6 worked Vancouver 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 Vancouver and its provincial tax regime, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Deadline rescue
3-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $113,000 — Hardware Startup, Vancouver
Client: A hardware startup · 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 — A hardware startup, Vancouver, British Columbia
A hardware startup in Vancouver, British Columbia was weeks away from the deadline for its BC tax and accounting file. Behind that sat 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 for A hardware startup, Vancouver, British Columbia
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 — A hardware startup, Vancouver, British Columbia
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 — E-Learning Platform, Vancouver
Client: An e-learning platform · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$11,500
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation — An e-learning platform, Vancouver, British Columbia
An e-learning platform in Vancouver, British Columbia was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly. It still left input tax credits claimed against BC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is on the table.
What we did for An e-learning platform, Vancouver, British Columbia
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything. Then we registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty.
The result — An e-learning platform, Vancouver, British Columbia
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 — Digital Product Agency, Vancouver
Client: A digital product agency · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$52,000
Years adjusted4
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation — A digital product agency, Vancouver, British Columbia
A digital product agency in Vancouver, British Columbia had been filing for 4 years. In that time, the incentives its activity qualified for were never claimed. Behind that sat BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit eligibility that had never been assessed.
What we did for A digital product agency, Vancouver, British Columbia
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice. Then we recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year.
The result — A digital product agency, Vancouver, British Columbia
$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 — Owner-Occupied Nightly Host, Vancouver
Client: An owner listing two suites in their own home nightly · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Saving per year$60,000
DocumentationComplete
Transfer basisRollover
The situation — An owner listing two suites in their own home nightly, Vancouver, British Columbia
The structure at an owner listing two suites in their own home nightly in Vancouver, British Columbia dated from years earlier. It had been set up for a business that no longer existed. Instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown had become expensive.
What we did for An owner listing two suites in their own home nightly, Vancouver, 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. The reorganisation used the rollover provisions rather than a taxable transfer, so no tax fell due on the restructuring itself.
The result — An owner listing two suites in their own home nightly, Vancouver, British Columbia
$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 — Four-Unit Condominium Host, Vancouver
Client: An operator with four condominium units listed nightly · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$20,000
Records rebuilt21 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation — An operator with four condominium units listed nightly, Vancouver, British Columbia
An operator with four condominium units listed nightly in Vancouver, British Columbia could not answer basic questions about its own numbers. Sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did for An operator with four condominium units listed nightly, Vancouver, British Columbia
We assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return. We then documented the process so the work does not depend on any one person remembering how it was done.
The result — An operator with four condominium units listed nightly, Vancouver, British Columbia
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 — Highway Motel, Vancouver
Client: A twenty-room highway motel · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Headcount reached68
Working capital freed$144,000
Missed deadlinesZero
The situation — A twenty-room highway motel, Vancouver, British Columbia
A twenty-room highway motel in Vancouver, British Columbia was growing fast, with headcount reaching 68 in eighteen months. 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 for A twenty-room highway motel, Vancouver, British Columbia
We assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return. We built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result — A twenty-room highway motel, Vancouver, British Columbia
The business reached 68 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $144,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
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.
