6 Fashion & Apparel Retailers 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 fashion & apparel retailers work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Missed incentive claimed
$95,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Shopify Store Shipping Nationwide, Guelph
Client: A Shopify store shipping nationwide · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$95,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A Shopify store shipping nationwide in Guelph, Ontario 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
$95,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 2 · Records and systems rebuilt
17 Months Reconciled And $19,000 Of Input Tax Recovered — Supplements Brand, Edmonton
Client: A supplements brand · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled17
Input tax recovered$19,000
Close time9 days
The situation
A supplements brand in Edmonton, Alberta was carrying industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 17 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a fashion & apparel retailers business actually earns and spends, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
17 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 9 days, and $19,000 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Case Study 3 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $845,000 Less Tax On Closing — Subscription Box Company, Saskatoon
Client: A subscription box company · Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$845,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A subscription box company in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced no valuation on file to support the price the parties had agreed, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $845,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Client: A consumer electronics reseller · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$127,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a consumer electronics reseller in Red Deer, Alberta were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the fashion & apparel retailers rules.
What we did
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $127,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 5 · Backlog brought current
3 Years Filed, $97,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Print-On-Demand Business, Lethbridge
Client: A print-on-demand business · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed3
Assessed balance removed$97,000
CollectionsStopped
The situation
A print-on-demand business in Lethbridge, Alberta had not filed for 3 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end, filing the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $97,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 6 · Planning that cut the bill
$41,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Pet Products Retailer, Ottawa
Client: A pet products retailer · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$41,000
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A pet products retailer in Ottawa, Ontario asked for a second opinion on fashion & apparel retailers accounting and tax after three years of rising tax. The review found seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and then reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances.
The result
First-year saving of $41,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
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.
