6 Nelson 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 Nelson and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · CRA review defended
$35,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Quick-Service Franchise Operator, Nelson
Client: A quick-service franchise operator · Where: Nelson, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Adjustment withdrawn$35,000
File closed in4 weeks
Penalties assessedNone
The situation
A quick-service franchise operator in Nelson, British Columbia received a proposal letter opening a review of its bc tax and accounting file. The CRA had identified a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted and proposed an adjustment of $35,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return, then indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $35,000 of it. The file closed in 4 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
Case Study 2 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $45,000 Cut From A 4-Year Backlog — Two-Location Bistro, Nelson
Client: A two-location bistro · Where: Nelson, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$45,000
Backlog cleared4 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a two-location bistro in Nelson, British Columbia called, 4 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and separated the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns. 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 $45,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 3 · Deadline rescue
$125,000 Late-Filing Penalty Cancelled On Relief Application — Digital Product Agency, Nelson
Client: A digital product agency · Where: Nelson, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$125,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A digital product agency in Nelson, 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 $125,000 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 $125,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
$17,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Fintech Startup, Nelson
Client: A fintech startup · Where: Nelson, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$17,000
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A fintech startup in Nelson, 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 $17,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Case Study 5 · Missed incentive claimed
$25,500 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — E-Learning Platform, Nelson
Client: An e-learning platform · Where: Nelson, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$25,500
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
An e-learning platform in Nelson, British Columbia assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit eligibility that had never been assessed meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year.
The result
$25,500 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 6 · Structure rebuilt
Holding Structure Added, $72,000 Saved Annually — Cybersecurity Firm, Nelson
Client: A cybersecurity firm · Where: Nelson, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$72,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation
A cybersecurity firm in Nelson, British Columbia was carrying a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted, and every option for fixing it ran through a reorganisation that had to be done without triggering tax.
What we did
Working with the client's lawyer, we assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $72,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
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.
