6 worked Finance & Lending Companies 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 finance & lending companies work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
$415,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Financial Planning Practice, Saskatoon
Client: A financial planning practice · Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$415,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation — A financial planning practice, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
A financial planning practice in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan had an offer on the table and 20 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption. Passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares was part of the reason.
What we did for A financial planning practice, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests. We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances. All of it was done well ahead of the closing date.
The result — A financial planning practice, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
The sale closed on schedule with $415,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 2 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $35,500 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Bookkeeping and Payroll Bureau, Victoria
Client: A bookkeeping and payroll bureau · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$35,500
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation — A bookkeeping and payroll bureau, Victoria, British Columbia
A bookkeeping and payroll bureau in Victoria, British Columbia was paying instalments calculated on a prior year. That year no longer reflected the business. Industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged was tying up $35,500 of cash.
What we did for A bookkeeping and payroll bureau, Victoria, British Columbia
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default. Alongside that, we rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a finance & lending companies business actually earns and spends.
The result — A bookkeeping and payroll bureau, Victoria, British Columbia
$35,500 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 3 · Backlog brought current
6 Years Filed, $113,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Private Lending Business, Toronto
Client: A private lending business · Where: Toronto, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed6
Assessed balance removed$113,000
CollectionsStopped
The situation — A private lending business, Toronto, Ontario
A private lending business in Toronto, Ontario had not filed for 6 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments. The business was carrying a previous accountant with no experience of this sector. That came on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did for A private lending business, Toronto, Ontario
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed. We filed the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result — A private lending business, Toronto, Ontario
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $113,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $31,500 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Captive Insurance Manager, Hamilton
The situation — A captive insurance manager, Hamilton, Ontario
Nothing was wrong at a captive insurance manager in Hamilton, Ontario. The filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the finance & lending companies rules had never been reviewed.
What we did for A captive insurance manager, Hamilton, Ontario
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically. We ran the numbers across both the corporate and personal returns, so the saving was real rather than deferred into someone else's hands.
The result — A captive insurance manager, Hamilton, Ontario
$31,500 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 5 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $44,000 Saved Each Year — Insurance Brokerage, Regina
The situation — An insurance brokerage, Regina, Saskatchewan
An insurance brokerage in Regina, Saskatchewan had outgrown the structure it started with. Equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule was the immediate problem. The longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did for An insurance brokerage, Regina, Saskatchewan
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 — An insurance brokerage, Regina, Saskatchewan
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $44,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 6 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $135,000 Of Cash Released — Investment Advisory Firm, Kelowna
Client: An investment advisory firm · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$135,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation — An investment advisory firm, Kelowna, British Columbia
Revenue at an investment advisory firm in Kelowna, British Columbia was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it.
What we did for An investment advisory firm, Kelowna, British Columbia
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances. Every new obligation was set up before it was triggered, not after. That covered registration, remittance frequency and provincial filing.
The result — An investment advisory firm, Kelowna, British Columbia
$135,000 of cash was released from the working capital cycle. The expansion completed with every registration and filing obligation covered from day 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.
