Investment Advisors & Portfolio Managers Case Studies
6 worked Investment Advisors & Portfolio Managers 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 investment advisors & portfolio managers work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 38 Staff With $114,000 Of Working Capital Freed — Benefits Consultancy, Brampton
The situation — A benefits consultancy, Brampton, Ontario
A benefits consultancy in Brampton, Ontario was growing fast, with headcount reaching 38 in eighteen months. The back office had not kept up. Seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it was the first thing to break.
What we did for A benefits consultancy, Brampton, Ontario
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances. We built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result — A benefits consultancy, Brampton, Ontario
The business reached 38 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $114,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
Case Study 2 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $33,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Financial Planning Practice, Barrie
Client: A financial planning practice · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$33,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation — A financial planning practice, Barrie, Ontario
Nothing was wrong at a financial planning practice in Barrie, 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 investment advisors & portfolio managers rules had never been reviewed.
What we did for A financial planning practice, Barrie, Ontario
We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end. 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 financial planning practice, Barrie, Ontario
$33,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 3 · Cash and remittance control
$155,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Captive Insurance Manager, Mississauga
The situation — A captive insurance manager, Mississauga, Ontario
A captive insurance manager in Mississauga, Ontario was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. Equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule explained most of the gap.
What we did for A captive insurance manager, Mississauga, Ontario
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically. We also built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result — A captive insurance manager, Mississauga, Ontario
$155,000 was released back into working capital. Remittances have been on time every period since, and the forecast shows the tax outflow before it lands.
Case Study 4 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $17,500 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Investment Advisory Firm, Saskatoon
The situation — An investment advisory firm, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
An investment advisory firm in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan could not answer basic questions about its own numbers. Industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did for An investment advisory firm, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed. We then documented the process so the work does not depend on any one person remembering how it was done.
The result — An investment advisory firm, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Records rebuilt and reconciled, $17,500 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 5 · Deadline rescue
3-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $22,500 — Wealth Management Practice, Victoria
Client: A wealth management practice · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$22,500
Filed with21 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation — A wealth management practice, Victoria, British Columbia
A wealth management practice in Victoria, British Columbia was weeks away from the deadline for investment advisors & portfolio managers accounting and tax. Behind that sat a previous accountant with no experience of this sector. The exposure if the date slipped was around $22,500.
What we did for A wealth management practice, Victoria, British Columbia
We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how an investment advisors & portfolio managers business actually earns and spends. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result — A wealth management practice, Victoria, British Columbia
Filed with 21 days to spare. $22,500 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
$80,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Bookkeeping and Payroll Bureau, Toronto
Client: A bookkeeping and payroll bureau · Where: Toronto, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$80,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation — A bookkeeping and payroll bureau, Toronto, Ontario
An assessment of $80,000 landed at a bookkeeping and payroll bureau in Toronto, Ontario following a desk review. It turned on a chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about investment advisors & portfolio managers margin. The auditor had not seen the records behind it.
What we did for A bookkeeping and payroll bureau, Toronto, 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 bookkeeping and payroll bureau, Toronto, Ontario
$80,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
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.
