Business and GST/HST Numbers
All businesses with annual sales of $30,000 or more are required to have a Business Number (BN) or a GST/HST number. This number tells you that the company has registered with the government and its company ownership information is on file.
If you are hiring a professional contractor to work on your home, your contract should include the company's BN or GST/HST number. A contractor that cannot provide you with this number either does very little work each year or is operating illegally.