6 Non-Profit Tax Filing 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 non-profit tax filing work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $125,000 Vacated — Independent Retailer, Lethbridge
Client: An independent retailer · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$125,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
An independent retailer in Lethbridge, Alberta was carrying $125,000 of penalties and interest arising from records that could not support the positions already taken on filed returns, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We brought the outstanding filings current and negotiated an arrangement that stopped the interest from compounding further and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $125,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 2 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $67,000 Saved Each Year — Second-Generation Family Company, Mississauga
Client: A second-generation family company · Where: Mississauga, Ontario · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$67,000
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A second-generation family company in Mississauga, Ontario had outgrown the structure it started with. A balance that had been accruing daily compound interest for two years 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 rebuilt the supporting records, corrected the affected filings, and set a compliance calendar covering every deadline the business actually carries — 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 $67,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 3 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $38,500 Penalty Avoided — Service Business with Seasonal, Hamilton
Client: A service business with seasonal revenue · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$38,500
Turnaround7 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
A service business with seasonal revenue in Hamilton, Ontario came to us 7 weeks before its filing deadline with filings handled by three different providers with no continuity between them. A late filing would have triggered a penalty of roughly $38,500 before interest.
What we did
We worked backwards from the deadline. We consolidated the work into a single engagement so the corporate, sales tax and payroll filings finally reconciled to each other, 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 $38,500 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 4 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $146,000 Refunded — Incorporated Contractor, London
Remittances at an incorporated contractor in London, Ontario were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat deadlines tracked in the owner’s head rather than on a compliance calendar.
What we did
We documented the positions taken, retained the supporting analysis, and prepared the file so a review could be answered in days rather than weeks, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $146,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 5 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $15,000 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Multi-Location Operator, Kitchener
A multi-location operator in Kitchener, Ontario could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because positions taken on prior returns that nobody could explain or support sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We brought the outstanding filings current and negotiated an arrangement that stopped the interest from compounding further, then documented the process so the work does not depend on any one person remembering how it was done.
The result
Records rebuilt and reconciled, $15,000 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 6 · Planning that cut the bill
$63,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — First-Year Startup, Moncton
Client: A first-year startup · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$63,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A first-year startup in Moncton, New Brunswick was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left records that could not support the positions already taken on filed returns on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then rebuilt the supporting records, corrected the affected filings, and set a compliance calendar covering every deadline the business actually carries.
The result
The change saved $63,000 in the first year and repeats annually. Nothing about the filings became more aggressive; the position is simply the one the rules already allowed.
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.
