How to register your business for taxes (GST/QST)

Why register for GST and QST?

For many entrepreneurs, registering for the GST and QST raises a number of questions of varying importance.

Who needs to register for GST and QST?

Even businesses with small supplier status must register in the following situations:

• If the total value of your taxable supplies and services exceeds $30,000 during a calendar quarter or over the course of the previous four quarters;
• If you operate a taxi or limousine service;
• If you charge admission fees to the public for events taking place in Quebec (even if you do not reside there).

However, if you engage in any of the following activities in Quebec, you are required to register for the QST and collect the tax, regardless of your sales amount (even if the total is less than $30,000):

• Sale of tobacco products,
• Fuel sales,
• Sale of alcoholic beverages,
• Sale or lease of motor vehicles for a period of more than 12 months,
• Sale or rental of new tires.

When should you register for GST and QST?

The deadline for registration varies depending on whether you want to register for GST or QST.

• Register for the QST: For the QST, your business must register before providing its first taxable service in Quebec. In this case, it must also collect this tax as soon as it registers or as of the date it was required to register.
• Register for the GST: For the GST, the company must apply for registration by the 30th day following the date on which it invoiced its first taxable service in Canada. The GST becomes collectible upon registration or on the date the company was required to register.

What information is required during registration?

To register for GST and QST with Revenu Québec, you’ll need to provide the following information and documents:

• Social Insurance Number (SIN);
• Quebec business number from the Registraire des entreprises (if applicable);
• Canada Revenue Agency business number (if applicable);
• Business name (if applicable);
• The business’s primary commercial activity and secondary activities (if any);
• Date the business began operations;
• Total taxable sales the business expects to generate in Canada over the next 12 months;
• Home address and phone number;
• Business address and phone number;
• Mailing address.

You can also submit an application on behalf of someone else without a prior power of attorney.

In addition to the information and documents listed above, you’ll also need to provide the following personal information:

• First and last name;
• Date of birth;
• The last three digits of your Social Insurance Number.

How do you register?

You can register through various channels. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. We’ll let you choose from the following methods:

• 418-659-4692 for Quebec City
• Online, on the Revenu Québec website,
• “Direction principale des relations avec la clientèle des entreprises, Revenu Québec, C. P. 3000, succursale Place-Desjardins, Montréal (Québec) H5B 1A4” for the Montreal, Laval, Laurentides, Lanaudière and Montérégie regions, or to “Direction principale des relations avec la clientèle des entreprises, Revenu Québec, 3800, rue de Marly, Québec (Québec) G1X 4A5”

How can you find an expert to help you register for taxes?

Bankeo is a platform that connects you with accountants who can help you through this process.

So don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to find an accountant who understands your business needs and can help you through this process. https://www.bankeo.ca/