6 worked Corporate Tax Filing case studies — the position a client typically comes to us with, what we do, and what it is worth. Each is an illustrative example built on the rules that apply to corporate tax filing work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $25,000 Across 5 Open Years — Three-Location Franchisee, Vancouver
Client: A franchise operator with three locations · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$25,000
Open years claimed5
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation — A franchise operator with three locations, Vancouver, British Columbia
An incentive review at a franchise operator with three locations in Vancouver, British Columbia started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 5 years. It was driven by retained earnings building in the operating company with no plan for extracting them.
What we did for A franchise operator with three locations, Vancouver, British Columbia
We mapped the association rules across the group, allocated the business limit deliberately on Schedule 23, and corrected the prior year by adjustment request. We documented eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result — A franchise operator with three locations, Vancouver, British Columbia
The credits produced $25,000 across the open years. The tracking now in place means the following year's claim is documented as the work happens rather than reconstructed afterwards.
Case Study 2 · Sale and succession
Intergenerational Transfer Completed With $575,000 Deferred — Two-Shareholder CCPC, London
Client: A CCPC with two shareholders · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Tax deferred$575,000
TransferCompleted
RecordsReview-ready
The situation — A CCPC with two shareholders, London, Ontario
A generational transfer at a CCPC with two shareholders in London, Ontario had been discussed for years without a plan. Passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares meant the transfer as contemplated would have been fully taxable.
What we did for A CCPC with two shareholders, London, Ontario
We reconstructed the capital dividend account from the underlying transactions and filed the subsection 83(2) election before the next distribution left the company. We sequenced the steps so each one was complete and documented before the next depended on it.
The result — A CCPC with two shareholders, London, Ontario
$575,000 of tax was deferred through the transfer, and the successor generation took over a corporation whose records stood up to review.
Case Study 3 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $130,000 Cut From A 7-Year Backlog — Associated Corporation Pair, Barrie
Client: A corporation associated with a spouse-owned company · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$130,000
Backlog cleared7 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation — A corporation associated with a spouse-owned company, Barrie, Ontario
By the time a corporation associated with a spouse-owned company in Barrie, Ontario called, 7 years were outstanding. The CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat a distribution treated as tax-free capital dividend with no election ever filed.
What we did for A corporation associated with a spouse-owned company, Barrie, Ontario
We reconstructed the records year by year. We rebuilt the instalment schedule off the current year rather than the prior year, ending the interest accrual. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result — A corporation associated with a spouse-owned company, Barrie, Ontario
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $130,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 4 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $67,000 Saved Each Year — Corporate Rental Portfolio, Ottawa
The situation — A corporately-owned rental portfolio, Ottawa, Ontario
A corporately-owned rental portfolio in Ottawa, Ontario had outgrown the structure it started with. Passive investment income that had crossed the $50,000 grind threshold unnoticed was the immediate problem. The longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did for A corporately-owned rental portfolio, Ottawa, Ontario
We mapped the current structure and modelled the target. Then we reviewed each capital cost allowance pool and set the claim at the level that kept the small business deduction fully used rather than wasted. The tax-deferred elections were filed on time and the supporting valuations documented.
The result — A corporately-owned rental portfolio, Ottawa, Ontario
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $67,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 5 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $91,000 Vacated — Professional Corporation, Regina
Client: A professional corporation · Where: Regina, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$91,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation — A professional corporation, Regina, Saskatchewan
A professional corporation in Regina, Saskatchewan was carrying $91,000 of penalties and interest. The charges arose from retained earnings building in the operating company with no plan for extracting them. Much of that amount accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did for A professional corporation, Regina, Saskatchewan
We carried the non-capital loss back against the two profitable years and recovered tax already paid instead of holding a carry-forward balance. We framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result — A professional corporation, Regina, Saskatchewan
The assessment was vacated. $91,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 6 · Deadline rescue
6-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $92,000 — Instalment-Paying Corporation, Lethbridge
Client: A corporation paying instalments on prior-year figures · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$92,000
Filed with13 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation — A corporation paying instalments on prior-year figures, Lethbridge, Alberta
A corporation paying instalments on prior-year figures in Lethbridge, Alberta was weeks away from the deadline for corporate tax filing. Behind that sat dividends moved up to a holding company year after year with no safe-income support on file. The exposure if the date slipped was around $92,000.
What we did for A corporation paying instalments on prior-year figures, Lethbridge, Alberta
We moved passive holdings into a separate structure so the operating company’s small business limit stopped grinding down. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result — A corporation paying instalments on prior-year figures, Lethbridge, Alberta
Filed with 13 days to spare. $92,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Reviewed by Udit Gupta, Founder and Tax Accountant for the 2025 tax year. These case studies are illustrative worked examples composed from the CRA rules that apply to this type of work, not specific client files; figures are representative and outcomes depend on your own facts.
