TALENT AGENTS & MANAGERS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA CODE OF BUSINESS PRACTICES
Issued: January 29, 2002
Last Revised: September 3, 2025
Policy #: 1-02
Purpose of this Policy: Your business is a member of Talent Agents & Managers Association of Canada (TAMAC).
This document is designed to assist all agents, employees, and contractors in understanding the code of
business practices and to ensure that you continue to be in good standing with TAMAC and all members of your business uphold our standards.
The objectives of TAMAC and this document are:
This code of STANDARDS, ETHICS AND PRACTICES is drawn up by and for the TALENT AGENTS AND MANAGERS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (TAMAC) as a source of information about Talent Agencies operating within the Entertainment Industry. Those Agents signatory to and in agreement with the clauses contained herein operate as professionals and recognize the responsibility given to them for the care of their clients.
(i) To unite members of the Talent Agents & Manager profession and to protect the character and status
of the profession, promote ethical practice and anti-harassment policies, settle questions of
professional usage and courtesy amongst members of the profession.
(ii) To maintain and improve the qualifications and standards of the profession and to study and
implement the development of codes, regulations and specifications pertaining to the profession.
(iii) To foster and encourage such legislation as may be necessary for the best interests of the public and
the profession including adhering to the Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct.
Definition of a Relationship
An AGENT (or Manager, Talent Agent, Agency, Artist’s Manager, or Personal Manager) is an individual or
entity including but not limited to, co-partnership, association, firm, corporation or any other form of
business entity, who or which engages in acts of representation including but not limited to career
counsel, employment solicitation, engagement negotiation, and payment verification, for an individual
seeking employment in the entertainment industry.
The word “Agent” is used generically when referring to an individual or entity who is a member of the
Association including Manager, Talent Agent, Agency, Artist’s Manager, or Personal Manager.
A CLIENT means any person seeking engagement in the entertainment industry who has entered into an
agreement with an agent providing for the rendering of agency services for such person by the agent.
The relationship between a CLIENT and an AGENT as jointly defined above is not to be considered an
employer/employee relationship.
Working with other Industry Organizations
In the interest of benefiting clientele, it is the intention of the Agents & Managers signatory hereto to
agree to work in cooperation with and to adhere to the principles of such other organizations involved in the Entertainment Industry, including but not limited to: ACTRA, UBCP, EQUITY, A.F. of M., SAG/AFTRA, IATSE, D.G.C., W.G.C., U.D.A.
We encourage other organizations to operate in the spirit of the above statement.
An Agency will maintain at least seventy-five percent of its clientele members in good standing of recognized entertainment associations, guilds or unions as recognized by the TAMAC board of directors.
Industry Code of Business Practices an Agent and Agency
- Represent all clients with good faith and recognize the uniqueness of their abilities.
- Disclose at all times any and all available employment opportunities even if the agent deems the opportunity to be unacceptable.
- Inform clients at their request and in detail of any and all of his or her contractual obligations, such as details of fees, credit, working conditions and so on.
- Make no claims or guarantees of employment to prospective clients that cannot be immediately substantiated.
- Not actively seek to represent a client currently represented by another agent. Seek no clients by denigrating the abilities of their present agents.
- An agent will not advertise to the general public for the purpose of soliciting clients through advertising placed in any form of printed or electronic media (newspapers, flyers, magazines, telephone, social media etc.). Accepting unsolicited submissions via email and on your website are allowed.
- Maintain the confidentiality of all dealings on behalf of clients during representation and after the relationship has been terminated.
- Encourage any client that has experienced harassment at any point during the procurement of work or in the work place itself to report such harassment to either their agent, or a confidential third party arranged by the industry for such reporting, even if they wish to remain anonymous and not press charges at the current time.
- Uphold and monitor that the Rules of all associations, guilds or unions are followed in the contracts of clients who are members.
- All TAMAC approved agencies will maintain an overall minimum 75% union roster, maximum 25% can be non-union.
- Recognize and uphold the client’s prerogative to refuse any and all employment opportunities offered.
- Represent accurately one’s availability and accessibility for counsel or discussion with clients.
- Maintain an Agency office premises, and to make its employees accessible to the Client during customary business hours over the phone, electronically, or in person, as agreed, at an agreed public location, if not at Agency’s office premises.
- An agent or designate will be available, at all reasonable hours, for consultation with the client.
- An agent will not commingle monies belonging to clients with monies belonging to the agent, but will keep such monies in a separate non-interest-bearing account, which may be known as the clients’ clearing account or trust account.
- Pay each client his or her share of all monies received on behalf of the client within five business days of the payment clearing the bank.
- Not charge the client any additional fee or retainer other than commissions.
- An agent has never been convicted of an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada in which a pardon has not been granted or found against civilly in any matter pertaining to his or her business practices or for breach of trust in handling funds.
- Tell the client at the time of signing a representation agreement, which deductions for the client’s share of money the agent will make for expenses such as materials, photos, deliveries and so on. The client will have the option to undertake the management of his or her own materials or will empower the agent to do so.
- Make all records and books of account applicable to the Client available upon five (5) business days’ notice.
- Agree to be bound by the “Inter-Agent Agreements”, regarding commission distribution when a client changes representation.
- Inform a new client that you insist that commissions due to a previous agent be kept current.
- An agent will not accept engagement as an actor.
DID YOU KNOW…
- Reputable agents will not pressure or threaten you or try to make you feel insecure; nor will they guarantee you work.
- Never enter an agreement with an agent without going away to think about it or to get impartial advice.
- Reputable agents do not offer classes, they will not sign you up for photo sessions nor will they require you to pay fees up front.
- Agents charge commission only on the work that you do – 15% on film and television work, 10% on theatre work.
- Any contract with an agent must include cancellation clauses for both parties to the contract.
- Reputable agencies are prohibited by the industry code of ethics from advertising to the public.
- A principal agent will rarely take on a performer who is completely inexperienced.
DEFINITION OF A RELATIONSHIP
- An AGENT (or Manager, Talent Agent, Agency, Artist’s Manager, or Personal Manager) is an individual or entity including but not limited to, co-partnership, association, firm, corporation or any other form of business entity, who or which engages in acts of representation including but not limited to career counsel, employment solicitation, engagement negotiation, and payment verification, for an individual seeking employment in the entertainment industry.
- The word “Agent” is used generically when referring to an individual or entity who is a member of the Association including Manager, Talent Agent, Agency, Artist’s Manager, or Personal Manager.
- A CLIENT means any person seeking engagement in the entertainment industry who has entered into an agreement with an agent providing for the rendering of agency services for such person by the agent.
- The relationship between a CLIENT and an AGENT as jointly defined above is not to be considered an employer/employee relationship.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this page is offered “as is” with all faults and without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied.
TAMAC makes no warranties or representations regarding the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information provided.