Self-employed pre-approval in Quebec.

Prime lenders qualify on Line 15000 of your T1 General — after deductions. A profitable business can show a thin income figure once write-offs are applied.

Quebec adds its own layer. Notarial closings replace the lawyer step elsewhere. Underwriters expect the notary, not a lawyer, on instructions. That matters here because underwriters are already scrutinizing the income side of a self-employed file — a property or program complication local to Quebec can push a marginal file over the edge.

Welcome Tax (droits de mutation) on a tiered scale; Montreal adds an extra bracket above $500K.

Programs to check eligibility for in Quebec:

• Home Buyers' Plan
• FHSA
• Montreal Home Ownership Program (varies by family composition)

• Two years T1 Generals (all pages)
• Two years CRA NOAs (no balance owing)
• Business financial statements or 12–24 months of business bank statements
• Articles of incorporation, T2 corporate return and Notice of Assessment if incorporated
• GST/HST returns where relevant
• Proof your HST/CRA accounts are in good standing

Quebec nuance: Income tax assessments use the Revenu Québec format alongside the CRA NOA; expect both.

• Co-ownership (divided/undivided) materially changes lender appetite.
• Quebec Law 25 affects what data lenders and brokers can collect.
• Quebec employment letters must usually be bilingual or accompanied by a translation.

Underwriter view of this scenario: Underwriters average 2 years of NOA income. A strong recent year alone will not carry the file at a prime lender; it will at a B-lender with a fee.

• Two consecutive clean NOAs with no balance owing
• Consistent or growing T1 income (no decline year-over-year)
• GST/HST filings current
• Personal credit kept clean — utilization under 30%

• CRA balance owing on either of the last two NOAs.
• Income that drops more than 20% year-over-year without a documented reason.
• Personal credit utilization above 50% or any missed payments in the last 12 months.