Helpful Guides

BCMPA Working with Minors

A quick fact guide to select articles related to minors from the British Columbia Master Production Agreement.

Stage Parent Survival Guide (ACTRA)

The Stage Parent Survival Guide is an invaluable resource for parents and guardians of school-aged children in the Canadian film and TV industry.

Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT) FAQ's

A curated list of most frequently asked questions about the PGT.

BCMPA Working with Infants

A quick fact guide to select articles related to infants from the British Columbia Master Production Agreement.

Income Protection

Pursuant to Employment Standards Regulations, when a performer under the age of 16 earns more than $2,000 on a production, the producer must remit 25% of any additional earnings in trust for the benefit of the child performer. As a result of recent changes to the Regulations, child performers working under a collective agreement now have the option to chose to have their trust funds remitted to either the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia or the ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society, provided the collective agreement allows for such an option. The funds will be held in in trust until that child performer turns 19. Please note that the ability to remit the trust funds to the ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society Minors’ Trust is currently only available to child performers working under the BC Master Animation Agreement. Work is underway to amend all our collective agreements to ensure the option to remit to ACTRA PRS Minors’ Trust is available to child performers.

The Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia (PGT) was established in 1963 to, among other things, protect the legal and financial interests of children under the age of 19 years.

The PGT invests trust funds in the Premium Money Market Fund has a rate of return of 1.97%. Child performers with more than $25,000 in the Premium Money Market Fund can have additional funds placed in the Balanced Growth Fund which has a rate of return of 5.59%. Both rates are current March 31, 2023 (please see 2022-2023 Annual Report, Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia for more information).

The PGT applies a 3.94% income commission on each deposit made by a producer on behalf of a child performer into their trust, along with an additional 3.94% commission on any income earned on it. In addition, a yearly fee of 0.74%, compounded monthly, is charged on the total value of all assets held by the BC PGT on behalf of the child performer. All fees are inclusive of provincial sales tax.

Trusts at a Glance

ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society (PRS) is the division of ACTRA established in 1983 to collect and disburse use fees/residuals and royalties, which are forms of compensation that performers may be entitled to related to the use their work. The PRS also established the Minors’ Trust which safeguards child performers’ earnings.

The PRS invests trust funds in a savings account with Creative Arts Financial (a division of First Ontario Credit Union). The current rate of return for funds in the Minors’ Trust is 3.65% (please see the ACTRA PRS Minors’ Trust website for more information).

The PRS charges a 2.26% income commission (including harmonized sales tax) on each deposit made by a producer on behalf of a child performer into their trust, and there are no additional fees.

  BC PGT ACTRA PRS Minors’ Trust
Fees on Contributions 3.94% 2.26%
Fees on Income Earned 3.94% 0%
Fees on Gross Assets 0.74% per year 0%
Return 1.97% 4.35%

All fees are inclusive of applicable sales taxes, and are current to July 31, 2024. Please contact the trustees directly for updated rate information.

Frequently Asked Questions

A recent amendment to the Employment Standards Regulations has given child performers the ability to choose to have their earnings safeguarded by the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia (PGT) or the ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society (PRS).

However, our agreements must be updated to implement this amendment. Currently only the BC Master Animation Agreement permits child performers to choose between the PGT and the PRS to safeguard their earnings. Work is underway to update our other collective agreements, such as the BC Master Production Agreement, to provide child performers’ with the option to safeguard their earnings with the PRS.

Earnings previously remitted to the PGT are unaffected by the change to the Regulations and must remain in trust with the PGT until the child performer turns 19.

If your child works under ACTRA collective agreements in other provinces or territories (excluding the Yukon), then once their lifetime earnings surpass $5,000, producers must remit 25% of their earnings to the ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society to be held in a trust until that child performer reaches the age of 19. This requirement remains in effect until the child performer turns 18.

The Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia (PGT) issues a statement when funds are first received and then only issues a statement quarterly if there was a deposit to the account within the 3-month period before statements are issued. You should also receive a statement when your child reaches 17, and again before they turn 19. The PGT has stated on their website that you can request additional statements by contacting [email protected].

All beneficiaries of the ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society Minors’ Trust will receive a printed and mailed annual statement in the first quarter of the calendar year detailing and summarising gross and net contributions, interest earned, as well as the opening and closing balance of the beneficiary account during the most recently completed calendar year.

If you have questions or concerns about funds managed by the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia (PGT), we are limited in how we can assist you. You can contact the PGT at [email protected] or 604-660-4444.

If you have questions or concerns about funds managed by ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society, please contact Patricia Lanca at [email protected] or 416-489-1311 ext. 5022.

You may also reach out to the Union to assist in ensuring the trust amounts were deducted and remitted correctly.

  BC PGT ACTRA PRS Minors’ Trust
Fees on Contributions 3.94% 2.26%
Fees on Income Earned 3.94% 0%
Fees on Gross Assets 0.74% per year 0%
Return 1.97% 4.35%

All fees are inclusive of applicable sales taxes, and are current to July 31, 2024. Please contact the trustees directly for updated rate information.

Information on Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia Accounts

The Premium Money Market Fund is lower risk and lower return. Accounts with less than $25,000 held in trust will be in this fund. Should your child’s trust fund pass the $25,000 threshold, then any additional funds will be placed in the Balanced Growth Fund which tends to have a higher rate of return.

If you have additional questions about these two investment funds or are unsure of the current balance of your child’s trust, we recommend following up with the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia for more information.

The PGT’s fees can exceed the interest accrued in your child’s trust accounts. The PGT has the discretion to waive fees in cases of hardship or unfairness. It is customary for them waive fees to ensure that the balances of child performers’ trusts are at least equal to the amount deposited in the first place.

Please note that the PGT is not required to continue this practice. Please contact the union if they decline to adjust your child’s account.

Once your child turns 15, producers are no longer required to remit earnings to be held in trust on their behalf. The payroll companies use your child’s date of birth to determine if trust deductions are required. You shouldn’t need to take any action to stop the deductions.

However, if your child turns 15 while engaged on a production, we suggest reaching out to the payroll company to confirm your child’s birthdate, so no additional remittances are made on their behalf.

Funds can be released from either trust when your child reaches British Columbia’s Age of Majority – 19.

The requirement to remit funds only applies to income your child is paid while they are under age 16. Payments including use fees/residuals paid to your child after that will not be subject to the trust deduction.

For more information, please email [email protected] or call 604-689-0727 ext. 2248