6 Marketing Agencies 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 marketing agencies work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
28 Months Reconciled And $3,000 Of Input Tax Recovered — Marketing Agency, Burnaby
Client: A marketing agency · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled28
Input tax recovered$3,000
Close time4 days
The situation
A marketing agency in Burnaby, British Columbia was carrying a previous accountant with no experience of this sector. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 28 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
28 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 4 days, and $3,000 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Case Study 2 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $108,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Surveying Practice, Windsor
Client: A surveying practice · Where: Windsor, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$108,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A surveying practice in Windsor, Ontario was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. Seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it was tying up $108,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances.
The result
$108,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 3 · Planning that cut the bill
$26,500 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Management Consultancy, Toronto
A management consultancy in Toronto, Ontario was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically.
The result
The change saved $26,500 in the first year and repeats annually. Nothing about the filings became more aggressive; the position is simply the one the rules already allowed.
Case Study 4 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $105,000 Freed — Translation Services Company, Winnipeg
Client: A translation services company · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$105,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A translation services company in Winnipeg, Manitoba was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule already in the file.
What we did
We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a marketing agencies business actually earns and spends and put monthly reporting in place so the owner could see the cash effect of growth while there was still time to act on it.
The result
Growth was absorbed without a compliance failure. $105,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 5 · CRA review defended
$89,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Boutique Law Firm, Brampton
Client: A boutique law firm · Where: Brampton, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Adjustment withdrawn$89,000
File closed in10 weeks
Penalties assessedNone
The situation
A boutique law firm in Brampton, Ontario received a proposal letter opening a review of marketing agencies accounting and tax. The CRA had identified a chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about marketing agencies margin and proposed an adjustment of $89,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end, then indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $89,000 of it. The file closed in 10 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
Case Study 6 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $40,000 Across 7 Open Years — Recruitment Firm, Moncton
Client: A recruitment firm · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$40,000
Open years claimed7
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a recruitment firm in Moncton, New Brunswick 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 reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $40,000 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.
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.
