6 worked Immigration Consultants 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 immigration consultants work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
$70,000 Of Arbitrary Assessments Vacated After 4 Years — Recruitment Firm, Calgary
4 years of unfiled returns had turned into notional assessments at a recruitment firm in Calgary, Alberta. Underneath lay seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it. Collections had already started.
Case 1: what we did
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically. We then filed every outstanding year in chronological order so the CRA could vacate the notional assessments cleanly.
Case 1: the result
All 4 years were accepted as filed. $70,000 of arbitrarily assessed tax was vacated, collections action stopped, and the account is current for the first time in 4 years.
Case Study 2 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 7 Weeks To 10 Days — Architecture Studio, Hamilton
The accounting file at an architecture studio in Hamilton, Ontario had a weak foundation. It was built on equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule. The year-end had taken 7 weeks each of the last three years.
Case 2: what we did
We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed. We also moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
Case 2: the result
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 10 days instead of 7 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
A two-partner engineering practice in Brampton, Ontario was selected for review. Sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the immigration consultants rules had shown up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on immigration consultants accounting and tax came to $131,000.
Case 3: what we did
We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how an immigration consultants business actually earns and spends. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
Case 3: the result
The review closed with no change. $131,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Client: An executive coaching practice. Where: Moncton, New Brunswick. Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee.
Annual saving$55,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
Case 4: the situation
The structure at an executive coaching practice in Moncton, New Brunswick needed fixing. The file was carrying industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged. Every option for fixing it ran through a reorganisation that had to be done without triggering tax.
Case 4: what we did
We worked with the client's lawyer. Together, we reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances. We also prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
Case 4: the result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $55,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 5 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $84,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Insurance Brokerage, Vancouver
Client: An insurance brokerage. Where: Vancouver, British Columbia. Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee.
Cash returned$84,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
Case 5: the situation
An insurance brokerage in Vancouver, British Columbia was paying instalments calculated on a prior year. That year no longer reflected the business. A chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about immigration consultants margin was tying up $84,000 of cash.
Case 5: what we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default. Alongside that, we aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end.
Case 5: the result
$84,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 6 · Missed incentive claimed
$68,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Translation Services Company, Surrey
Client: A translation services company. Where: Surrey, British Columbia. Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee.
Credits claimed$68,000
Years adjusted4
Review outcomeNo adjustment
Case 6: the situation
A translation services company in Surrey, British Columbia had been filing for 4 years. In that time, the incentives its activity qualified for were never claimed. Behind that sat provincial credits left unclaimed alongside every federal filing.
Case 6: what we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice. Then we documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically.
Case 6: the result
$68,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
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.
