6 Kelowna 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 Kelowna and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Client: A hardware startup · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$29,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A hardware startup in Kelowna, British Columbia had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is, and a penalty of $29,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $29,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $138,000 Freed — Food Truck Operator, Kelowna
Client: A food truck operator · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$138,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A food truck operator in Kelowna, British Columbia was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate BC return already in the file.
What we did
We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year 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. $138,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 3 · Backlog brought current
$119,000 Of Arbitrary Assessments Vacated After 3 Years — Esports Organisation, Kelowna
Client: An esports organisation · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Arbitrary tax vacated$119,000
Years brought current3
Account statusCurrent
The situation
3 years of unfiled returns had turned into notional assessments at an esports organisation in Kelowna, British Columbia, with instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown underneath. Collections had already started.
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, then filed every outstanding year in chronological order so the CRA could vacate the notional assessments cleanly.
The result
All 3 years were accepted as filed. $119,000 of arbitrarily assessed tax was vacated, collections action stopped, and the account is current for the first time in 3 years.
Case Study 4 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 9 Weeks To 9 Days — Land Development Company, Kelowna
Client: A land development company · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before9 weeks
Close time after9 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation
The accounting file at a land development company in Kelowna, British Columbia was built on sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before. The year-end had taken 9 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development 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 9 days instead of 9 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Client: A cybersecurity firm · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$55,000
Review duration4 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation
A cybersecurity firm in Kelowna, British Columbia was selected for review after a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted showed up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on its bc tax and accounting file came to $55,000.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit 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
The review closed with no change. $55,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Case Study 6 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $65,000 Saved Each Year — Fine-Dining Restaurant, Kelowna
Client: A fine-dining restaurant · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$65,000
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A fine-dining restaurant in Kelowna, British Columbia had outgrown the structure it started with. Input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is was the immediate problem; the longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did
We mapped the current structure, modelled the target, and registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty — with the tax-deferred elections filed on time and the supporting valuations documented.
The result
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $65,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
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.
