Start · Quebec
Start a business in Quebec
Quebec has its own corporate statute, its own tax administration (Revenu Québec), its own sales tax (QST), and language-compliance rules that other provinces don’t. None of it is hard once you know the order.
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Choose your structure
- Sole proprietorship vs. corporation.
- Incorporate in Quebec (REQ).
- Incorporate federally - you’ll still register with REQ for a NEQ.
After you register
- Get a CRA Business Number.
- Register for GST (federal) and QST (Revenu Québec) - two separate registrations.
- CNESST registration if you have employees - covers workplace safety, parental leave, and labour standards in one agency.
- Choose accounting software.
Quebec-specific notes
- Sales tax: 5% GST + 9.975% QST. You file GST with CRA and QST with Revenu Québec on a similar (but not identical) schedule.
- NEQ: your 10-digit Quebec enterprise number, issued by REQ. Appears on most filings.
- Annual declaration due within 6 months of fiscal year-end, ~$98.
- Bill 96 / French Charter - French-language compliance for contracts, public-facing materials, and HR. Plan for it on day one.
- Small Business Deduction - Quebec combined CCPC rate is among the lower in Canada.
Grants and programs
- Investissement Québec, PME MTL, and CDPQ Capital portfolio programs.
- Sector-specific: AluQuébec, In Vivo (life sciences), MT Lab (tourism).
- Browse the grants database filtered by Quebec.
Last updated: June 4, 2026. We review this page when rules or pricing change. Spot an error?