6 Delta 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 Delta and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $106,000 Penalty Avoided — Coffee Shop Group, Delta
Client: A coffee shop group · Where: Delta, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$106,000
Turnaround4 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
A coffee shop group in Delta, 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 $106,000 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 $106,000 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 2 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $5,900 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Gallery and Art Dealer, Delta
Client: A gallery and art dealer · Where: Delta, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$5,900
Records rebuilt21 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A gallery and art dealer in Delta, British Columbia could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty, then documented the process so the work does not depend on any one person remembering how it was done.
The result
Records rebuilt and reconciled, $5,900 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 3 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $62,000 Refunded — IT Managed-Services Provider, Delta
Client: An IT managed-services provider · Where: Delta, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$62,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at an IT managed-services provider in Delta, British Columbia were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $62,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
$38,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Fine-Dining Restaurant, Delta
Client: A fine-dining restaurant · Where: Delta, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$38,000
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A fine-dining restaurant in Delta, British Columbia asked for a second opinion on its bc tax and accounting file after three years of rising tax. The review found sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and then assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return.
The result
First-year saving of $38,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Case Study 5 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $61,000 Freed — Residential Rental Portfolio, Delta
Client: A residential rental portfolio · Where: Delta, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$61,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A residential rental portfolio in Delta, 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. $61,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 6 · CRA review defended
Audit Defence Closed In 9 Weeks, $93,000 Cleared — Data Analytics Consultancy, Delta
Client: A data analytics consultancy · Where: Delta, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$93,000
Review duration9 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation
A data analytics consultancy in Delta, British Columbia was selected for review after provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate BC return showed up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on its bc tax and accounting file came to $93,000.
What we did
We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result
The review closed with no change. $93,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
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.
