6 Digital Marketplaces & Platforms 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 digital marketplaces & platforms work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Structure rebuilt
Holding Structure Added, $50,000 Saved Annually — Fintech Startup, Vancouver
Client: A fintech startup · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$50,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation
A fintech startup in Vancouver, British Columbia was carrying industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged, 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 rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a digital marketplaces & platforms business actually earns and spends and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $50,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 2 · Deadline rescue
$76,000 Late-Filing Penalty Cancelled On Relief Application — Data Analytics Consultancy, Saskatoon
Client: A data analytics consultancy · Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$76,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A data analytics consultancy in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it, and a penalty of $76,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $76,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 3 · Cash and remittance control
$112,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — B2B SaaS Company, Windsor
Client: A B2B SaaS company · Where: Windsor, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Working capital freed$112,000
On-time remittancesEvery period since
Forecast horizon13 weeks
The situation
A B2B SaaS company in Windsor, Ontario was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. A previous accountant with no experience of this sector 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
$112,000 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 4 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $67,000 Freed — Cybersecurity Firm, Mississauga
A cybersecurity firm in Mississauga, Ontario was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the digital marketplaces & platforms rules already in the file.
What we did
We aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end and put monthly reporting in place so the owner could see the cash effect of growth while there was still time to act on it.
The result
Growth was absorbed without a compliance failure. $67,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 5 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $38,500 Across 7 Open Years — IT Managed-Services Provider, London
Client: An IT managed-services provider · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$38,500
Open years claimed7
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at an IT managed-services provider in London, Ontario 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 digital marketplaces & platforms activity.
What we did
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $38,500 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 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $94,000 Cut From A 6-Year Backlog — Digital Product Agency, Moncton
Client: A digital product agency · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$94,000
Backlog cleared6 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a digital product agency in Moncton, New Brunswick called, 6 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a digital marketplaces & platforms business actually earns and spends. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $94,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
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.
