6 Restaurants 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 restaurants work, not a general example.
Client: A ghost-kitchen operator · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$42,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation
A ghost-kitchen operator in Moncton, New Brunswick was carrying seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it, 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 reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $42,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 2 · Planning that cut the bill
$60,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Quick-Service Franchise Operator, Burnaby
Client: A quick-service franchise operator · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$60,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A quick-service franchise operator in Burnaby, British Columbia 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 aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end.
The result
The change saved $60,000 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 3 · Backlog brought current
5 Years Filed, $69,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Catering Company, Ottawa
Client: A catering company · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed5
Assessed balance removed$69,000
CollectionsStopped
The situation
A catering company in Ottawa, Ontario had not filed for 5 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. We rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a restaurants business actually earns and spends, filing the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $69,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 4 · Cash and remittance control
$133,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Food Truck Operator, Guelph
A food truck operator in Guelph, Ontario was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. A chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about restaurants margin explained most of the gap.
What we did
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically and built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result
$133,000 was released back into working capital. Remittances have been on time every period since, and the forecast shows the tax outflow before it lands.
Case Study 5 · Sale and succession
Intergenerational Transfer Completed With $790,000 Deferred — Bakery and Cafe, Kitchener
Client: A bakery and cafe · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Tax deferred$790,000
TransferCompleted
RecordsReview-ready
The situation
A generational transfer at a bakery and cafe in Kitchener, Ontario had been discussed for years without a plan. Passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares meant the transfer as contemplated would have been fully taxable.
What we did
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances, sequencing the steps so each one was complete and documented before the next depended on it.
The result
$790,000 of tax was deferred through the transfer, and the successor generation took over a corporation whose records stood up to review.
Case Study 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 6 Weeks To 9 Days — Two-Location Bistro, Surrey
Client: A two-location bistro · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before6 weeks
Close time after9 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation
The accounting file at a two-location bistro in Surrey, British Columbia was built on a previous accountant with no experience of this sector. The year-end had taken 6 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed 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 9 days instead of 6 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.
