6 Nanaimo 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 Nanaimo and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $18,000 Across 3 Open Years — Hardware Startup, Nanaimo
Client: A hardware startup · Where: Nanaimo, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$18,000
Open years claimed3
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a hardware startup in Nanaimo, British Columbia started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 3 years, driven by British Columbia incentives claimed by competitors and never by this business.
What we did
We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $18,000 across the open years, and the tracking now in place means the following year's claim is documented as the work happens rather than reconstructed afterwards.
Case Study 2 · Objection and relief
$63,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — House-Flipping Operation, Nanaimo
Client: A house-flipping operation · Where: Nanaimo, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$63,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $63,000 landed at a house-flipping operation in Nanaimo, British Columbia following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate BC return.
What we did
We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$63,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
Case Study 3 · Planning that cut the bill
$14,500 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Commercial Landlord, Nanaimo
Client: A commercial landlord · Where: Nanaimo, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$14,500
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A commercial landlord in Nanaimo, British Columbia was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then separated the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns.
The result
The change saved $14,500 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 4 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $280,000 Less Tax On Closing — Film Production Services Company, Nanaimo
Client: A film production services company · Where: Nanaimo, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$280,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A film production services company in Nanaimo, British Columbia was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced retained cash well above what the business needed to operate, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $280,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 5 · Deadline rescue
8-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $58,000 — Sports Academy, Nanaimo
Client: A sports academy · Where: Nanaimo, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$58,000
Filed with9 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation
With the deadline for its bc tax and accounting file weeks away, a sports academy in Nanaimo, British Columbia was carrying a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted. The exposure if the date slipped was around $58,000.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result
Filed with 9 days to spare. $58,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Case Study 6 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $70,000 Freed — Food Truck Operator, Nanaimo
Client: A food truck operator · Where: Nanaimo, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$70,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A food truck operator in Nanaimo, British Columbia was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is already in the file.
What we did
We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty 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. $70,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
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.
