6 Cambridge 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 Cambridge and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
3 Years Filed, $17,500 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Benefits Consultancy, Cambridge
A benefits consultancy in Cambridge, Ontario had not filed for 3 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. We assessed and claimed Ontario Innovation Tax Credit alongside the federal return, filing the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $17,500 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 28 Staff With $58,000 Of Working Capital Freed — Home-Care Nursing Agency, Cambridge
A home-care nursing agency in Cambridge, Ontario was growing fast — headcount to 28 in eighteen months — and the back office had not kept up. 13% HST charged on every sale regardless of where the customer was located was the first thing to break.
What we did
We recalculated the corporate tax at the 12.2% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year, and built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result
The business reached 28 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $58,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
Case Study 3 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $92,000 Penalty Avoided — Family Medicine Clinic, Cambridge
Client: A family medicine clinic · Where: Cambridge, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$92,000
Turnaround4 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
A family medicine clinic in Cambridge, Ontario came to us 4 weeks before its filing deadline with sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before. A late filing would have triggered a penalty of roughly $92,000 before interest.
What we did
We worked backwards from the deadline. We assessed and claimed Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit alongside the federal return, prioritising the items that actually gated the filing and deferring everything that did not.
The result
The return was filed on time and complete. The $92,000 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 4 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $385,000 Less Tax On Closing — Mobile App Studio, Cambridge
Client: A mobile app studio · Where: Cambridge, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$385,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A mobile app studio in Cambridge, Ontario was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a single shareholder holding every share, with no room to multiply the exemption, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $385,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 5 · Planning that cut the bill
$25,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Packaging Producer, Cambridge
A packaging producer in Cambridge, Ontario asked for a second opinion on its on tax and accounting file after three years of rising tax. The review found instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and then rebuilt the sales ledger by customer location, applied the correct place-of-supply rate to each stream, and filed the adjusted HST returns.
The result
First-year saving of $25,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $70,000 Reversed — Translation Services Company, Cambridge
Client: A translation services company · Where: Cambridge, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Amount reversed$70,000
ObjectionAllowed in full
Account balanceNil
The situation
A translation services company in Cambridge, Ontario had been reassessed for $70,000 and had 6 days left on the objection deadline. The reassessment rested on a provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted.
What we did
We filed the objection inside the deadline with a complete submission rather than a placeholder, and assessed and claimed Ontario Innovation Tax Credit alongside the federal return.
The result
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $70,000 was reversed and the account returned to a nil balance.
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.
