In Canada, an "Accredited Investor" is defined by the provincial securities commissions throughout the country. For Ontario residents for example, an "Accredited Investor" is defined in OSC Rule 45-501. This definition includes, but is not limited to: (a) certain institutional investors and (b) an individual who beneficially owns, or who together with a spouse beneficially own, financial assets having an aggregate realizable value that, before taxes but net of any related liabilities, exceeds $1,000,000; or (c) an individual whose net income before taxes exceeded $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or whose net income before taxes combined with that of a spouse exceeded $300,000 in each of those years and who, in either case, has a reasonable expectation of exceeding the same net income level in the current year.
ONTARIO SECURITIES COMMISSION RULE 45-501
EXEMPT DISTRIBUTIONS
PART 1 DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions - In this Rule "accredited investor" means:
(a) a bank listed in Schedule I or II of the Bank Act (Canada), or an authorized foreign bank listed in Schedule III of that Act;
(b) the Business Development Bank incorporated under the Business Development Bank Act (Canada);
(c) a loan corporation or trust corporation registered under the Loan and Trust Corporations Act or under the Trust and Loan Companies Act (Canada), or under comparable legislation in any other jurisdiction;
(d) a co-operative credit society, credit union central, federation of caisses populaires, credit union or league, or regional caisse populaire, or an association under the Cooperative Credit Associations Act (Canada), in each case, located in Canada;
(e) a company licensed to do business as an insurance company in any jurisdiction;
(f) a subsidiary entity of any person or company referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e), where the person or company owns all of the voting shares of the subsidiary entity;
(g) a person or company registered under the Act or securities legislation in another jurisdiction as an adviser or dealer, other than a limited market dealer;
(h) the government of Canada or of any jurisdiction, or any crown corporation, instrumentality or agency of a Canadian federal, provincial or territorial government;
(i) any Canadian municipality or any Canadian provincial or territorial capital city;
(j) any national, federal, state, provincial, territorial or municipal government of or in any foreign jurisdiction, or any instrumentality or agency thereof;
(k) a pension fund that is regulated by either the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Canada) or a provincial pension commission or similar regulatory authority;
(l) a registered charity under the Income Tax Act (Canada);
(m) an individual who beneficially owns, or who together with a spouse beneficially own, financial assets having an aggregate realizable value that, before taxes but net of any related liabilities, exceeds $1,000,000;
(n) an individual whose net income before taxes exceeded $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or whose net income before taxes combined with that of a spouse exceeded $300,000 in each of those years and who, in either case, has a reasonable expectation of exceeding the same net income level in the current year;
(o) an individual who has been granted registration under the Act or securities legislation in another jurisdiction as a representative of a person or company referred to in paragraph (g), whether or not the individual's registration is still in effect;
(p) a promoter of the issuer or an affiliated entity of a promoter of the issuer;
(q) a spouse, parent, brother, sister, grandparent or child of an officer, director or promoter of the issuer;
(r) a person or company that, in relation to the issuer, is an affiliated entity or a person or company referred to in clause (c) of the definition of distribution in subsection 1(1) of the Act;
(s) an issuer that is acquiring securities of its own issue;
(t) a company, limited liability company, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, trust or estate, other than a mutual fund or non-redeemable investment fund, that had net assets of at least $5,000,000 as reflected in its most recently prepared financial statements;
(u) a person or company that is recognized by the Commission as an accredited investor;
(v) a mutual fund or non-redeemable investment fund that, in Ontario, distributes its securities only to persons or companies that are accredited investors;
(w) a mutual fund or non-redeemable investment fund that, in Ontario, distributes its securities under a prospectus for which a receipt has been granted by the Director or, if it has ceased distribution of its securities, has previously distributed its securities in this manner;
(x) a fully managed account if it is acquiring a security that is not a security of a mutual fund or non-redeemable investment fund;
(y) an account that is fully managed by a trust corporation registered under the Loan and Trust Corporations Act or under the Trust and Loan Companies Act (Canada), or under comparable legislation in any other jurisdiction;
(z) an entity organized outside of Canada that is analogous to any of the entities referred to in paragraphs (a) through (g) and paragraph (k) in form and function; and
(aa) a person or company in respect of which all of the owners of interests, direct or indirect, legal or beneficial, are persons or companies that are accredited investors.