6 Victoria 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 Victoria and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
$745,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Sports Academy, Victoria
Client: A sports academy · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$745,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation
A sports academy in Victoria, British Columbia had an offer on the table and 27 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and a single shareholder holding every share, with no room to multiply the exemption was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $745,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 2 · Objection and relief
$98,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Quick-Service Franchise Operator, Victoria
Client: A quick-service franchise operator · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$98,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $98,000 landed at a quick-service franchise operator in Victoria, 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
$98,000 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 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $143,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Custom Software Development Shop, Victoria
Client: A custom software development shop · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$143,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A custom software development shop in Victoria, British Columbia was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. Provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate BC return was tying up $143,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and recalculated the corporate tax at the 11% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year.
The result
$143,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 4 · CRA review defended
$103,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Property Management Company, Victoria
Client: A property management company · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$103,000
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a property management company in Victoria, British Columbia covering its bc tax and accounting file for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $103,000, driven by instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We separated the federal GST and BC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns 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 $103,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Case Study 5 · Backlog brought current
$123,000 Of Arbitrary Assessments Vacated After 3 Years — Talent Management Agency, Victoria
Client: A talent management agency · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Arbitrary tax vacated$123,000
Years brought current3
Account statusCurrent
The situation
3 years of unfiled returns had turned into notional assessments at a talent management agency in Victoria, British Columbia, with sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before underneath. Collections had already started.
What we did
We assessed and claimed BC Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Credit alongside the federal return, then filed every outstanding year in chronological order so the CRA could vacate the notional assessments cleanly.
The result
All 3 years were accepted as filed. $123,000 of arbitrarily assessed tax was vacated, collections action stopped, and the account is current for the first time in 3 years.
Case Study 6 · Deadline rescue
$14,000 Late-Filing Penalty Cancelled On Relief Application — Craft Brewery with a, Victoria
Client: A craft brewery with a taproom · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$14,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A craft brewery with a taproom in Victoria, British Columbia had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted, and a penalty of $14,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then assessed and claimed BC Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit alongside the federal return.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $14,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
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.
