6 Personal Care, Creative & Media 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 personal care, creative & media work, not a general example.
Client: A photography studio · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$104,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A photography studio in Guelph, Ontario had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat a chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about personal care, creative & media margin, and a penalty of $104,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $104,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 2 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $78,000 Across 7 Open Years — Podcast and Audio Studio, Edmonton
Client: A podcast and audio studio · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$78,000
Open years claimed7
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a podcast and audio studio in Edmonton, Alberta started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 7 years, driven by provincial credits left unclaimed alongside every federal filing.
What we did
We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a personal care, creative & media business actually earns and spends, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $78,000 across the open years, and the tracking now in place means the following year's claim is documented as the work happens rather than reconstructed afterwards.
Case Study 3 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $19,000 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Video Production Company, Saskatoon
Client: A video production company · Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$19,000
Records rebuilt31 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A video production company in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because a previous accountant with no experience of this sector sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed, then documented the process so the work does not depend on any one person remembering how it was done.
The result
Records rebuilt and reconciled, $19,000 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 4 · Sale and succession
$185,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Graphic Design Studio, Red Deer
Client: A graphic design studio · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$185,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation
A graphic design studio in Red Deer, Alberta had an offer on the table and 18 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and retained cash well above what the business needed to operate was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $185,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Client: A fitness studio · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$25,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a fitness studio in Lethbridge, Alberta were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule.
What we did
We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $25,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 6 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $69,000 Cut From A 3-Year Backlog — Massage Therapy Clinic, Ottawa
By the time a massage therapy clinic in Ottawa, Ontario called, 3 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $69,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
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.
