6 Motels, Inns & Bed-and-Breakfasts 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 motels, inns & bed-and-breakfasts work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Deadline rescue
9-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $84,000 — Fine-Dining Restaurant, Regina
With the deadline for motels, inns & bed-and-breakfasts accounting and tax weeks away, a fine-dining restaurant in Regina, Saskatchewan was carrying industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged. The exposure if the date slipped was around $84,000.
What we did
We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result
Filed with 9 days to spare. $84,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Case Study 2 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $505,000 Less Tax On Closing — Craft Brewery with a, Hamilton
Client: A craft brewery with a taproom · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$505,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A craft brewery with a taproom in Hamilton, Ontario was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a shareholder loan balance that would have been picked up as income on closing, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $505,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 3 · Planning that cut the bill
$29,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Bar and Live-Music Venue, Toronto
Client: A bar and live-music venue · Where: Toronto, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$29,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A bar and live-music venue in Toronto, 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 motels, inns & bed-and-breakfasts business actually earns and spends.
The result
The change saved $29,000 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 4 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $122,000 Vacated — Coffee Shop Group, Victoria
Client: A coffee shop group · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$122,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
A coffee shop group in Victoria, British Columbia was carrying $122,000 of penalties and interest arising from a previous accountant with no experience of this sector, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $122,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 5 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $117,000 Across 7 Open Years — Two-Location Bistro, Saskatoon
An incentive review at a two-location bistro in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 7 years, driven by sector incentives that had never been tested against motels, inns & bed-and-breakfasts activity.
What we did
We documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $117,000 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.
Case Study 6 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $119,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Bakery and Cafe, Mississauga
Client: A bakery and cafe · Where: Mississauga, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$119,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A bakery and cafe in Mississauga, 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 $119,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end.
The result
$119,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
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.
