On December 20, 2010, a provincial/territorial government working group released a consultation paper to elicit feedback on potential options respecting the incorporation of individual sales representatives of registered dealers and advisers. Specifically, the paper considers the benefits and regulatory concerns surrounding the issue of payments by dealers and advisers to non-traditional business structures, as well as the options being examined.
While National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements and Exemptions does not deal with the incorporation of individual sale representatives, MFDA Rule 2.4.1 permits individual sales representatives of a MFDA member to have his or her commissions paid directly to a non-registered corporation under certain conditions. IIROC rules, meanwhile, do not allow the relationship between a dealer and a person conducting securities-related business on behalf of the dealer to be that of an incorporated salesperson.
Ultimately, the paper invites feedback on a number of options under consideration, including legislative proposals and amendments to IIROC rules. Comments on the consultation paper are being accepted by the governments of Alberta and Quebec until February 25.
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