6 worked Shopify Sellers case studies — the position a client typically comes to us with, what we do, and what it is worth. Each is an illustrative example built on the rules that apply to shopify sellers work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Objection and relief
$30,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Supplements Brand, Brampton
The situation — A supplements brand, Brampton, Ontario
An assessment of $30,000 landed at a supplements brand in Brampton, Ontario following a desk review. It turned on seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it. The auditor had not seen the records behind it.
What we did for A supplements brand, Brampton, Ontario
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances. We then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result — A supplements brand, Brampton, Ontario
$30,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
Case Study 2 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $16,500 Saved Each Year — Pet Products Retailer, Calgary
Client: A pet products retailer · Where: Calgary, Alberta · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$16,500
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation — A pet products retailer, Calgary, Alberta
A pet products retailer in Calgary, Alberta had outgrown the structure it started with. Sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the Shopify sellers rules was the immediate problem. The longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did for A pet products retailer, Calgary, Alberta
We mapped the current structure and modelled the target. Then we aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end. The tax-deferred elections were filed on time and the supporting valuations documented.
The result — A pet products retailer, Calgary, Alberta
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $16,500 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 3 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $61,000 Cut From A 5-Year Backlog — Amazon FBA Seller, Regina
The situation — An Amazon FBA seller, Regina, Saskatchewan
By the time an Amazon FBA seller in Regina, Saskatchewan called, 5 years were outstanding. The CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule.
What we did for An Amazon FBA seller, Regina, Saskatchewan
We reconstructed the records year by year. We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result — An Amazon FBA seller, Regina, Saskatchewan
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $61,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 4 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $355,000 Less Tax On Closing — Subscription Box Company, Vancouver
Client: A subscription box company · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$355,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation — A subscription box company, Vancouver, British Columbia
A subscription box company in Vancouver, British Columbia was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares. That would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did for A subscription box company, Vancouver, British Columbia
We cleaned up the historical file. We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed. Then we prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result — A subscription box company, Vancouver, British Columbia
The deal closed at the agreed price. $355,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 5 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $138,000 Across 7 Open Years — Cross-Border Dropshipper, Kitchener
The situation — A cross-border dropshipper, Kitchener, Ontario
An incentive review at a cross-border dropshipper in Kitchener, Ontario started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 7 years. It was driven by sector incentives that had never been tested against Shopify sellers activity.
What we did for A cross-border dropshipper, Kitchener, Ontario
We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a Shopify sellers business actually earns and spends. We documented eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result — A cross-border dropshipper, Kitchener, Ontario
The credits produced $138,000 across the open years. The tracking now in place means the following year's claim is documented as the work happens rather than reconstructed afterwards.
The situation — A consumer electronics reseller, Mississauga, Ontario
A consumer electronics reseller in Mississauga, Ontario was selected for review. A chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about Shopify sellers margin had shown up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on Shopify sellers accounting and tax came to $51,000.
What we did for A consumer electronics reseller, Mississauga, Ontario
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result — A consumer electronics reseller, Mississauga, Ontario
The review closed with no change. $51,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Reviewed by Udit Gupta, Founder and Tax Accountant for the 2025 tax year. These case studies are illustrative worked examples composed from the CRA rules that apply to this type of work, not specific client files; figures are representative and outcomes depend on your own facts.
