6 worked Lethbridge case studies — the position a client typically comes to us with, what we do, and what it is worth. Each is an illustrative example built on the rules that apply to Lethbridge and its provincial tax regime, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $40,000 Cut From A 3-Year Backlog — Drywall Subcontractor, Lethbridge
Client: A drywall subcontractor · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$40,000
Backlog cleared3 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation — A drywall subcontractor, Lethbridge, Alberta
By the time a drywall subcontractor in Lethbridge, Alberta called, 3 years were outstanding. The CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown.
What we did for A drywall subcontractor, Lethbridge, Alberta
We reconstructed the records year by year. We assessed and claimed Alberta Innovation Employment Grant alongside the federal return. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result — A drywall subcontractor, Lethbridge, Alberta
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $40,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 2 · Objection and relief
$109,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Greenhouse Grower, Lethbridge
Client: A greenhouse grower · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$109,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation — A greenhouse grower, Lethbridge, Alberta
An assessment of $109,000 landed at a greenhouse grower in Lethbridge, Alberta following a desk review. It turned on payroll obligations from another province applied to local staff by an out-of-province provider. The auditor had not seen the records behind it.
What we did for A greenhouse grower, Lethbridge, Alberta
We registered for the out-of-province obligations that had been triggered, then reconciled the GST filings to the sales ledger province by province. We then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result — A greenhouse grower, Lethbridge, Alberta
$109,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
Case Study 3 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 9 Weeks To 9 Days — Logistics Brokerage, Lethbridge
Client: A logistics brokerage · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before9 weeks
Close time after9 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation — A logistics brokerage, Lethbridge, Alberta
The accounting file at a logistics brokerage in Lethbridge, Alberta had a weak foundation. It was built on sales into HST provinces billed at AB’s 5% GST rate. The year-end had taken 9 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did for A logistics brokerage, Lethbridge, Alberta
We assessed and claimed Alberta Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit alongside the federal return. We also moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result — A logistics brokerage, Lethbridge, Alberta
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 9 days instead of 9 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $28,500 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — B2B SaaS Company, Lethbridge
Client: A B2B SaaS company · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$28,500
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation — A B2B SaaS company, Lethbridge, Alberta
Nothing was wrong at a B2B SaaS company in Lethbridge, Alberta. The filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before had never been reviewed.
What we did for A B2B SaaS company, Lethbridge, Alberta
We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year. We ran the numbers across both the corporate and personal returns, so the saving was real rather than deferred into someone else's hands.
The result — A B2B SaaS company, Lethbridge, Alberta
$28,500 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Client: A logging contractor · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$33,000
Review duration9 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation — A logging contractor, Lethbridge, Alberta
A logging contractor in Lethbridge, Alberta was selected for review. A registration threshold crossed on out-of-province sales that nobody was tracking had shown up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on its AB tax and accounting file came to $33,000.
What we did for A logging contractor, Lethbridge, Alberta
We assessed and claimed Alberta Innovation Employment Grant alongside the federal return. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result — A logging contractor, Lethbridge, Alberta
The review closed with no change. $33,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Case Study 6 · Sale and succession
Intergenerational Transfer Completed With $225,000 Deferred — Heavy-Haul Specialist, Lethbridge
Client: A heavy-haul specialist · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Tax deferred$225,000
TransferCompleted
RecordsReview-ready
The situation — A heavy-haul specialist, Lethbridge, Alberta
A generational transfer at a heavy-haul specialist in Lethbridge, Alberta had been discussed for years without a plan. A minute book with no resolutions behind a decade of dividends meant the transfer as contemplated would have been fully taxable.
What we did for A heavy-haul specialist, Lethbridge, Alberta
We registered for the out-of-province obligations that had been triggered, then reconciled the GST filings to the sales ledger province by province. We sequenced the steps so each one was complete and documented before the next depended on it.
The result — A heavy-haul specialist, Lethbridge, Alberta
$225,000 of tax was deferred through the transfer, and the successor generation took over a corporation whose records stood up to review.
Reviewed by Udit Gupta, Founder and Tax Accountant for the 2025 tax year. These case studies are illustrative worked examples composed from the CRA rules that apply to this type of work, not specific client files; figures are representative and outcomes depend on your own facts.
