Referring US companies from Canada: a guide for Canadian advisers

Why are Canadian advisers well placed to refer US companies?

Canadian advisers already work on both sides of the border: Canadian groups with US subsidiaries, US companies with Canadian operations, owners planning a cross-border sale. If you are a CPA, M&A adviser, lawyer, fractional executive or consultant in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary or Montreal, you meet US decision-makers regularly and often see how their records are organized.

SourceX is the data transaction layer between companies with valuable operational records and AI developers who license them. The company keeps ownership and signs only if it likes the terms. You introduce; SourceX qualifies the company, runs the inventory, brings buyers, handles contracts and delivery.

The company you introduce must be a US company. A Canadian business, even a large one, is outside the introductions this program accepts. That single rule shapes most of the practical advice below.

Where do eligible US companies show up in a Canadian practice?

A qualifying company has 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), several years of documented operations, rights to license the data and an authorized sponsor.

The cross-border 4R screen

• Records: several years of data across many systems, ideally 10 or more.
• Rights: the US entity itself owns and may license what it holds.
• Reach: you can speak to the owner, CEO, CFO or another authorized sponsor.
• Residency: the company is a US company, not a Canadian one with a US mailing address.

Companies that have been acquired or wound down can still qualify if the data exists, which sometimes matters in Canada-US restructurings. Courts, trustees or assignees controlling assets without involvement are a red flag.

What should a Canadian adviser check first?

Four areas deserve a look before you register. None is a SourceX rule; each is your own.

1. Provincial professional rules. CPA bodies, law societies and securities regulators in each province set their own rules on referral fees, disclosure and independence. A rule in Ontario can differ from one in British Columbia or Quebec, and some are stricter than others. Ask your regulator in writing.
2. CRA reporting. Income from a foreign payer is generally reportable in Canada, and how it is characterized and whether any treaty relief applies are questions for a Canadian tax adviser. This page gives no figures.
3. GST/HST. Whether a referral fee from a US payer is a taxable, zero-rated or exempt supply, and whether you must register, depends on your facts. Ask a tax adviser.
4. CASL. Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation governs commercial electronic messages sent to or from Canada. An unsolicited introduction email about a commercial opportunity can fall within it, so use conversations, existing relationships and consent, not a mass send. Read the legislation and CRTC guidance, and ask counsel.

This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm with your own counsel, tax adviser or professional body before acting.

What does the US payer ask you for?

Separately from Canadian rules, the US payer will want your foreign status documented. Per the IRS, individuals use Form W-8BEN and entities use Form W-8BEN-E. If your practice is incorporated or a partnership, see how to fill out a W-8BEN-E for an advisory or consulting firm. Treaty claims should be reviewed by your tax adviser before you sign anything.

When do you raise it?

How does the introduction work?

1. You identify a US company that meets the baseline and tell its sponsor, in a conversation, that a licensing route exists.
2. You disclose in writing that you may receive a share of SourceX's fee if a deal completes and is paid.
3. The sponsor applies through your referral link, which sends them to sourcex.si/apply with your code attached, or you submit basic fit information with consent.
4. SourceX qualifies the company, which then completes a data inventory.
5. Price and terms are agreed, buyers review, and the deal may close.
6. The data is delivered and the company paid, then your reward is paid after SourceX receives payment.

You never export, upload or describe confidential records.

What to say

How do rewards work?

Partners earn 25% of the eligible platform fees SourceX actually collects from the referred company's licensing deals, capped at $100,000 cumulative per referred company. Rewards become payable only after the buyer pays and SourceX receives its fee. A lead, meeting or signed agreement alone does not trigger payment, and no reward is guaranteed. The signed agreement and program terms set the rest.

When not to bother

Skip Canadian companies, US companies under the baseline, clients whose records are mainly personal data with no licensing basis and any client you advise where your regulator bars the reward. Skip mass outreach: it clashes with CASL and with the program.

Next step

Register as a partner, try the referral earnings calculator, and read how international partners can refer US businesses. Compare local rules and workflow in the guides for the Nordics, Singapore, the UAE and Ireland.