If you represent a foreign corporation (i.e. a company constituted outside the province of Qu\u00e9bec, Canada) and plan on doing business in Qu\u00e9bec, you will surely enjoy everything Qu\u00e9bec has to offer: culture, cuisine, the French language, outdoor sports\/activities, festivals, an amazing landscape and great hospitality are just a few of the perks surrounding our vibrant economy.<\/p>\n
You will also notice that our bureaucracy is just as vibrant!<\/p>\n
As such, you should know that your corporation will be legally required to register itself at the\u00a0Qu\u00e9bec Enterprise Registrar<\/em>. The same registration obligation applies if the foreign corporation decides to purchase\u00a0real estate<\/a>\u00a0located within the province.<\/p>\n Under the\u00a0Act respecting the legal publicity of enterprises<\/em>,\u00a0any company carrying on an activity in Qu\u00e9bec, which includes the operation of a business, is\u00a0required\u00a0to register. The Act further clarifies this notion, stipulating that a corporation who has an address in Qu\u00e9bec or, either directly or through a representative, has an establishment, a post office box or the use of a telephone line in Qu\u00e9bec or performs any act for profit in Qu\u00e9bec is presumed to be carrying on an activity or operating an enterprise in Qu\u00e9bec.<\/p>\n As you can see from the above definitions, the threshold is fairly low and most businesses active in Qu\u00e9bec will be subject to this registration obligation. They will need to do so quickly as the registration declaration, along with the applicable fee, must be filed with the registrar no later than 60 days after the date on which registration becomes compulsory. If you have already passed this deadline, no worries, you may still file the paperwork at the Registrar.<\/p>\n Many foreign corporations, although they carry on business in Qu\u00e9bec,\u00a0do not have an actual address in the province<\/strong>. As mentioned above, they still need to register and provide a valid address (P.O. box is not sufficient). In such cases, these corporations will need to designate an attorney residing in Qu\u00e9bec and make sure this designation is reflected in the registration declaration.<\/p>\n