Structuring a fast-growing Montréal company
Incorporate your Montréal business from $999, government fees included. Shareholder agreement, minute book and a file reviewed by Quebec lawyers.
Co-founders, investors and intellectual property
Complete legal filings
Each incorporation includes all legal filings required to create a compliant and operational corporation from day one.
Share capital structure
Depending on the option selected, your share capital structure is prepared in a simple or advanced format to support the future evolution of your business.
Digital minute book
All corporate documents are delivered in a digital minute book, ready for electronic signature and secure record keeping.
Professional validation
Documents are prepared according to established legal standards and reviewed before delivery.
Human support
Our team supports you throughout the process and provides guidance when decisions need to be made, without unnecessary complexity.
Incorporate your business
Build your company in Quebec or federally with a strong legal structure from day one.
Keep your company’s annual filings up to date and maintain compliance of your corporate minute book.
Access professional legal templates to structure relationships with your employees, partners, and suppliers.
By opening a NBC business account.
A guided process, from information gathering to final document delivery.
Each step is designed to ensure compliance and legal consistency.
Tailor your incorporation to your needs (simple or advanced structure).
Each file is reviewed before delivery to ensure a reliable outcome.
Our incorporation guides
Clear resources to help you understand the legal aspects of starting a business.
Incorporation
Discover the complete guide to incorporation in Quebec. Essential steps, expert tips and key information to create and manage your corporation.
The Complete Guide to Incorporating in Quebec (QBCA)
Everything you need to know to incorporate under the Quebec Business Corporations Act. Key actors, articles, costs and the process explained simply.
The Complete Guide to Federal Incorporation in Canada (CBCA)
Incorporate your business under the Canada Business Corporations Act. Key actors, articles, annual costs and the federal incorporation process explained clearly.
The Complete Guide to Incorporating in Ontario (OBCA)
Incorporate your business under the Ontario Business Corporations Act. Key actors, articles, annual costs and the provincial incorporation process explained clearly.
Real results that demonstrate our expertise and commitment.
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Why Montréal changes the incorporation decision
Montréal holds the highest concentration of early-stage companies in Quebec. Artificial intelligence, video games, visual effects, financial services, cleantech and creative industries all share one trait: they move fast, with co-founders, outside capital and intellectual property to protect. That is exactly when legal structure stops being paperwork.
A Montréal freelancer billing a few clients can operate as a sole proprietor for years. The moment a partner joins, an angel investor asks about your cap table, or a major client requires an incorporated entity before signing, the sole proprietorship becomes a real obstacle.
Three Montréal situations where incorporating becomes urgent
First, you are starting with two or three people. Without a corporation there is no clean way to divide ownership, handle a co-founder leaving, or protect what each person built. A shareholders agreement only exists inside a corporation.
Second, you are raising capital. Investors buy shares, not slices of a sole proprietorship. Without a share structure the conversation ends before it starts.
Third, you are building intellectual property: code, models, brands, content. Held by the corporation instead of by you personally, that IP becomes a transferable, financeable and defensible asset.
What you actually get
- A separate legal person, so your personal assets no longer answer for business debts
- A reduced tax rate on the first $500,000 of eligible active business income, plus tax deferral when profits stay in the company
- A share structure that can welcome partners, employee shareholders or investors
- Immediate credibility with enterprise clients, lenders and procurement teams
Online incorporation, reviewed by lawyers
Lexstart built its service for Montréal founders who do not want to schedule three meetings to get started. You complete a questionnaire in about 15 minutes. A Quebec legal team reviews your file, prepares your articles, your digital minute book and your initial resolutions, then files everything. No appointments, and no surprises: our pricing includes government fees.
For the full walkthrough, read our guide on incorporating a business online in Canada, or start your incorporation.
By opening a NBC business account.
Provincial or federal when you are based in Montréal?
Most Montréal companies serving Quebec clients choose the provincial regime under Quebec's Business Corporations Act. It is simpler, cheaper to maintain, and sufficient as long as your operations stay in Quebec.
Federal incorporation matters in two specific cases. If you plan to open an office, hire, or physically establish in another province, federal incorporation gives you name protection across Canada. If you are targeting investors outside Quebec or an eventual sale to a Canadian or American buyer, many advisors prefer a federal entity simply because they know it better.
One common misunderstanding among Montréal tech companies: selling software or services to Ontario, U.S. or European clients from Montréal does not force you to incorporate federally. Real establishment in another province triggers obligations, not remote sales.
Your corporate name and Quebec's language rules
Montréal is a bilingual market and many founders want an English or neutral name. A Quebec corporation's legal name must be in French, with exceptions for trademarks and family names. An English version can be used outside Quebec. We check this before filing, so your name is not rejected by the Registraire.
After incorporation: what growing companies forget
A Quebec corporation must file an annual updating declaration with the Registraire des entreprises, keep its minute book current, file a separate corporate tax return, and document major decisions by resolution. Fast-growing companies neglect this the most, and they are also the ones who pay for it during due diligence, a funding round or a sale.
Common questions from Montréal entrepreneurs
Can I incorporate in Montréal if my clients are elsewhere? Yes. Your head office is in Quebec; your clients can be anywhere.
Do I need commercial premises? No. A Quebec address is enough, and many founders use their home address.
Compare all three routes in REQ, online platform or notary, or start your incorporation.