NEQ: The Quebec Enterprise Number Explained

If you have just started a business in Quebec, you have probably run into three letters that show up on almost every government form: NEQ. The Quebec enterprise number is the identifier that ties your business to the provincial system, and knowing how it works saves you time, confusion and the occasional rejected form. This guide explains what the NEQ is, how to read it, how to get one, how to look one up for free, and how it differs from your federal Business Number.

What is the NEQ?

The NEQ, short for numéro d'entreprise du Québec (Quebec enterprise number), is a ten-digit identifier assigned by the Registraire des entreprises to every enterprise registered in Quebec's enterprise register. Think of it as your business's provincial ID card: it identifies your enterprise in its dealings with public bodies, business partners and the general public.

Every registered business doing business in Quebec must have one. Whether you run a sole proprietorship under a trade name, a Quebec corporation, a non-profit or a partnership, the NEQ is the number the province uses to recognize you.

You will use your NEQ constantly. Quebec bodies such as Revenu Québec (for QST), the CNESST, the SAAQ, Emploi-Quebec and the OQLF all rely on it to identify your enterprise. Banks, suppliers and landlords may also ask for it when you open accounts or sign contracts.

How to read an NEQ: the ten digits

An NEQ is always ten digits long, and it is not random. The first digits tell you the legal form of the enterprise, which makes the number surprisingly informative at a glance.

So if a supplier hands you an NEQ starting with 22, you know you are dealing with an individual operating a business personally, not a corporation. An NEQ starting with 11 generally signals an incorporated entity, which matters when you are assessing liability and who you are actually contracting with.

One important rule for the self-employed: a natural person can hold only one NEQ, even if they operate several businesses. If you run a web design side hustle and a photography business, both activities live under the same personal NEQ. Corporations are different: each corporation is its own legal person, so each one gets its own number.

How do you get an NEQ?

Here is the good news: there is no separate NEQ application. The number is assigned automatically when your business enters the enterprise register, through one of three paths.

1. Registration (déclaration d'immatriculation). If you operate a sole proprietorship under a name other than your own, or a partnership, you file a registration declaration with the Registraire des entreprises. The fee is about $41 for a sole proprietorship, and your NEQ is issued as part of the process. Our step-by-step guide to registering a business in Quebec online walks through the whole filing.

2. Incorporation of a Quebec corporation. When you incorporate provincially, the $397 government fee covers constitution of the corporation, and the NEQ is assigned automatically at the same time. No extra form, no extra wait. If you are weighing this route, our incorporation service handles the filings and the corporate documents that should come with them.

3. Extra-provincial registration. Federal corporations that do business in Quebec must register with the REQ, and they receive their NEQ upon that registration. A federally incorporated company is not exempt from the Quebec register just because it was created under federal law.

The own-name exception. Sole proprietors who operate under their own first and last name, with no trade name, generally do not need to register at all, which means they have no NEQ. Voluntary registration is possible, and some self-employed people choose it because certain clients or institutions ask for an NEQ. If you are still deciding between staying a sole proprietor and incorporating, our comparison of sole proprietorship vs incorporation in Canada covers the trade-offs.

How to look up an NEQ (free)

The enterprise register is public and free. Anyone can perform an NEQ number lookup, no account or payment required. You can search by business name or by NEQ directly through the Quebec enterprise register search.

A search returns the essentials: the enterprise's NEQ, its name and other names it uses, its address, its legal form, and the people connected to it, such as directors or the individual behind a sole proprietorship.

This makes the register a genuinely useful due diligence tool:

If you have misplaced your own NEQ, the fastest fix is simply to search your business name in the register. For the official overview of the number itself, the government maintains a dedicated page on the Quebec enterprise number (NEQ).

NEQ vs federal Business Number (BN): what is the difference?

Founders often confuse the NEQ with the federal Business Number, and the confusion is understandable: both are government identifiers for your business. They are, however, entirely different numbers issued by different levels of government for different purposes.

The BN is a nine-digit identifier assigned by the Canada Revenue Agency. It extends to 15 characters when program accounts are added: RT for GST/HST, RP for payroll, and RC for corporate income tax. Getting a BN is free.

A Quebec business often holds both numbers at once: the NEQ for provincial obligations and the BN for federal ones. They do not replace each other. For details on the federal side, see the CRA's page on registering your business.

Keeping your NEQ active

An NEQ is not a set-it-and-forget-it number. Every registered enterprise must file an annual updating declaration with the Registraire des entreprises to confirm or correct the information in the register. The fee is about $41 for a sole proprietorship and $106 for a corporation.

Skipping it has real consequences. Failing to file can lead to penalties, and a business that stays delinquent can ultimately be struck off the register (radiation). For a corporation, that is a serious problem: the entity the province recognizes can effectively disappear from the register, along with the credibility your NEQ gives you with banks, clients and government bodies.

The annual declaration is one piece of a broader habit of keeping your corporate records in order. Our guide to corporate records in Canada explains what else belongs in that routine.

FAQ about the NEQ

How much does an NEQ cost?

There is no separate fee for the NEQ itself. It is assigned automatically when you register or incorporate. Registration costs about $41 for a sole proprietorship, and incorporating a Quebec corporation costs $397 in government fees. After that, the annual updating declaration is about $41 for a sole proprietorship and $106 for a corporation.

How do I find my NEQ?

Search the Quebec enterprise register, which is public and free. Enter your business name and your record will show your NEQ along with your registered address, legal form and the people connected to the enterprise. The same search works for any business, so you can also use it to verify clients and suppliers.

Do self-employed people need an NEQ?

It depends on the name you use. If you operate under your own first and last name, you generally do not need to register, so no NEQ is required. If you use any other business name, registration is mandatory and the NEQ comes with it. Voluntary registration is also possible if you want one anyway.

Is the NEQ the same as the GST/QST numbers?

No. The NEQ is a ten-digit Quebec identifier from the Registraire des entreprises. GST is a federal program account (RT) attached to your nine-digit CRA Business Number, and QST is administered by Revenu Québec. They are separate identifiers, and a Quebec business commonly holds several of them at the same time.

Can I have two NEQs?

Not as an individual. A natural person can hold only one NEQ, even when operating several businesses; all of them fall under the same number. Corporations work differently: each corporation is a distinct legal person, so if you own two corporations, each has its own NEQ.

Get your NEQ the right way

The simplest way to get an NEQ is to not think about it at all: when you incorporate with Lexstart, the number is assigned automatically as part of the process, and you come out the other side with a complete corporate base, not just a number in a register. Compare our pricing or browse our full range of legal services to get set up properly from day one.