6 Moving Companies 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 moving companies work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
$500,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Bus and Coach Operator, Regina
Client: A bus and coach operator · Where: Regina, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$500,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation
A bus and coach operator in Regina, Saskatchewan had an offer on the table and 10 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and no valuation on file to support the price the parties had agreed was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $500,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 2 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $53,000 Cut From A 5-Year Backlog — Owner-Operator Trucking Corporation, Red Deer
Client: An owner-operator trucking corporation · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$53,000
Backlog cleared5 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time an owner-operator trucking corporation in Red Deer, Alberta called, 5 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 documented the positions to the standard the CRA applies to this sector specifically. 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 $53,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
A logistics brokerage in Windsor, Ontario was carrying a chart of accounts that told the owner nothing about moving companies margin, 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 $59,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 4 · Objection and relief
$37,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Last-Mile Delivery Company, Barrie
Client: A last-mile delivery company · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$37,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $37,000 landed at a last-mile delivery company in Barrie, Ontario following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind sector deductions claimed on a general-business basis rather than the moving companies rules.
What we did
We reassigned the asset classes on the CCA schedule and corrected the opening balances, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$37,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
A heavy-haul specialist in Guelph, Ontario had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat a previous accountant with no experience of this sector, and a penalty of $106,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then rebuilt the chart of accounts around how a moving companies business actually earns and spends.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $106,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
17 Months Reconciled And $19,000 Of Input Tax Recovered — Courier Fleet, Toronto
A courier fleet in Toronto, Ontario was carrying seasonal revenue reported without matching the costs that produced it. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 17 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We reviewed every sector-specific deduction against the current rules and claimed the ones that had been missed, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
17 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 6 days, and $19,000 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
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.
