6 Framers tax and accounting engagements in full — what the client came to us with, what we did, and what it was worth. Each one is specific to framers work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $610,000 Less Tax On Closing — Residential Framing Contractor, Burnaby
Client: A residential framing contractor · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$610,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A residential framing contractor in Burnaby, British Columbia was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a shareholder loan balance that would have been picked up as income on closing, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $610,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $62,000 Freed — Concrete and Forming Crew, Brampton
Client: A concrete and forming crew · Where: Brampton, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$62,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A concrete and forming crew in Brampton, Ontario was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged already in the file.
What we did
We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a framers business actually earns and spends and put monthly reporting in place so the owner could see the cash effect of growth while there was still time to act on it.
The result
Growth was absorbed without a compliance failure. $62,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 3 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 9 Weeks To 4 Days — Roofing Company, Regina
Client: A roofing company · Where: Regina, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before9 weeks
Close time after4 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation
The accounting file at a roofing company in Regina, Saskatchewan was built on a chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about framers margin. The year-end had taken 9 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end and moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 4 days instead of 9 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Case Study 4 · Structure rebuilt
Corporate Structure Rebuilt For $29,500 Of Annual Savings — Commercial General Contractor, Kitchener
Client: A commercial general contractor · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Saving per year$29,500
DocumentationComplete
Transfer basisRollover
The situation
The structure at a commercial general contractor in Kitchener, Ontario had been set up years earlier for a business that no longer existed, and seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it had become expensive.
What we did
We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed. The reorganisation used the rollover provisions rather than a taxable transfer, so no tax fell due on the restructuring itself.
The result
$29,500 of annual saving, achieved on a tax-deferred basis. The minute book, elections and valuations are all in the file.
Case Study 5 · Missed incentive claimed
$68,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Drywall Subcontractor, Red Deer
Client: A drywall subcontractor · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$68,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A drywall subcontractor in Red Deer, Alberta assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. Development and improvement work written off as ordinary overhead meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances.
The result
$68,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 6 · Planning that cut the bill
$53,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Custom Home Builder, Victoria
Client: A custom home builder · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$53,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A custom home builder in Victoria, British Columbia was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the framers rules on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically.
The result
The change saved $53,000 in the first year and repeats annually. Nothing about the filings became more aggressive; the position is simply the one the rules already allowed.
Reviewed for the 2025 tax year by Udit Gupta, Certified Tax Accountant. Figures describe representative engagements of this type; outcomes depend on your own facts. Client names and identifying details are omitted for confidentiality.
