6 worked Graphic Design & Creative Studios 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 graphic design & creative studios work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $26,000 Across 6 Open Years — Podcast and Audio Studio, Victoria
Client: A podcast and audio studio · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$26,000
Open years claimed6
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation — A podcast and audio studio, Victoria, British Columbia
An incentive review at a podcast and audio studio in Victoria, British Columbia started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 6 years, driven by provincial credits left unclaimed alongside every federal filing.
What we did for A podcast and audio studio, Victoria, British Columbia
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result — A podcast and audio studio, Victoria, British Columbia
The credits produced $26,000 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 2 · CRA review defended
Audit Defence Closed In 10 Weeks, $143,000 Cleared — Video Production Company, London
Client: A video production company · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$143,000
Review duration10 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation — A video production company, London, Ontario
A video production company in London, Ontario was selected for review after equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule showed up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on graphic design & creative studios accounting and tax came to $143,000.
What we did for A video production company, London, Ontario
We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result — A video production company, London, Ontario
The review closed with no change. $143,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Case Study 3 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 14 Staff With $52,000 Of Working Capital Freed — Massage Therapy Clinic, Ottawa
The situation — A massage therapy clinic, Ottawa, Ontario
A massage therapy clinic in Ottawa, Ontario was growing fast — headcount to 14 in eighteen months — and 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 massage therapy clinic, Ottawa, Ontario
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically, and built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result — A massage therapy clinic, Ottawa, Ontario
The business reached 14 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $52,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $66,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Barbershop Chain, Lethbridge
Client: A barbershop chain · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$66,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation — A barbershop chain, Lethbridge, Alberta
Nothing was wrong at a barbershop chain in Lethbridge, Alberta — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. A previous accountant with no experience of this sector had never been reviewed.
What we did for A barbershop chain, Lethbridge, Alberta
We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed, and 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 barbershop chain, Lethbridge, Alberta
$66,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 5 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $121,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Medical Spa, Windsor
Client: A medical spa · Where: Windsor, Ontario · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$121,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation — A medical spa, Windsor, Ontario
A medical spa in Windsor, Ontario was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. A chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about graphic design & creative studios margin was tying up $121,000 of cash.
What we did for A medical spa, Windsor, Ontario
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a graphic design & creative studios business actually earns and spends.
The result — A medical spa, Windsor, Ontario
$121,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
26 Months Reconciled And $12,000 Of Input Tax Recovered — Graphic Design Studio, Burnaby
Client: A graphic design studio · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled26
Input tax recovered$12,000
Close time7 days
The situation — A graphic design studio, Burnaby, British Columbia
A graphic design studio in Burnaby, British Columbia was carrying industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 26 months of cleanup.
What we did for A graphic design studio, Burnaby, British Columbia
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result — A graphic design studio, Burnaby, British Columbia
26 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 7 days, and $12,000 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Reviewed for the 2025 tax year by Udit Gupta, Founder and Tax Accountant. 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.
