6 Markham 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 Markham and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Planning that cut the bill
$26,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Psychology Practice, Markham
Client: A psychology practice · Where: Markham, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$26,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A psychology practice in Markham, Ontario was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left 13% HST charged on every sale regardless of where the customer was located on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then recalculated the corporate tax at the 12.2% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year.
The result
The change saved $26,000 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 2 · Backlog brought current
5 Years Filed, $137,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Two-Partner Engineering Practice, Markham
Client: A two-partner engineering practice · Where: Markham, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed5
Assessed balance removed$137,000
CollectionsStopped
The situation
A two-partner engineering practice in Markham, Ontario had not filed for 5 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 $137,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 3 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $106,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Specialty Chemicals Producer, Markham
A specialty chemicals producer in Markham, Ontario was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. Instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown was tying up $106,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and 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
$106,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 4 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $560,000 Less Tax On Closing — Veterinary Hospital, Markham
A veterinary hospital in Markham, Ontario was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares, 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. $560,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 5 · Records and systems rebuilt
25 Months Reconciled And $4,400 Of Input Tax Recovered — Boutique Law Firm, Markham
Client: A boutique law firm · Where: Markham, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled25
Input tax recovered$4,400
Close time8 days
The situation
A boutique law firm in Markham, Ontario was carrying sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 25 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We assessed and claimed Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit alongside the federal return, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
25 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 8 days, and $4,400 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Case Study 6 · Missed incentive claimed
$109,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Millwork Shop, Markham
A millwork shop in Markham, Ontario assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. Ontario Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit eligibility that had never been assessed meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and recalculated the corporate tax at the 12.2% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year.
The result
$109,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
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.
