6 Real Estate 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 real estate work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
33 Months Reconciled And $6,200 Of Input Tax Recovered — Mortgage Brokerage, Regina
A mortgage brokerage in Regina, Saskatchewan was carrying industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 33 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a real estate business actually earns and spends, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
33 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 4 days, and $6,200 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Case Study 2 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $65,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Property Management Company, Kitchener
Client: A property management company · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$65,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation
Nothing was wrong at a property management company in Kitchener, Ontario — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it had never been reviewed.
What we did
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
$65,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 3 · CRA review defended
Audit Defence Closed In 7 Weeks, $127,000 Cleared — Short-Term Rental Operator, Red Deer
Client: A short-term rental operator · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$127,000
Review duration7 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation
A short-term rental operator in Red Deer, Alberta was selected for review after a previous accountant with no experience of this sector showed up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on real estate accounting and tax came to $127,000.
What we did
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result
The review closed with no change. $127,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Case Study 4 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $270,000 Less Tax On Closing — Condo Corporation Manager, Victoria
Client: A condo corporation manager · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$270,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A condo corporation manager in Victoria, British Columbia was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a single shareholder holding every share, with no room to multiply the exemption, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $270,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
A residential rental portfolio in Windsor, Ontario was carrying a chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about real estate margin, and every option for fixing it ran through a reorganisation that had to be done without triggering tax.
What we did
Working with the client's lawyer, we reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $12,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Client: A commercial landlord · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$137,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A commercial landlord in Moncton, New Brunswick had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule, and a penalty of $137,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a real estate business actually earns and spends.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $137,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
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.
