Quote on request
Canada money services business (MSB) and FINTRAC registration
We incorporate a Canadian corporation and register it as a money services business with FINTRAC, or manage the acquisition of an existing FINTRAC-registered corporation — together with the compliance programme the registration requires.
Prices
Two routes
New corporation. We incorporate a Canadian corporation and prepare and file its money services business registration with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). FINTRAC does not charge registration fees (FINTRAC — register your money services business).
Acquisition. We manage the purchase of an existing corporation that is already registered with FINTRAC: due diligence on the corporation, the share transfer, and the reporting of the changes to FINTRAC. The registration stays with the corporation that holds it; it is not a separate asset that can be moved to another company.
What the registration requires
A registration is valid for two years and must be renewed before its expiry date, and changes to the registration information must be reported to FINTRAC within 30 days (FINTRAC — update, renew or cancel your registration). A registered MSB must run a compliance programme with a compliance officer, a risk assessment, written policies and procedures, training and a review of its effectiveness at least every two years (FINTRAC — compliance program requirements). Our add-ons cover these elements.
Provincial requirements may apply as well, depending on where the business operates; we identify them in the quote.
What we do not do
We do not guarantee that FINTRAC will accept or keep a registration, and we cannot promise timing. We do not open bank or payment accounts and cannot promise that any institution will open one.
A FINTRAC registration is tied to the registrant and its declared activities. Changes to the registration information must be reported to FINTRAC within 30 days, and the registration is valid for two years and must be renewed before expiry. The purchaser and its beneficial owners remain subject to due diligence. Bank and payment accounts are not included and are granted solely at the discretion of the financial institution.
This price is our professional fee for the corporate and regulatory work described. It is not the price of a licence and does not include state or supervisory fees, regulatory capital, or third-party costs. The authorisation is granted by the competent supervisory authority.
Frequently asked questions
Does FINTRAC charge a fee for MSB registration?
No. FINTRAC states that it does not charge registration fees. Our price is our professional fee for the corporate and compliance work.
How long is a FINTRAC registration valid?
Two years. It must be renewed before its expiry date. Changes to the registration information must be reported to FINTRAC within 30 days.
Can a FINTRAC registration be transferred to my own company?
No. The registration is tied to the registrant and its declared activities. In an acquisition you buy the corporation that holds the registration, and the changes are reported to FINTRAC.
Is a bank account included?
No. Bank and payment accounts are not included and are granted solely at the discretion of the financial institution. Introductions to banking partners are available on our compliance services page, without any promise of an account.
All our prices on one page. Compare this service with every other service in our price list.
See these prices in the price listGuides
Read the guides
- Canada MSB and FINTRAC registrationWho must register, what the registration involves, how long it lasts, what must be reported and what it does not give you.
- Buying a ready-made Canada MSBWhat you buy, what must be reported to FINTRAC, the due diligence on both sides, and when a new registration is better.
- Bank account for a licensed companyWhich accounts a licensed company needs, what the law guarantees, why banks are cautious and how to prepare.
- What a licensed company in Estonia really costsOur fee, state fees, the capital the company must hold and the running costs after authorisation — the four cost layers of a licensed company.
- Estonia as a place to do businessWhy entrepreneurs choose Estonia, the main routes to an Estonian company, and links to all our guides.