The anatomy of a compliant Quebec invoice

An invoice isn't just a payment request: it's a tax and legal document. Missing elements slow your collections (clients' accountants send it back) and weaken your file in a dispute or audit.

The checklist

• Your business identifiers: legal name, address, NEQ (Quebec enterprise number).
• Your tax numbers: GST number and QST number. Without them, the client can't claim input tax credits — and their accountant will return the invoice.
• RBQ licence number if the invoice covers regulated construction work.
• Sequential numbering without unexplained gaps. Invoice numbers are assigned at issuance, not at draft — gap-riddled sequences attract attention in an audit.
• Issue date and payment terms (net 30, late interest if applicable — the interest rate must be written to be enforceable).
• Work detail: labour, parts, travel, each on its own line with its taxes.
• GST and QST on distinct lines, with exact amounts.
• The client's language: for a Quebec client, a French version available (see our Bill 96 post).

The reflex that changes everything

Compliance shouldn't depend on the memory of whoever invoices. In MainteQC, the NEQ, tax numbers and RBQ licence are configured once and appear on every document; numbering is sequential at issuance; taxes calculate line by line; and the invoice follows the client's language. The invoice goes out right the first time — and payment follows.