Families often ask me where to find "the" Quebec power of attorney form. There isn't one. There are several, and the right one depends on who has to accept it. Here is where to find each form, and the one situation where no form will work.
I am a social worker, not a notary or a lawyer. This page is general information to help you find your way. For advice on your own situation, speak with a notary or lawyer.
The short answer
- Quebec has no single official power of attorney form.
- The Quebec government publishes free samples you can adapt.
- Banks, the SAAQ, Revenu Québec and the Canada Revenue Agency each have their own form for their own files.
- None of these forms is built for incapacity. If your loved one can no longer understand what they are signing, the family needs a homologated protection mandate or a tutorship instead.
Quebec's free sample powers of attorney
The Quebec government publishes three sample powers of attorney on Québec.ca:
- A special power of attorney to rent an apartment. One person authorizes another to sign a lease for them.
- A special power of attorney to manage incoming money. For example, a mother authorizes her son to open her safe-deposit box, endorse her cheques and make deposits.
- A general power of attorney to administer property. It is broader, but it only covers simple administration.
You can find them on the Québec.ca sample powers of attorney page. You adapt the names, the powers and the dates, and the person giving the power of attorney signs it. An ordinary power of attorney does not need a notary or witnesses.
A word of caution on the general one. Under a general power of attorney, your representative cannot sell your house or your car without a specific authorization. If the powers are broad, getting advice from a notary or lawyer first is worth it.
Bank forms
Québec.ca notes that many financial institutions require their own forms. In practice, the bank's form is usually the fastest route for banking. Call the branch before you go and ask three things: which form they use, who has to be present, and what identification to bring.
A joint account is not a power of attorney, and neither is a trusted contact person on an investment account. I explain both in power of attorney vs. protection mandate.
Government forms
Government bodies generally want their own form, for their own file.
- Revenu Québec: form MR-69-V, "Authorization to Communicate Information or Power of Attorney." The person can also give the authorization online in My Account, which Revenu Québec says is processed faster. A separate form, MR-69.R-V, cancels it.
- Home-support tax credit for seniors: advance payments have their own form, MR-69.MD-V.
- Canada Revenue Agency: form AUT-01, "Authorize a Representative for Offline Access," covers contact by phone and by mail. The person can also authorize a representative online in their CRA account. Form AUT-01X cancels it.
- SAAQ: it has its own form for its own files.
- Other bodies, such as Retraite Québec or Service Canada: ask each one what it accepts before you send anything.
Form numbers change. Always download the current version from the agency's own website.
The protection mandate form is a different document
People often search for a power of attorney form when what they want is a plan for incapacity. In Quebec, that document is the protection mandate, sometimes still called a mandate in case of incapacity.
The Curateur public publishes a free booklet and form called "My Protection Mandate." You can download it from the Québec.ca protection mandate page. A mandate can be signed before a notary or in the presence of two witnesses. The person must be capable when they sign. The mandate then stays dormant. It takes effect only after the person becomes incapable and the mandate is homologated.
For the price of each option, see what a protection mandate costs in Quebec.
Which form for which situation?
- Paying a parent's bills while they recover from surgery: the bank's own form, or a special power of attorney.
- Selling a home for someone who is away: a special power of attorney. Ask the notary handling the sale what they will accept.
- Speaking to Revenu Québec or the CRA for a parent: MR-69-V and AUT-01, or the online authorization.
- Helping a capable parent more broadly: a general power of attorney, ideally prepared with advice.
- Planning ahead for incapacity: a protection mandate.
- A parent who is already incapable: no form. See the next section.
When no form will work
A power of attorney has to be signed by a person who understands what they are signing. This is where many families get stuck. A parent's dementia has progressed, the bank starts asking questions, and someone suggests downloading a form for the parent to sign.
If your parent can still understand the document, it may not be too late. A diagnosis alone does not remove the capacity to sign. I cover this in can a parent with dementia still sign a protection mandate?
If your parent can no longer understand it, a new signature is not a safe solution, and no form will fix that. There are two paths:
- A protection mandate exists. The mandatary asks to have it homologated. See the 7 steps of homologation.
- No mandate was ever signed. The family can apply for tutorship. See what happens if there is no protection mandate.
Both paths require a medical evaluation and a psychosocial evaluation. For more on this situation, read power of attorney for a parent with dementia in Quebec.
Where I fit in
I do not draft powers of attorney or protection mandates. That is the work of a notary or lawyer. I am a social worker and a member of the OTSTCFQ, and I prepare the psychosocial evaluation required to homologate a protection mandate or to open a tutorship. I meet your loved one where they live, across Greater Montreal, on and off the island.
Common questions
Is there an official power of attorney form in Quebec?
No. Quebec has no single official power of attorney form. The Quebec government publishes free samples that you can adapt. Some organizations, such as banks, the SAAQ, Revenu Québec and the Canada Revenue Agency, have their own forms for their own files.
Does a power of attorney need to be notarized in Quebec?
No. An ordinary power of attorney does not need a notary or witnesses. A notary or lawyer can prepare one if you want advice, and that is a good idea when the powers are broad. For a property sale, ask the notary handling the sale what document they will accept.
Can my parent with dementia sign a power of attorney form?
Only if your parent can still understand what they are signing. A diagnosis alone does not remove that capacity. If your parent can no longer understand the document, a new power of attorney is not the answer. The family then needs to homologate the protection mandate, if one exists, or apply for tutorship.
What form do I need to deal with Revenu Québec or the CRA for a parent?
Revenu Québec uses form MR-69-V, Authorization to Communicate Information or Power of Attorney. The Canada Revenue Agency uses form AUT-01, Authorize a Representative for Offline Access. Both agencies also let the person give the authorization online in their own account.
Is a power of attorney the same as a protection mandate?
No. A power of attorney is for a person who is still capable and wants help. A protection mandate is prepared in advance and takes effect only after the person becomes incapable and the mandate is homologated.
Ready to take the next step? I prepare the psychosocial assessment for both homologation of a mandate of protection and tutorship to a person of full age. Each page explains how the process works with me.