6 Top Accounting 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 top accounting work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
29 Months Reconciled And $12,000 Of Input Tax Recovered — Specialty Food Importer, Mississauga
A specialty food importer in Mississauga, Ontario was carrying a bank that refused to renew an operating line without compliant statements. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 29 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We separated personal and corporate spending, cleared the shareholder loan through a documented salary and dividend mix, and restated the comparative year, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
29 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 7 days, and $12,000 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Case Study 2 · CRA review defended
$54,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Machine-Shop Owner-Operator, Hamilton
A review notice arrived at a machine-shop owner-operator in Hamilton, Ontario covering top accounting for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $54,000, driven by a shareholder loan account that had drifted for three years with no supporting entries.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We set a monthly close calendar with a fixed cut-off, so the year-end became a review of work already done rather than a twelve-month rebuild 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 $54,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Case Study 3 · Structure rebuilt
Corporate Structure Rebuilt For $54,000 Of Annual Savings — Growing Landscaping Company, London
Client: A growing landscaping company · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Saving per year$54,000
DocumentationComplete
Transfer basisRollover
The situation
The structure at a growing landscaping company in London, Ontario had been set up years earlier for a business that no longer existed, and year-end statements that arrived four months late and never tied to the bank had become expensive.
What we did
We reconciled the inter-company accounts, papered the arrangement with a written agreement, and aligned both corporations’ year-ends. The reorganisation used the rollover provisions rather than a taxable transfer, so no tax fell due on the restructuring itself.
The result
$54,000 of annual saving, achieved on a tax-deferred basis. The minute book, elections and valuations are all in the file.
Case Study 4 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $122,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Boutique Fitness Studio Group, Kitchener
Client: A boutique fitness studio group · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$122,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A boutique fitness studio group in Kitchener, Ontario was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. Two sets of numbers — one in the accounting file, one the owner actually ran the business on was tying up $122,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and rebuilt the trial balance from source documents, reconciled every bank and credit-card account, and issued a CSRS 4200 compilation with a proper basis-of-accounting note.
The result
$122,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 5 · Missed incentive claimed
$88,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Family-Owned Wholesale Distributor, Moncton
Client: A family-owned wholesale distributor · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$88,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A family-owned wholesale distributor in Moncton, New Brunswick assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. A shareholder loan account that had drifted for three years with no supporting entries meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and separated personal and corporate spending, cleared the shareholder loan through a documented salary and dividend mix, and restated the comparative year.
The result
$88,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
$35,500 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Regional Courier Operator, Lethbridge
Client: A regional courier operator · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$35,500
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $35,500 landed at a regional courier operator in Lethbridge, Alberta following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind a bank that refused to renew an operating line without compliant statements.
What we did
We set a monthly close calendar with a fixed cut-off, so the year-end became a review of work already done rather than a twelve-month rebuild, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$35,500 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
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.
