6 Port Alberni 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 Port Alberni and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
33 Months Reconciled And $12,000 Of Input Tax Recovered — Esports Organisation, Port Alberni
Client: An esports organisation · Where: Port Alberni, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled33
Input tax recovered$12,000
Close time6 days
The situation
An esports organisation in Port Alberni, British Columbia was carrying input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 33 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
33 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 6 days, and $12,000 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Case Study 2 · CRA review defended
$21,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Gallery and Art Dealer, Port Alberni
Client: A gallery and art dealer · Where: Port Alberni, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$21,000
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a gallery and art dealer in Port Alberni, British Columbia covering its bc tax and accounting file for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $21,000, driven by provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate BC return.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year and submitted a point-by-point response that answered each proposed adjustment with the document behind it.
The result
The auditor accepted the documented position and closed the review without adjustment, protecting $21,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Client: A property management company · Where: Port Alberni, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$10,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation
A property management company in Port Alberni, British Columbia was carrying instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown, 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 separated the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $10,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 4 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $95,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Short-Term Rental Operator, Port Alberni
Client: A short-term rental operator · Where: Port Alberni, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$95,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A short-term rental operator in Port Alberni, British Columbia was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. Sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before was tying up $95,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return.
The result
$95,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 5 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $56,000 Across 4 Open Years — Condo Corporation Manager, Port Alberni
Client: A condo corporation manager · Where: Port Alberni, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$56,000
Open years claimed4
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a condo corporation manager in Port Alberni, British Columbia started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 4 years, driven by British Columbia incentives claimed by competitors and never by this business.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $56,000 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 6 · Objection and relief
$47,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — B2B SaaS Company, Port Alberni
Client: A B2B SaaS company · Where: Port Alberni, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$47,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $47,000 landed at a B2B SaaS company in Port Alberni, British Columbia following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is.
What we did
We registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$47,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
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.
