What tax applies to your fees for a Quebec company?

5% GST plus 9.975% QST, shown separately on your proposal and invoices.

Should a Quebec company work with Quebec advisers too?

Yes. For legal and tax matters, use a lawyer or notary and an accountant who practise in Quebec. Quebec's private law and provincial tax administration differ from the rest of Canada. We work on the business side alongside them.

Can French-language compliance affect value?

It can. A company whose advertising, signs or website do not meet Quebec's language requirements has a compliance gap that someone will need to fix. The OQLF publishes guidance for businesses, and a Quebec lawyer can advise on specifics.

Value Creation for Quebec Business Owners

A value-creation plan for a Quebec company uses the same eight value drivers as anywhere in Canada, but Quebec's institutions are distinct enough that several drivers look different here. The province has its own sales tax alongside GST, its own enterprise register, a single commission for workplace standards and safety, a contractor licensing regime that is broad in scope, and language requirements that apply to commercial advertising and websites. Each of these is part of the evidence a careful reader would look at.

We work with owners in Montréal, Québec City, Laval, Gatineau, Sherbrooke and elsewhere in the province, in person and by video call, as well as by phone, text and email. For legal and tax questions, Quebec owners should rely on Quebec-qualified advisers; we work alongside them on the business side.

GST, QST and margin analysis

Quebec companies charge 5% GST plus 9.975% QST, and our fees carry both, as listed on our pricing page. Two taxes make it even more important to keep margin analysis on a clean pre-tax basis your accountant has confirmed. When we review prices and gross margin in our margin and EBITDA work, we start from figures that exclude both.

Records and licences

Registraire des entreprises holds Quebec's enterprise records. Current annual updates and accurate information about directors and shareholders are basics.
CNESST covers labour standards, pay equity and workplace health and safety. A file in good standing is evidence of discipline.
RBQ: doing construction work for clients, or arranging it, generally calls for an RBQ licence in the correct subclasses, unless an exemption applies. On site, workers also need competency certification from the CCQ.

For construction and trades companies, the question for value is how the RBQ licence is held and who the respondents are. If the company's licence depends on the owner personally, that is credential dependence. Confirm the requirements with the RBQ, and plan for continuity well in advance. Our owner-dependency audit treats this as one of five kinds of dependence.

French-language requirements

Quebec's Charter of the French Language, as amended by Bill 96, makes French the clearly dominant language of public signs and commercial advertising. From 1 June 2025, an English-only trademark or business name seen from outside a premises needs accompanying French wording, and a company's website and social media for Quebec customers must be offered in French. The OQLF publishes guidance for businesses.

In value terms, compliance is part of earnings quality and risk. A gap here is a cost someone will have to pay. Fix it as an early initiative, with advice from a Quebec lawyer on specifics.

Seasonality and cash

Quebec winters are long and snowy, and the heating season stretches further the farther a company operates from the St. Lawrence valley. Seasonal businesses should set cash targets against their own slow months and track receivable days monthly on a value dashboard.

Programs and concentration

For home-service and energy-upgrade companies, Hydro-Québec's LogisVert offers grants for ENERGY STAR heat pumps and other measures, and Hydro-Québec said in October 2026 that requests were being processed normally ahead of a federal heat pump rebate expected in 2027. Meanwhile, the provincial Chauffez vert aid for replacing oil or propane heating stopped accepting applications after 31 March 2026. Both as of October 2026; confirm with the administrators.

The lesson for value: programs open and close. Track the share of revenue that depends on any one of them, and treat a high share as concentration risk.

How an engagement runs for Quebec owners

The assessment and monthly work run well by video call, with in-person sessions where they help. If you would prefer to work in French, say so in your first message so we can discuss how best to arrange it. When you are ready, a call or text to (604) 632-4959, or an email to Ali@Sedighi.ca, is all it takes. The first 30-minute consultation is free. Other regions are on the areas page.

Value creation in Quebec