6 Colwood 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 Colwood and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
$250,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Esports Organisation, Colwood
Client: An esports organisation · Where: Colwood, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$250,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation
An esports organisation in Colwood, British Columbia had an offer on the table and 31 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and a minute book with no resolutions behind a decade of dividends was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $250,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 2 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $35,500 Penalty Avoided — Land Development Company, Colwood
Client: A land development company · Where: Colwood, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$35,500
Turnaround4 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
A land development company in Colwood, British Columbia came to us 4 weeks before its filing deadline with provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate BC return. A late filing would have triggered a penalty of roughly $35,500 before interest.
What we did
We worked backwards from the deadline. We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year, 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 $35,500 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 3 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $128,000 Freed — Hardware Startup, Colwood
Client: A hardware startup · Where: Colwood, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$128,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A hardware startup in Colwood, British Columbia was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown already in the file.
What we did
We separated the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns 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. $128,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 4 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $15,000 Cut From A 3-Year Backlog — Food Truck Operator, Colwood
Client: A food truck operator · Where: Colwood, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$15,000
Backlog cleared3 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a food truck operator in Colwood, British Columbia called, 3 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return. 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 $15,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 5 · Records and systems rebuilt
25 Months Reconciled And $19,500 Of Input Tax Recovered — Dance Studio, Colwood
Client: A dance studio · Where: Colwood, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled25
Input tax recovered$19,500
Close time4 days
The situation
A dance studio in Colwood, British Columbia was carrying a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 25 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
25 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 4 days, and $19,500 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Case Study 6 · CRA review defended
$32,500 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Real Estate Investment Partnership, Colwood
Client: A real estate investment partnership · Where: Colwood, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$32,500
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a real estate investment partnership in Colwood, British Columbia covering its bc tax and accounting file for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $32,500, driven by input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty 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 $32,500 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.
