6 worked Maple Ridge 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 Maple Ridge and its provincial tax regime, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · CRA review defended
$14,500 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Mobile App Studio, Maple Ridge
Client: A mobile app studio · Where: Maple Ridge, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$14,500
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation — A mobile app studio, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
A review notice arrived at a mobile app studio in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, covering its BC tax and accounting file for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $14,500. It was driven by input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is.
What we did for A mobile app studio, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
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. We then submitted a point-by-point response that answered each proposed adjustment with the document behind it.
The result — A mobile app studio, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
The auditor accepted the documented position and closed the review without adjustment, protecting $14,500 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Case Study 2 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $34,500 Saved Each Year — Catering Company, Maple Ridge
Client: A catering company · Where: Maple Ridge, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$34,500
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation — A catering company, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
A catering company in Maple Ridge, British Columbia had outgrown the structure it started with. Sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before was the immediate problem. The longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did for A catering company, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
We mapped the current structure and modelled the target. Then we assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return. The tax-deferred elections were filed on time and the supporting valuations documented.
The result — A catering company, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $34,500 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 3 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $142,000 Refunded — Land Development Company, Maple Ridge
Client: A land development company · Where: Maple Ridge, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$142,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation — A land development company, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Remittances at a land development company in Maple Ridge, British Columbia were consistently late by a few days. That was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate BC return.
What we did for A land development company, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year. Then we moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result — A land development company, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $142,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 4 · Missed incentive claimed
$24,500 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Seasonal Cabin Motel, Maple Ridge
Client: A seasonal motel with a row of housekeeping cabins · Where: Maple Ridge, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$24,500
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation — A seasonal motel with a row of housekeeping cabins, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
A seasonal motel with a row of housekeeping cabins in Maple Ridge, British Columbia assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit eligibility that had never been assessed meant they had applied all along.
What we did for A seasonal motel with a row of housekeeping cabins, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
We identified the qualifying activity and built the documentation to support it. Then we assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return.
The result — A seasonal motel with a row of housekeeping cabins, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
$24,500 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 5 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $28,000 Vacated — Film Production Services Company, Maple Ridge
Client: A film production services company · Where: Maple Ridge, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$28,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation — A film production services company, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
A film production services company in Maple Ridge, British Columbia was carrying $28,000 of penalties and interest. The charges arose from instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown. Much of that amount accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did for A film production services company, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
We separated the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns. We framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result — A film production services company, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
The assessment was vacated. $28,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 6 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $50,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Digital Product Agency, Maple Ridge
Client: A digital product agency · Where: Maple Ridge, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$50,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation — A digital product agency, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Nothing was wrong at a digital product agency in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. The filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is had never been reviewed.
What we did for A digital product agency, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty. 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 digital product agency, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
$50,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
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.
