Industry Agreements

Fundserv facilitates the development of several centralized agreements between members to standardize business processes, and outline the terms and conditions required to ease pain points in operational practices.

More detailed information on Industry Agreements can be found on our member site.

Electronic Processing Agreement

The Electronic Processing Agreement (EPA) is a mutual agreement between fund Manufacturers and Distributors that enables Distributors to send instructions through the Fundserv network without requiring the submission of settlement documentation for eligible instructions. For more information, click here.


NR Agreement

The NR Agreement outlines that Manufacturers will rely on Distributors to identify and advise the Manufacturer of a client’s jurisdiction for tax purposes and to maintain appropriate supporting documentation.

Manufacturers will rely on the tax code and withhold tax on any distributions at the rate appropriate to that country unless the Distributor instructs that another rate be used. In return, Manufacturers agree to not contact clients for such information.

These agreements are housed by Fundserv, ensuring each Distributor must only sign one form that will be relied upon by all Manufacturers that have signed a corresponding agreement.

For more information, click here.


FATCA and CRS

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and Common Reporting Standard (CRS) Process Agreements facilitate Fundserv members’ ability to adhere to regulations and minimize paperwork.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) 

Canadian financial institutions are required to identify account holders who are U.S. persons for U.S. tax purposes (both U.S. tax residents and U.S. citizens) and to report certain information about those accounts to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), who exchanges this information with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

For more information on the FATCA, please refer to the CRA’s information on enhanced financial account information reporting.

Common Reporting Standard (CRS) 

Effective July 1, 2017, Canadian financial institutions are required to identify and report information on accounts held by persons who are residents in any country other than Canada or the U.S. for tax purposes. The CRA will then exchange this information with tax authorities of the participating countries.

For more information on the CRS, please refer to the CRA’s information on the Common Reporting Standard.


Systematic Plan Customer Agreement

The Systematic Plan Customer Agreement enables Manufacturers to accept instructions for the setup of automatic payment, withdrawal or re-allocation plans in accordance with CPA rules through the Fundserv network without also requiring investor-signed authorization.

In June of 2016, the Systematic Plan Customer Agreement Addendum was added to the original agreement to ensure Manufacturers that Distributors are obtaining client consent to debit their bank accounts for pre-authorized chequing plans.

For more information, please refer to the Systematic Plan Customer Agreement Addendum.


e-Signature Guidelines and Customer Agreement

The e-Signature Guidelines and Customer Agreement Addendum provides both a standardized approach for the use of e-signature technology in the investment funds industry as well as a reliance on the validity of e-signatures, and enables Distributors and Manufacturers to use e-signed, digital documentation rather than requiring paper signatures.

Fundserv’s e-signature document package consists of three parts:

  1. A Guidelines Document that defines a common set of minimum criteria that all members will use when obtaining electronic signatures.
  2. A Contract Addendum that defines the terms and conditions between members when e-signed documents are sent to another party for the execution of client instructions.
  3. A Companion Paper that provides background on the purpose of this initiative and helps to answer frequently asked questions.

Connect with a member of our team to learn more.