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  • The incorporation of a corporation (company) can be done either under provincial or federal law. The differences between the Quebec Business Corporations Act and the Canada Business Corporations Act have been discussed in other articles on this blog. In general, it can be said that the Quebec incorporation regime offers more flexibility than the federal regime; however, federal corporations may have certain limitations.
  • Since July 31, 2024, it has been possible to search by last name and first name at the Enterprise Registrar: https://www.registreentreprises.gouv.qc.ca/REQNA/GR/GR03/GR03A71.RechercheRegistre.MVC/GR03A71/RechercheNomPrenom By entering a person's name, you can see which entities he or she is associated with in Quebec, whether as a shareholder, officer,director or ultimate beneficiary. For the search to work, both the surname and first name must be entered.
  • The dissolution of a company corporation signifies the end of its existence. There are a number of formalities to be complied with in order to authorize the dissolution of a company in Quebec and Canada. The rules are similar for companies incorporated in Ontario. By consent of directors When the company (under Quebec law) has no obligations (debts), no assets and no shareholders, the Board of Directors may decide to dissolve it by simple resolution. For companies
  • Here are 5 widely-held but inaccurate myths about companies. Myth #1: A provincial company cannot do business outside the province This is false. Federal incorporation is not required to do business outside the province of incorporation. Once incorporated, a provincial company has "legal personality" and is free to do business anywhere, subject to the following conditions
  • The three "basic" rights attached to a company's shares are the right to receive any dividends declared, the right to vote at any shareholders' meeting, and the right to share in the remaining property in the event of dissolution or liquidation. The Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) and the Quebec Business Corporations Act (QBCA) regulate the existence of these three basic rights differently.
  • Determining ultimate beneficiaries for the purposes of the Legal Publicity Act ("LPLE") can be complex when one of the shareholders is a discretionary family trust, heavily used for tax planning purposes. While many grey areas remain on how to apply these new rules (in effect since March 2023), here are a few (non-exhaustive) elements to consider in determining ultimate beneficiaries when a shareholder is a trust
  • The election of a company's directors is an important component of corporate governance. Here are a few practical considerations. Number ofdirectors When the company is incorporated, the articles of incorporation must specify either a fixed number ofdirectors or a minimum and maximum number ofdirectors. When the number is fixed, the shareholders must elect or attempt to elect this fixed number ofdirectors. In practice, the number
  • When a company is incorporated, so-called "control" shares are often included in the share capital structure. These shares enable the holder to have greater control over the company's affairs than other shareholders. Here's a summary of how this type of share works. Characteristics Control shares generally carry no dividend rights. In most cases, the only rights conferred on holders of
  • Since 2018, federally incorporated corporations have been required to maintain a register of individuals with significant control ("IBO"). The purpose of the register is to be able to determine which individuals control a given corporation, even if shares are held through another corporation, or by a nominee. On March 31, 2023, Quebec legislators followed suit with the concept of "beneficiary" disclosure.

 

The information contained in the articles on the IncorporationQuebec.net website does not constitute legal opinions, and is only general information intended to popularise certain legal concepts relating to company law or SME taxation. The information contained in the articles may not be applicable to certain specific cases. Pronto Corporate Services Inc. and the author of the texts are not responsible for any error, inaccuracy or out-of-date information that may be contained in the articles.

May 15, 2019

Practical advice for choosing a company name

It is not always easy to find a business name, especially since the choice of name is restricted by various laws in Quebec. First, the
July 22, 2019

Incorporate under Quebec or Canadian law?

When the time comes to incorporate a business, it is necessary to decide under which law the company will be incorporated: the Quebec law (Business Corporations Act),
August 11, 2020

Canadian incorporation: make sure you pay for your shares

One of the major differences between the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) and the Business Corporations Act (Quebec) (QBCA) is that the CBCA
September 12, 2020

Transfer of shares and arm's length relationship

Transfers of shares, by sale, gift or otherwise, often occur between people with family ties, especially within family businesses.
October 12, 2020

Responsibility of directors

The position ofdirector in a corporation implies a lot of responsibility. Indeed, both the corporate laws and the
October 20, 2020

Transfer of shares and formalism

When it comes to transferring shares, whether by sale, donation or otherwise, it is important to respect the rules laid down by the law
October 25, 2020

Can an LLC be formed in Canada?

The LLC (Limited Liability Company) is a specific legal vehicle in the United States. The first US state to enact legislation allowing the creation of an LLC was the
October 28, 2020

Common shares vs. preferred shares

The authorised share capital of a corporation may provide for several classes of shares. In this case, the company's articles of association will
March 1, 2021

How to issue shares

There are legal formalities that must be complied with when issuing shares, whether it is for an initial issue following the incorporation of the