please choose Yes or No to continue: shown if you try to save without answering the switching-providers question.
- Unable to open the CRA portal: try again, or open the CRA Business Registration Online site directly in your browser.