6 Transportation 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 transportation work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $52,000 Vacated — Rideshare Fleet Owner, Ottawa
A rideshare fleet owner in Ottawa, Ontario was carrying $52,000 of penalties and interest arising from sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the transportation rules, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $52,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
An owner-operator trucking corporation in Guelph, Ontario was carrying equipment and asset classes assigned by guesswork rather than the CCA schedule, 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 aligned the reporting calendar with the sector’s own seasonal cycle rather than a generic year-end and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $33,500, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 3 · Backlog brought current
$35,500 Of Arbitrary Assessments Vacated After 6 Years — Moving and Storage Company, Kitchener
Client: A moving and storage company · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Arbitrary tax vacated$35,500
Years brought current6
Account statusCurrent
The situation
6 years of unfiled returns had turned into notional assessments at a moving and storage company in Kitchener, Ontario, with seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it 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. $35,500 of arbitrarily assessed tax was vacated, collections action stopped, and the account is current for the first time in 6 years.
Case Study 4 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $760,000 Less Tax On Closing — Logistics Brokerage, Surrey
Client: A logistics brokerage · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$760,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A logistics brokerage in Surrey, British Columbia was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced no valuation on file to support the price the parties had agreed, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $760,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 5 · Missed incentive claimed
$24,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Refrigerated Transport Company, Calgary
Client: A refrigerated transport company · Where: Calgary, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$24,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A refrigerated transport company in Calgary, Alberta 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 rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a transportation business actually earns and spends.
The result
$24,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 6 · CRA review defended
$139,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Last-Mile Delivery Company, Windsor
Client: A last-mile delivery company · Where: Windsor, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$139,000
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a last-mile delivery company in Windsor, Ontario covering transportation accounting and tax for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $139,000, driven by industry-specific reporting obligations nobody had flagged.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances 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 $139,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
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.
