Bill 96 substantially amends the Charter of the French Language. Assented to in June 2022, it tightens language requirements for businesses operating in Quebec. For invoicing, the rule is clear: invoices, receipts and commercial documents must be drawn up in French. Another language may accompany them, provided the French version is no less available and no less prominent. The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) enforces the Charter; businesses in breach face fines of $3,000 to $30,000, doubled for repeat offences. Beyond fines, non-compliance can hurt relationships with public bodies and large Quebec buyers.
Issuing the invoice in French
For a customer established in Quebec, the invoice must be in French. In 4invoices, you write the invoice line text yourself, so you can describe each good or service in French. 4invoices does not detect customer language or enforce language rules on your behalf — Charter compliance remains your responsibility.
Bilingual invoices when a customer requests one
An invoice can show French and English side by side, provided French is not inferior to the other language (same character size, same prominence). If you want a bilingual invoice, you can enter both labels in each line description, French first.
Trademarks and technical terms
A recognised trademark (Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Mac Pro) may stay in its original language. Generic descriptions must be in French: un serveur infonuagique avec 16 Go de mémoire, not a cloud server with 16GB RAM. Prefer Quebec vocabulary: courriel rather than email, magasinage rather than shopping, classeur rather than binder.
Applying Bill 96 to your invoicing
Baseline rule: invoices to customers in Quebec are drawn up in French. A version in another language can be added, never substituted for the French one. In practice, the simplest way to stay compliant is to write all invoice lines in French for Quebec customers and, if a customer asks, add a translation alongside.
Beyond the text, there's also presentation. Quebec French dates are spelled out (20 mai 2026) or written year-month-day (2026-05-20), not in American format (May 20, 2026 or 05/20/2026). Amounts use a decimal comma and a space as thousands separator (1 234,56 $), not 1,234.56. Check your invoice layout before sending.
For businesses with 25+ employees established in Quebec, Bill 96 also strengthens francisation — collective agreements, staff communications, forms. Customer invoicing is only one part of the obligation, but the most visible: any customer can file an OQLF complaint when they receive an English-only invoice, and a complaint can lead to a broader review of your practices.
Frequently asked
My business is in Ontario but I sell to Quebec. Does Bill 96 apply?
The Charter targets businesses carrying on activities in Quebec. An Ontario SMB doing business and serving customers there is well advised to invoice its Quebec customers in French. If in doubt about your situation, consult a lawyer or the OQLF.
If my Quebec customer requests English by email, is that sufficient?
For an invoice, an English version can accompany the French version, but not replace it. Still keep your exchanges with the customer: in case of a complaint, they show good faith. Keep them in your own records; 4invoices does not manage a history of language requests.
What about French-speaking customers in Ontario — French or English?
Outside Quebec, there's no legal obligation to invoice in French. You follow customer preference: for a francophone customer who asks for French, invoicing in French is customer service, not compliance. In 4invoices, you write the invoice in the language of your choice.
Write your invoices in French, simply
6 months free, no credit card. Write your invoice lines in French, choose the tax rate on each line and send the invoice as a PDF.