6 Vancouver 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 Vancouver and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Deadline rescue
3-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $113,000 — Custom Software Development Shop, Vancouver
Client: A custom software development shop · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$113,000
Filed with9 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation
With the deadline for its bc tax and accounting file weeks away, a custom software development shop in Vancouver, British Columbia was carrying a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted. The exposure if the date slipped was around $113,000.
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. $113,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Case Study 2 · Planning that cut the bill
$11,500 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Commercial Landlord, Vancouver
Client: A commercial landlord · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$11,500
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A commercial landlord in Vancouver, British Columbia was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty.
The result
The change saved $11,500 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 3 · Missed incentive claimed
$52,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Esports Organisation, Vancouver
Client: An esports organisation · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$52,000
Years adjusted4
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
An esports organisation in Vancouver, British Columbia had been filing for 4 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit eligibility that had never been assessed.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year.
The result
$52,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 4 · Structure rebuilt
Corporate Structure Rebuilt For $60,000 Of Annual Savings — Bakery and Cafe, Vancouver
Client: A bakery and cafe · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Saving per year$60,000
DocumentationComplete
Transfer basisRollover
The situation
The structure at a bakery and cafe in Vancouver, British Columbia had been set up years earlier for a business that no longer existed, and instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown had become expensive.
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. The reorganisation used the rollover provisions rather than a taxable transfer, so no tax fell due on the restructuring itself.
The result
$60,000 of annual saving, achieved on a tax-deferred basis. The minute book, elections and valuations are all in the file.
Case Study 5 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $20,000 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Digital Product Agency, Vancouver
Client: A digital product agency · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$20,000
Records rebuilt21 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A digital product agency in Vancouver, British Columbia could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return, then documented the process so the work does not depend on any one person remembering how it was done.
The result
Records rebuilt and reconciled, $20,000 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 6 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 68 Staff With $144,000 Of Working Capital Freed — IT Managed-Services Provider, Vancouver
Client: An IT managed-services provider · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Headcount reached68
Working capital freed$144,000
Missed deadlinesZero
The situation
An IT managed-services provider in Vancouver, British Columbia was growing fast — headcount to 68 in eighteen months — and the back office had not kept up. A provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted was the first thing to break.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return, and built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result
The business reached 68 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $144,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
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.
