Revenue dropped, or you’re winding down the business — here’s the actual closing process, deadlines, and what you owe on the way out.
Last updated: June 2026
You can apply to close your GST/HST account if you’ve stopped your commercial activity entirely, or if you were a voluntary registrant and no longer wish to be registered and your revenue is genuinely below the small supplier threshold. Mandatory registrants generally cannot close their account simply because revenue has temporarily dipped — the small supplier rules for exiting are more specific than for entering.
Closure is normally requested online through your CRA My Business Account, by phone, or by mail using the prescribed form. You’ll need to confirm your effective closing date and reason. You must file one final return covering the period up to closure, and account for tax on business assets you still hold if you claimed Input Tax Credits on them — similar to how many countries require accounting for retained stock at deregistration.
Yes — closing isn’t permanent. If your revenue picks back up and crosses the threshold again, or you want to re-register voluntarily, you go through the normal registration process again, typically under the same business number.
Not necessarily if you were registered because you exceeded the threshold — check CRA’s specific small supplier exit rules, which are more restrictive than the entry rules. Voluntary registrants generally have more flexibility to close.
If you claimed Input Tax Credits on business assets you still hold, you may need to account for tax on their value at closure, similar to a deemed disposition.
The CRA typically processes closure requests within a few weeks, with confirmation provided through My Business Account or by mail.
If your final return shows you’ve overpaid, the CRA will refund the difference in the normal way, the same as any other GST/HST return.
Often yes, your business number typically remains associated with your business even if the GST/HST account is closed and later reopened.
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