Introducing the CARM Setup Guide

For those who don’t know, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) system works to facilitate the financial elements and communications between importers and the CBSA. Its implementation, without too much fear of contradiction, stands apart as the most significant single systemic change to happen to the process of Canadian commercial importing since the move to digital entries. It fundamentally shifted how importers interact with the CBSA, and the impact of its implementation is still being felt today.

Even though the CBSA does offer some resources of its own, it is a common occurrence for importers to still have questions and concerns about what is required before, after, and during this process, including how to register for this system and how to get started using the portal. 

If you are an importer looking for the fundamentals of the CARM portal registration process, then you have arrived at the right place. PCB has a comprehensive guide ready to guide you through the basics, so when you next call your broker with a question about CARM, you have the baseline knowledge to get to the core of your issue.

Start the CARM Setup Process on the Right Track

Before we go too far into discussing what you can expect in our CARM Setup Guide, we recommend that you download and review the guide before you begin. 

The CARM Setup Guide can be found here. 

The Pre-Registration Checklist 

The first thing you may have noticed is that the document itself is 13 pages long and involves seven steps, with a secret first step of gathering your pre-registration documentation. For many importers, the pre-registration is a pitfall right out of the gate, and knowing what you need and how to get it is going to pay significant dividends by the time you are ready to start. 

A few points to consider during this process: 

• For many businesses, remembering what the ‘legal company name’ you registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is the first real challenge of the CARM registration process. Often, the easiest way to know what the CRA has your company name down as is to double-check the correspondence they have sent you. 
• Your Business Number (BN) is going to be a vital key to using the CARM Client Portal, so knowing it before you begin is critical. With that said, there are scenarios where you may not have a BN set up. As it says in the guide, if you are a business operating in Canada, getting one is simple, but if you aren’t, then a look at our Non-Resident Importer Guide could be your best bet. 
• Your Import/Export Program Account Number (RM) is almost entirely run through the CARM Client Portal, and as a result, not having one isn’t a big deal at this point, as you will by the end of the process. This might be a departure for some older businesses that are used to this being managed through the CRA back in the day. 
• It’s only one line in the guide, so it's worth reiterating that when designating Business Account Managers, it is wise to have at least two people. A little redundancy in this regard has saved a lot of headaches in the past. 

Once you have everything you need, you’re ready to start the process correctly. Here are a few highlights or things to think about as you move through this process. 

The CARM Registration Process

With the proper preparation, registering for CARM is a reasonably straightforward process, but there are a few things to keep in mind as you move through the process. 

• Keep your eyes open for correspondence from PCB during this process if you have worked with us in the past. Not only are we a valuable resource once you understand what registration involves, but we also provide information that you will need, such as the answers to your security questions. 
• The “Release Prior to Payment” Program (RPP) is an important program to understand. It serves as a privilege extended by the CBSA to allow goods to be released without submission of the final accounting documents or the payment of duties or taxes. 
• Maintaining the goodwill of Customs is essential as an importer, and losing access to the RPP Program is one of the key reasons why. 

On an important note, registration for the RPP Program is tied to the establishment of your financial security in the portal, but implementing that financial security can be more complex than this guide might suggest. You are encouraged to investigate the far more in-depth CARM Financial Security Guide for more details on what that means for you and your business. 

Additional Resources

Whether you’re brand new to importing or a seasoned vet, understanding this process at a ground level will do incredible work towards clarifying and amplifying what kinds of questions you should be asking your broker when you speak with them. Still, there is a lot more to learn and many more resources we can offer beyond assistance with the CBSA through this CARM Guide.

For example, our CARM Setup Assistance Service lets us take the wheel and handle your registration for you. At the same time, our CARM Payments Service allows our team to manage everything that happens after, including making payments and managing the portal on your behalf. 

We, of course, offer a host of other vital pieces of information covering nearly every aspect of registering for and using the CARM Client Portal - all of which can be found at our CARM Resource Hub.

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