An Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) is a form of business ownership structure where a trust holds shares in a company on behalf of its employees, allowing them to collectively benefit from the company’s success without paying for and directly owning shares.

On January 1, 2024 new legislation came into effect in Canada establishing EOTs to support employee ownership succession. The goal is to help business owners transition ownership to employees in a tax-efficient and sustainable way, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Western Pacific Trust Company offers it services as professional Trustee on the EOT Board of Trustees, or as independent trust advisor to the Board of Trustees.