6 Accounting Workflow Automation 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 accounting workflow automation work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $620,000 Less Tax On Closing — Professional Practice Adding Partners, London
Client: A professional practice adding partners · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$620,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A professional practice adding partners in London, Ontario was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a single shareholder holding every share, with no room to multiply the exemption, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, rebuilt the reporting around gross margin by service line, which showed two of five offerings were losing money at the current price, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $620,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 2 · CRA review defended
$91,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Family Business Planning Succession, Winnipeg
Client: A family business planning succession · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$91,000
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a family business planning succession in Winnipeg, Manitoba covering accounting workflow automation for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $91,000, driven by pricing set by feel, with no visibility into margin by service line.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We built a rolling thirteen-week cash-flow model, tightened collections, and renegotiated supplier terms so the growth stopped consuming the bank balance and submitted a point-by-point response that answered each proposed adjustment with the document behind it.
The result
The auditor accepted the documented position and closed the review without adjustment, protecting $91,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Case Study 3 · Planning that cut the bill
$30,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Subscription Business Tracking Churn, Calgary
Client: A subscription business tracking churn · Where: Calgary, Alberta · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$30,000
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A subscription business tracking churn in Calgary, Alberta asked for a second opinion on accounting workflow automation after three years of rising tax. The review found an owner making hiring decisions on last quarter’s bank balance.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and then produced a board-ready monthly package — cash, margin, pipeline and covenant headroom — that replaced a spreadsheet nobody trusted.
The result
First-year saving of $30,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Case Study 4 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 9 Weeks To 4 Days — Manufacturer Planning a Plant, Barrie
Client: A manufacturer planning a plant expansion · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before9 weeks
Close time after4 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation
The accounting file at a manufacturer planning a plant expansion in Barrie, Ontario was built on revenue up 40% year over year and a bank balance that kept falling. The year-end had taken 9 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We modelled the covenant ratios monthly and restructured the debt before the next test date rather than after it 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 4 days instead of 9 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Case Study 5 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $15,500 Vacated — Clinic Group Acquiring a, Kitchener
Client: A clinic group acquiring a competitor · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$15,500
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
A clinic group acquiring a competitor in Kitchener, Ontario was carrying $15,500 of penalties and interest arising from a covenant breach discovered only when the bank called, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We rebuilt the reporting around gross margin by service line, which showed two of five offerings were losing money at the current price and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $15,500 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 6 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $80,000 Cut From A 3-Year Backlog — Construction Company Bidding Larger, Saskatoon
Client: A construction company bidding larger contracts · Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$80,000
Backlog cleared3 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a construction company bidding larger contracts in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan called, 3 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat a growth plan with no forecast behind it and no financing lined up.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and built a rolling thirteen-week cash-flow model, tightened collections, and renegotiated supplier terms so the growth stopped consuming the bank balance. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $80,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
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.
