Notice to the Profession: Reminder – You must submit your annual Report of Prepaid Funds (RPF) within 3 months of your fiscal year end

This is a reminder that you must submit your annual Report of Prepaid Funds (RPF) within three (3) months of your fiscal year end.  

Who must submit an RPF? 

• ALL Funeral Establishment Operators – Class 1 and 2 
• ALL Transfer Service Operators – Class 1 and 2 
• ONLY Cemetery, Crematorium and Alternative Disposition (Hydrolysis) Operators that accept prepaid funds (Interment rights are not a prepaid service.) 

For funeral establishments and transfer services that do not accept any prepaid funds, including those not open to the public, simply fill out page 1, check off the box at the bottom of the page (see excerpt below), and sign the back of the form. 

Where do I find the RPF form? 
The RPF form is on our website under For Professionals -> Forms. The form is the same for ALL operator classes and is a generic fillable-PDF form.  

Funeral establishments and transfer service operators: We do not have pre-populated RPF forms. Simply download the fillable PDF and refer to your last RPF form to obtain your previous year’s numbers. Please make sure your numbers balance from one year to the next. Make sure you keep a copy of any documents you mail to the BAO office. 
 

What must be included with my RPF? 
When you submit your RPF, it must include the following three items: 

1. Two-page RPF form completed and signed by the person in charge of day-to-day operations 
2. Review Engagement Report or Audit (as applicable) prepared by your public accountant on the accounting firm’s letterhead 
3. Financial statements from each financial institution where prepaid funds are held (trust and insurance/annuity), for the month of your fiscal year end. 

How do I submit my RPF? 
You can submit your RPF in the following order of preference: by email to the Financial Compliance Team at Trust@thebao.ca, by fax to 647-748-2645 or by regular mail. Please submit all three items described above, together. It is your responsibility as the operator – not your accountant’s, to submit the RPF. 

What happens if I don’t submit my RPF on time? 
If you fail to submit your RPF on time, it raises compliance concerns and will likely result in an inspection by a BAO inspector. You could also face administrative action by the Registrar. It will also delay processing of your operator licence renewal, until such time that your RPF is received by the BAO.  

Questions? 
Feel free to email Trust@thebao.ca or call our office and ask to speak to one of our Financial Compliance Officers. 
 
Thank you, 
The BAO Financial Compliance Team