1. Introduction
When it comes to distributions from mutual and pooled funds, there are a few important facts that must be kept in mind as an investor.
Important: The tax implications described in this overview apply only to Funds held in non-registered accounts. Registered accounts (Registered Retirement Savings Plans, Registered Retirement Income Funds, Tax-Free Savings Accounts, Locked-in Retirement Accounts and First Home Savings Accounts) are not affected.
- The majority of Canadian mutual funds are structured as trusts. Investors receive units of the mutual fund trust (“the Fund”) as consideration for the capital they invest, which is determined based on the net asset value per unit at the time of subscription.
- The Fund’s net earnings are allocated to investors based on their proportionate holdings in the Fund. For example, an investor that holds 10 units of a Fund with 1,000 units outstanding will receive 1% of the Fund’s distribution of earnings. The allocation of earnings by the Fund to investors is called distributions.
- The primary objective of distributions from a Fund is to pay out sufficient taxable income (including net capital gains) so that the Fund itself is not subject to income tax. Earnings retained by a Fund are generally otherwise subject to tax at the highest marginal rate.
- Distributions received by individual investors are taxed at their own marginal tax rates, which may be lower than the rate applicable to the Fund. By reducing tax paid by the Fund, investors will generally see an improvement on the return of their investment. The size of the distribution is based on the Fund’s performance.
- The timing and frequency of the distributions will vary from fund to fund.
2. Taxation Year-End Dates and Distribution Dates
| Pembroke fund | Taxation year-end of the Fund | Distribution Date |
|---|---|---|
| Pembroke American Growth Fund Inc. | December 31 | As a mutual fund corporation, the Pembroke American Growth Fund does not distribute income and capital gains. A dividend may be declared at the direction of the Board of Directors of the Fund. |
| Pembroke Canadian Bond Fund | December 15 | Quarterly, on the final business day of March, June and September, and on December 22 |
| Pembroke Corporate Bond Fund | December 15 | Quarterly, on the final business day of March, June and September, and on December 22 |
| Pembroke Canadian Balanced Fund | December 15 | Quarterly, on the final business day of March, June and September, and on December 22 |
| Pembroke Global Balanced Fund | December 15 | Quarterly, on the final business day of March, June and September, and on December 22 |
| Pembroke Canadian Growth Fund | December 15 | Annually, on December 22 |
| Pembroke International Growth Fund | December 15 | Annually, on December 22 |
| Pembroke Concentrated Fund | December 15 | Annually, on December 22 |
| Pembroke Canadian All Cap Fund | December 15 | Annually, on December 22 |
| Pembroke Dividend Growth Fund | December 15 | Quarterly, on the final business day of March, June and September, and on December 22 |
| Pembroke Canadian Growth Pooled Fund | December 15 | Annually, on December 22 |
| Pembroke U.S. Growth Pooled Fund | December 15 | Annually, on December 22 |
| Pembroke Global Equity Pooled Fund | December 15 | Annually, on December 22 |
| Pembroke Global Growth Pooled Fund | December 15 | Annually, on December 22 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund | December 31 | Annually, on the last business day of the year |
Funds with a distribution on December 22, 2026
What this means is that the Fund will elect a December 15 taxation year-end (Financial year-end remains December 31) and, as such, the Fund’s income and capital gains are calculated as at and including December 15.
Income and capital gains earned by the Fund during the period of December 16 to December 31, 2026, will be part of the distribution calculation for the following year (2027). The distributions will be calculated and reported based on the value of the Funds as at December 15, 2026.
Electing to adopt a taxation year ending on December 15 gives fund managers more time to ensure the taxable income and distribution calculations are accurate.
3. Impact of Distributions
| Distributions from Funds held in Non-Registered Accounts | Distributions from Funds held in Registered Accounts |
|---|---|
|
A. There are various categories of distributions which is ultimately dependent on the composition of earnings experienced by the Fund. Distributions from Funds held in non-registered accounts are noted on T3 slips and Relevé 16 (for Québec residents) issued to individuals resident in Canada for income tax purposes. The tax treatment for the various types of distributions incurred by these individuals are detailed in the chart below.
B. Earnings where cash is not distributed to investors are considered to be reinvested in the Fund. As a result, the investor will receive additional units representing this reinvested capital and such distributions are added to the investor’s adjusted cost base (“ACB”) for tax purposes. |
Distributions from Funds held in registered accounts (Registered Retirement Savings Plans, Registered Retirement Income Fund, Tax-Free Savings Accounts, Locked-in Retirement Accounts, and First Home Savings Accounts) are not taxable to investors in the year of distribution. Instead, these distributions are reinvested in the Fund and are not taxable until the investor withdrawals from their investment account. (In the case of a Tax-Free Savings Account, cash withdrawals are not taxable. In the case of a First Home Savings Accounts, eligible cash withdrawals which are used to purchase a first home are not taxable.) |
4. Types of Fund Distributions
| Distribution | What is the tax treatment? | Which fund (s) can an investor expect this type of distribution from? |
|---|---|---|
|
Interest income. Earned when a Fund invests in debt securities/instruments |
Interest income is fully taxable at the investor’s marginal tax rates. |
|
|
Canadian dividend income. Earned when a Fund invests in shares of Canadian public corporations |
Canadian dividend income is taxable at the investor’s marginal tax rates and is eligible for a dividend tax credit. |
|
|
Foreign non-business income. Earned when a fund invests in shares of foreign securities. This includes dividends received from foreign corporations |
Gross foreign non-business income is fully taxable at the investor’s marginal tax rates. Any foreign taxes paid by the Fund on such income is allocated to investors and noted on a T3 slip and Relevé 16 (for Québec residents). A foreign tax credit is generally permitted for investors to claim. |
|
|
Capital gains. Generated from security trades incurred within the Fund resulting in gains in excess of losses. Capital losses are not allocated to investors by the Fund. |
Half of capital gains are subject to tax at the investor’s marginal rates.* |
|
|
Return of capital. Generated when the fund returns to investor's their original invested capital |
A return of capital is tax free to investors, and reduces an investor’s ACB in the Fund. | Pembroke funds do not normally return capital to investors. |
- A mutual fund may also be structured as a corporation. An example of a mutual fund structured as a corporation is the Pembroke American Growth Fund Inc.
- Unlike a mutual fund structured like a trust, investors are considered shareholders and such funds do not distribute its earnings to shareholders. Instead, Directors of the mutual fund corporation may occasionally declare dividends to investors.
- Canadian dividend income earned by a Canadian resident individual is taxable at the investor’s marginal tax rates and is eligible for a dividend tax credit. Such dividends are reported to investors on a T5 slip and Relevé 3 (for Québec residents).
5. Management Fees and Redemptions
For Pembroke Funds with management fees charged outside of the Fund, a portion of investors’ units in the Fund are redeemed on a monthly basis to satisfy the payment of management fees. As a result, an investor may experience a capital gain on these redemptions. Similarly, investors that request cash redemptions from their investment holdings may also trigger a capital gain. The size of the capital gain, if any, is dependent on the amount redeemed and the individual’s ACB in the Fund. Half of capital gains are subject to tax at the investor’s marginal rates. Conversely, such redemptions or sales can give rise to a capital loss if the ACB is greater than the amount redeemed.
A summary of such dispositions resulting from management fees and cash redemptions in non-registered accounts will be reported to investors on a T5008 and Relevé 18 (for Québec residents) at year-end.
Furthermore, a letter summarizing management fees paid will be distributed to investors. It is recommended that you speak with your personal accountants regarding the deductibility of management fees for income tax purposes. Management fees incurred on Funds held in registered accounts are not deductible for income tax purposes.
6. Estimated Distributions for 2026
Below are the estimated 2026 year-end distributions (per unit) for the Pembroke Mutual Funds and Pooled Funds.
| Mutual Funds | Capital Gain/Unit | Income/Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Pembroke Canadian Bond Fund | $0 | Regular Quarterly Income |
| Pembroke Corporate Bond Fund | $0.004031 | Regular Quarterly Income |
| Pembroke Canadian Balanced Fund | $1.473761 | Regular Quarterly Income |
| Pembroke Global Balanced Fund | $0.661777 | Regular Quarterly Income |
| Pembroke Canadian Growth Fund | $15.229569 | $1.102171 |
| Pembroke International Growth Fund | $0 | $0.225311 |
| Pembroke American Growth Fund Inc. | $0 | $0 |
| Pembroke American Growth Fund Inc. $US | $0 | $0 |
| Pembroke Concentrated Fund Class A | $0 | $0.689464 |
| Pembroke Concentrated Fund Class A $US | $0 | $0.493863 |
| Pembroke Concentrated Fund Class F | $0 | $0.340347 |
| Pembroke Concentrated Fund Class F $US | $0 | $0.243791 |
| Pembroke Concentrated Fund Class I | $0 | $0.310928 |
| Pembroke Canadian All Cap Fund | $2.178270 | $0.215374 |
| Pembroke Dividend Growth Fund | $3.424501 | Regular Quarterly Income |
| Pooled Funds* | Capital Gain/Unit | Income/Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Pembroke Canadian Growth Pooled Fund | $4.205806 | $0.354369 |
| Pembroke US Growth Pooled Fund | $1.371175 | $0.593353 |
| Pembroke US Growth Pooled Fund $US | $0.982173 | $0.425019 |
| Pembroke Global Equity Pooled Fund | $0.928417 | $0.185962 |
| Pembroke Global Growth Pooled Fund | $0 | $0.062576 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Founder’s Class | $1.612926 | $0.019364 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Class A Series 1 | $1.740953 | $0 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Class A Series 21 | $1.520738 | $0 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Class A Series 31 | $1.667437 | $0 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Class A Series 33 | $1.421036 | $0 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Class A Series 34 | $1.425059 | $0 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Class A Series 35 | $1.091782 | $0 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Class A Series 39 | $0.562409 | $0 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Class A Series 40 | $0.232128 | $0 |
| Pembroke Genesis Pooled Fund Class A Series 41 | $0.136252 | $0 |
(*) The Pembroke Pooled Funds are prospectus-exempt products that are offered to investors who meet the definition of an “accredited investor” under securities legislation.
Please contact your Pembroke Representative for further details.
Disclaimer: The figures represent estimates and are subject to change based on portfolio, market, and shareholder activity and tax adjustments. Keep in mind that market conditions, portfolio changes and/or changes in outstanding mutual fund and pooled fund units could affect these estimates substantially. This information is NOT FINAL and is subject to change. Pembroke does not provide tax, accounting or legal advice. Specific questions regarding your personal income tax situation should be referred to a tax advisor.
7. Video – What do Pembroke Fund Distributions Mean for You?
Mutual fund distributions raise many questions with investors: What are distributions? Why am I receiving a distribution? How will this distribution be taxed? How can I plan for this?
Stephanie Pantaleo recorded this presentation in November 2026 to offer an overview of mutual fund distributions for Pembroke investors. The objective of this video is to provide you with an understanding of mutual fund distributions and how they can be a part of your overall tax plan.