6 Appraisers 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 appraisers work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 35 Staff With $85,000 Of Working Capital Freed — Mortgage Brokerage, Regina
A mortgage brokerage in Regina, Saskatchewan was growing fast — headcount to 35 in eighteen months — and the back office had not kept up. Industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged was the first thing to break.
What we did
We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a appraisers business actually earns and spends, and built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result
The business reached 35 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $85,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
Case Study 2 · Missed incentive claimed
$139,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Condo Corporation Manager, Victoria
Client: A condo corporation manager · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$139,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A condo corporation manager in Victoria, British Columbia assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. Sector incentives that had never been tested against appraisers activity meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed.
The result
$139,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 3 · Backlog brought current
$80,000 Of Arbitrary Assessments Vacated After 6 Years — Real Estate Investment Partnership, Barrie
Client: A real estate investment partnership · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Arbitrary tax vacated$80,000
Years brought current6
Account statusCurrent
The situation
6 years of unfiled returns had turned into notional assessments at a real estate investment partnership in Barrie, Ontario, with a previous accountant with no experience of this sector underneath. Collections had already started.
What we did
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically, then filed every outstanding year in chronological order so the CRA could vacate the notional assessments cleanly.
The result
All 6 years were accepted as filed. $80,000 of arbitrarily assessed tax was vacated, collections action stopped, and the account is current for the first time in 6 years.
Case Study 4 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $144,000 Vacated — Land Development Company, Lethbridge
Client: A land development company · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$144,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
A land development company in Lethbridge, Alberta was carrying $144,000 of penalties and interest arising from sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the appraisers rules, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $144,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 5 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $14,500 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Short-Term Rental Operator, Vancouver
Client: A short-term rental operator · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$14,500
Records rebuilt34 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A short-term rental operator in Vancouver, British Columbia could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because a chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about appraisers margin sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances, 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, $14,500 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 6 · Planning that cut the bill
$36,500 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Commercial Landlord, Ottawa
A commercial landlord in Ottawa, Ontario was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a appraisers business actually earns and spends.
The result
The change saved $36,500 in the first year and repeats annually. Nothing about the filings became more aggressive; the position is simply the one the rules already allowed.
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.
