6 Armstrong 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 Armstrong and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Planning that cut the bill
$18,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Film Production Services Company, Armstrong
Client: A film production services company · Where: Armstrong, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$18,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A film production services company in Armstrong, British Columbia was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return.
The result
The change saved $18,000 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 2 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $35,500 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Data Analytics Consultancy, Armstrong
Client: A data analytics consultancy · Where: Armstrong, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$35,500
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A data analytics consultancy in Armstrong, British Columbia was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. Provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate BC return was tying up $35,500 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year.
The result
$35,500 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 3 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 12 Weeks To 6 Days — Sports Academy, Armstrong
Client: A sports academy · Where: Armstrong, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before12 weeks
Close time after6 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation
The accounting file at a sports academy in Armstrong, British Columbia was built on a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted. The year-end had taken 12 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return and moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 6 days instead of 12 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Case Study 4 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $64,000 Penalty Avoided — Mortgage Brokerage, Armstrong
Client: A mortgage brokerage · Where: Armstrong, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$64,000
Turnaround11 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
A mortgage brokerage in Armstrong, British Columbia came to us 11 weeks before its filing deadline with instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown. A late filing would have triggered a penalty of roughly $64,000 before interest.
What we did
We worked backwards from the deadline. We separated the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns, prioritising the items that actually gated the filing and deferring everything that did not.
The result
The return was filed on time and complete. The $64,000 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 5 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $16,500 Vacated — Food Truck Operator, Armstrong
Client: A food truck operator · Where: Armstrong, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$16,500
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
A food truck operator in Armstrong, British Columbia was carrying $16,500 of penalties and interest arising from input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $16,500 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Client: A real estate brokerage · Where: Armstrong, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$25,500
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation
A real estate brokerage in Armstrong, British Columbia was carrying sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before, 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 assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $25,500, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
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.
