How to Register a Business in Quebec (Sole Proprietorship, Partnership or Corporation)

To register a business in Quebec, you file a declaration of registration with the Registraire des entreprises du Québec (REQ). In 2026 the fee is $41 for a sole proprietorship and $63 for a partnership. A Quebec corporation is registered automatically when it is incorporated, for $397. Every registered business receives a 10-digit Quebec enterprise number (NEQ).

This guide covers Quebec business registration from start to finish: who has to register, what it costs, the French-language rules for names, the yearly filings, and the tax accounts you open afterwards with Revenu Québec.

Who has to register a business in Quebec?

Most businesses that operate in Quebec must be in the enterprise register, which the Registraire des entreprises keeps. According to Québec.ca, registration is required for:

• Sole proprietors who operate under a name that does not include their own first and last names (plus certain tobacco retailers and tanning salons, whatever name they use).
• General and limited partnerships formed in Quebec, and certain partnerships formed elsewhere that carry on an activity in Quebec.
• Corporations formed outside Quebec (federal or other-province corporations) that have a domicile in Quebec, carry on an activity there, or hold certain real rights in Quebec property.
• Certain trusts operating a commercial enterprise, and co-ownership syndicates.

Two groups don't file a declaration of registration. A sole proprietor who does business only under their own first and last name doesn't need to register. A corporation incorporated under Quebec law is registered automatically by the Registraire when it is constituted.

Businesses that must register are expected to do so as soon as they are created.

Quebec business registration fees (2026)

The Registraire des entreprises publishes its fees each year. These are the 2026 government fees. They are not taxable.

The annual registration fee is not charged for the year you first register or for the following year. If it is paid late, a 5% penalty applies plus 1% for each full month of delay, up to 12 months.

What is a NEQ?

The NEQ (numéro d'entreprise du Québec) is the 10-digit number the Registraire assigns when a business is registered. You use it to identify your business to the Registraire and to other Quebec government bodies. The first two digits show the legal form: a NEQ beginning with 22 belongs to a sole proprietorship.

The NEQ is not the same as the federal business number (BN) issued by the Canada Revenue Agency. Most Quebec businesses end up with both.

How to register a sole proprietorship or partnership in Quebec

1. Check whether you need to register. If you are a sole proprietor working only under your own first and last name, you don't. Any other name, or any partnership, means you do.
2. Choose a name that meets the French-language rules. Search the enterprise register to see whether similar names are already in use (see the name rules below).
3. Set up online access. The Registraire's online services are in My Office (Mon bureau), which you reach through clicSÉQUR, the Quebec government's authentication service for businesses.
4. File the declaration of registration. Give the business name, address, activities, owners or partners and other required details. Pay $41 for a sole proprietorship or $63 for a partnership, or the priority fee for faster processing.
5. Receive your NEQ. Your information then appears in the public enterprise register.
6. Open your tax accounts. Register with Revenu Québec for the QST and GST once you pass the small-supplier threshold (below).
7. Keep the registration current. File the annual updating declaration every year, and report changes within 30 days.

A general partnership's partners are personally responsible for its debts. If that's a concern, compare the options in our sole proprietorship vs corporation guide and our overview of general partnerships.

French-language rules for business names in Quebec

Québec.ca is direct about this: a business name must respect the Charter of the French Language and therefore be in French. For a corporation constituted in Quebec, a French name is a condition of having legal personality at all.

• Sole proprietors: the legal name of a sole proprietorship is the owner's first and last name. A different trade name must be registered and must comply with the French-language rules.
• Corporations formed outside Quebec: if the constituting documents have no French version of the name, the corporation must declare a French name it will use in Quebec. It is listed under "other names used in Québec" in the register.
• Structure of a name: a name usually has a generic part (what the business does), a specific part (what makes it distinct) and, for corporations, a legal-form element such as Inc. or Ltd. The name must not misstate the legal form.

What changed with Bill 96?

Bill 96 (2022) amended the Charter of the French Language, and its last provisions on commercial signage took effect on June 1, 2025. Since then, if a business name containing an expression from another language appears on signs visible from outside the premises, French terms must accompany it, such as a generic term, a description of the products or services, or a slogan, so that French is markedly predominant. Signage rules sit with the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF), not the Registraire. Check its guidance before you order signs.

Incorporating in Quebec vs incorporating federally

If you want limited liability, you can incorporate under Quebec's Business Corporations Act (QBCA) or federally under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA). Both work in Quebec, but the registration steps differ.

For a business that operates mainly in Quebec, a QBCA corporation is usually simpler: one registry, one set of annual filings and no director residency rule. Federal incorporation can make more sense if you plan to operate in several provinces under one name. Our federal vs provincial incorporation guide covers the trade-offs.

OpenCompany can incorporate your company in Quebec, from name to articles. For other provinces or a federal corporation, see all incorporation options, and compare packages on our pricing page.

After you register: Revenu Québec, QST, GST and CNESST

QST and GST registration

Quebec handles sales tax differently from the rest of Canada. For businesses located in Quebec, Revenu Québec administers the GST/HST as well as the Quebec sales tax (QST). You register for both with Revenu Québec, not with the CRA. Selected listed financial institutions are the main exception.

• Rates: GST is 5% and QST is 9.975%.
• When registration is mandatory: once your taxable supplies exceed $30,000 in a calendar quarter or over the last four quarters. Below that you are a small supplier, but you can register voluntarily to claim input tax credits and refunds.

Employers: CNESST

If you hire staff, you must register with the CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail) for workplace health and safety coverage. You also have to keep a payroll record and give each employee a pay slip.

Income tax

A sole proprietor reports business income on their personal tax returns. In Quebec that means a federal return and a separate Quebec return, and contributions go to the Quebec Pension Plan rather than the CPP. A corporation files its own federal and Quebec corporate returns.

Annual obligations: keeping your registration active

Every registered business must file an annual updating declaration, even when nothing has changed. Filing periods depend on the type of business:

Changes during the year, such as a new address, new partners or new directors, go on a current updating declaration within 30 days. It's free if filed on time.

The penalty for skipping filings is serious. If a business misses two consecutive annual updating declarations, the Registraire can cancel its registration on its own initiative. For a corporation constituted in Quebec, that cancellation means dissolution. Revocation is possible, but it costs $134 and paperwork you could have avoided.