A contractor sat in the wrong WSIB rate group and was overpaying premiums. Reclassification cut the rate by 38% and produced a retroactive credit.
An Ontario contractor had been assigned a WSIB classification covering higher-risk site work than it actually performed, since most of its crew handled finishing rather than structural work. We documented the actual duties, applied for reclassification into the correct rate group, and requested a retroactive review. The premium rate fell by about 38% going forward and a credit was applied to the account.
Construction files carry subcontractor reporting, holdbacks and heavy equipment, and the CRA cross-checks the payment chain automatically.
Employers withhold CPP, EI and income tax and remit on a schedule set by their average monthly withholding. Late remittance carries a penalty of 3% to 10%, rising to 20% for a repeat failure with gross negligence in the same year.
Why it bites: Payroll penalties compound quietly. An employer that drifts one cycle late each quarter can owe more in penalties than in the tax it was late paying.
Every engagement above was priced as a fixed fee agreed before the work started, and paid only once the client had reviewed the result. If any of this looks like your situation, the first step is a free 15-minute call — we will tell you plainly whether there is anything worth doing.
Reviewed for the 2025 tax year by Udit Gupta, Certified Tax Accountant. Figures describe a real engagement; outcomes depend on your own facts. Client details are omitted for confidentiality.
