6 Brokers 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 brokers work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $116,000 Reversed — Real Estate Investment Partnership, Toronto
Client: A real estate investment partnership · Where: Toronto, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Amount reversed$116,000
ObjectionAllowed in full
Account balanceNil
The situation
A real estate investment partnership in Toronto, Ontario had been reassessed for $116,000 and had 21 days left on the objection deadline. The reassessment rested on a previous accountant with no experience of this sector.
What we did
We filed the objection inside the deadline with a complete submission rather than a placeholder, and aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end.
The result
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $116,000 was reversed and the account returned to a nil balance.
Case Study 2 · Missed incentive claimed
$123,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Commercial Landlord, Vancouver
Client: A commercial landlord · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$123,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A commercial landlord in Vancouver, British Columbia assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. Development and improvement work written off as ordinary overhead 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
$123,000 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 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $155,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Residential Rental Portfolio, Edmonton
Client: A residential rental portfolio · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$155,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A residential rental portfolio in Edmonton, Alberta 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 $155,000 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
$155,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 4 · Structure rebuilt
Corporate Structure Rebuilt For $19,000 Of Annual Savings — Condo Corporation Manager, Winnipeg
The structure at a condo corporation manager in Winnipeg, Manitoba had been set up years earlier for a business that no longer existed, and a chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about brokers margin had become expensive.
What we did
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically. The reorganisation used the rollover provisions rather than a taxable transfer, so no tax fell due on the restructuring itself.
The result
$19,000 of annual saving, achieved on a tax-deferred basis. The minute book, elections and valuations are all in the file.
Case Study 5 · CRA review defended
$117,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Short-Term Rental Operator, Surrey
Client: A short-term rental operator · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$117,000
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a short-term rental operator in Surrey, British Columbia covering brokers accounting and tax for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $117,000, driven by industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a brokers business actually earns and spends and submitted a point-by-point response that answered each proposed adjustment with the document behind it.
The result
The auditor accepted the documented position and closed the review without adjustment, protecting $117,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Case Study 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 10 Weeks To 6 Days — Property Management Company, Saskatoon
Client: A property management company · Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before10 weeks
Close time after6 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation
The accounting file at a property management company in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was built on sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the brokers rules. The year-end had taken 10 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end and moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 6 days instead of 10 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
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.
