What is a mutual fund?

A mutual fund is an arrangement under which shares or units are sold to raise capital.

Investors purchase units if the mutual fund is a trust or purchase shares if the fund is a corporation. When you invest in a mutual fund, your money is pooled with the money of other investors and invested on your behalf by the fund manager. Mutual fund trusts and corporations are also known as flow-through entities.

For tax purposes, a flow-through entity treats the taxable income earned inside the entity as if you held the investments directly, instead of through the fund. The income that is distributed, or flowed out to you, keeps its identity. For example, dividend income remains dividend income, and capital gains remain capital gains when they are flowed out (or distributed) to investors.

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Source: Canada Revenue Agency