6 Montreal 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 Montreal and its provincial tax regime, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
$740,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Furniture Manufacturer, Montreal
A furniture manufacturer in Montreal, Quebec had an offer on the table and 14 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and no valuation on file to support the price the parties had agreed was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then recalculated the corporate tax at the 12.2% combined small business rate and rebased the instalments on the current year well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $740,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 2 · Backlog brought current
4 Years Filed, $69,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Hardware Startup, Montreal
A hardware startup in Montreal, Quebec had not filed for 4 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying input tax credits claimed against QC provincial tax, which is not recoverable the way GST is 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 registered the provincial payroll account, caught up the outstanding remittances, and applied for relief on the penalty, 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 $69,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 3 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $54,000 Saved Each Year — Solar Installation Company, Montreal
Client: A solar installation company · Where: Montreal, Quebec · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$54,000
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A solar installation company in Montreal, Quebec had outgrown the structure it started with. A provincial payroll levy that had never been registered for or remitted was the immediate problem; the longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did
We mapped the current structure, modelled the target, and assessed and claimed Quebec R&D Salary Tax Credit alongside the federal return — with the tax-deferred elections filed on time and the supporting valuations documented.
The result
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $54,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 4 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $138,000 Reversed — Millwork Shop, Montreal
A millwork shop in Montreal, Quebec had been reassessed for $138,000 and had 8 days left on the objection deadline. The reassessment rested on sector-specific exposure the previous accountant had not seen before.
What we did
We filed the objection inside the deadline with a complete submission rather than a placeholder, and assessed and claimed Quebec E-Business Tax Credit (CDAE) alongside the federal return.
The result
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $138,000 was reversed and the account returned to a nil balance.
Case Study 5 · Deadline rescue
6-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $100,000 — Fintech Startup, Montreal
With the deadline for its qc tax and accounting file weeks away, a fintech startup in Montreal, Quebec was carrying instalments still calculated on a year the business had long outgrown. The exposure if the date slipped was around $100,000.
What we did
We separated the federal GST and QC provincial sales tax streams, reconciled both to the sales ledger, and filed the corrected provincial returns. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result
Filed with 12 days to spare. $100,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Case Study 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 6 Weeks To 6 Days — Maple and Specialty Crop, Montreal
Client: A maple and specialty crop producer · Where: Montreal, Quebec · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before6 weeks
Close time after6 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation
The accounting file at a maple and specialty crop producer in Montreal, Quebec was built on provincial sales tax collected but never remitted on the separate QC return. The year-end had taken 6 weeks each of the last three years.
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 moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 6 days instead of 6 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
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.
