AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
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The short answer
In Quebec, a sole proprietor who trades under a name that does not include their own first name and family name must register with the Registraire des entreprises within 60 days of starting activities, using the online registration declaration (Québec.ca, updated 30 March 2026). Once registered, every business files an annual updating declaration each year, even with no changes, pays the annual registration fee if registered on 1 January, and reports other changes within 30 days.
Quebec runs its own business register, the Registraire des entreprises du Québec (REQ), and its rules differ from Ontario's in ways that matter to a new founder in Montreal, Laval or Gatineau. Registration is not a one-off: the REQ expects a yearly declaration from every registered business. Most of what follows is from two Québec.ca pages read in October 2026, which are published in French; the English below is our summary.
Do you need to register?
For a sole proprietor, the trigger is the name. Québec.ca says you must register if you operate under a name that does not include your own family name and first name. So:
| You trade as | Registration needed? |
|---|---|
| Adaeze Okafor | Not because of the name |
| Adaeze Okafor Couture | Your full name is included; check the page for your case |
| Maison Ada | Yes, within 60 days of starting |
| A tobacco point of sale or a tanning salon | Yes, within 30 days, even under your own full name |
Partnerships and corporations have their own registration rules on Québec.ca; a corporation formed in another province that starts operating in Quebec should check the REQ's requirements before trading. If you are deciding between a sole proprietorship and a company, see federal or provincial incorporation.
How to register
- Settle on the name you will trade under, and read our French-language name guide before ordering signs.
- Complete the online registration declaration for a natural person (déclaration d'immatriculation d'une personne physique) on the Registraire des entreprises site.
- Pay the registration fee; the amount is on the REQ's separate tariff page, not on the registration page.
- Keep the confirmation and the enterprise number the register gives you; banks and suppliers will ask for it.
Do it within 60 days of your first activity, not 60 days from when you start feeling like a real business. If you took paid orders in March, March is the start.
After registration: the yearly cycle
The REQ's obligations page (updated 15 May 2025) sets out three continuing duties:
- Annual updating declaration
- Every registered business files one each year, during the period set for it, even if nothing has changed
- Annual registration fee
- Payable by any business registered on 1 January of the year
- Current update
- Within 30 days of any change, such as a new address or activity
Diarise the annual declaration window as soon as you register. Owners who travel to Nigeria for long stretches over the holidays should check the date before they go.
The French-language element
Since 1 June 2025, the REQ's obligations page says businesses with 5 to 24 employees must report, in their annual or current update, the share of employees who cannot communicate in French at work. For a small shop with family staff who speak English, Yoruba or Igbo at work, this is a reporting duty, not a ban, but answer it accurately.
Business names in Quebec are also subject to French-language rules. We cover what that means for a name like "Maison Ada" or an English or Nigerian-language brand in Quebec business names and French-language rules.
Worked example
Example only. Chinedu, a permanent resident in Montreal, starts selling phone accessories as "Naija Tech Montréal" on 10 February. The name does not include his first and family name, so he registers by 11 April at the latest (60 days). On 1 January the next year he is registered, so the annual registration fee applies, and he files his annual updating declaration in the set period. When he moves his stockroom from Côte-des-Neiges to Saint-Laurent in June, he files a current update within 30 days.
What to check first
- Whether your trading name includes your full first and family name.
- The date of your first sale, which starts the 60-day clock.
- The current fee on the REQ tariff page.
- Your annual declaration period, once registered.
- Whether you have 5 or more employees, for the French-language report.
Where Pryme fits
A Montreal business buying stock from Nigeria or receiving payments from Lagos can hold naira alongside USD, GBP and EUR in a Pryme Business Account, with invoicing and Swap showing the rate and fee before you approve. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's services are provided through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Do I need to register my business in Quebec?
A sole proprietor must register if trading under a name that does not include their own first name and family name, within 60 days of starting.
What is the REQ annual updating declaration?
A yearly declaration every registered business files with the Registraire des entreprises, even if nothing has changed.
How much does it cost to register a business in Quebec?
The registration fee and annual fee are on the REQ's tariff page; Québec.ca's registration page does not state them.
How long do I have to report changes to the REQ?
30 days after any change, through a current update declaration.
Sources
- Québec.ca: Immatriculer une personne physique exploitant une entreprise individuelle (updated 30 Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Québec.ca: Obligations légales liées à l'immatriculation d'une entreprise (updated 15 May 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.