6 worked Accounting 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 accounting work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
29 Months Reconciled And $12,000 Of Input Tax Recovered — Fitness Studio Group, Mississauga
Client: A boutique fitness studio group · Where: Mississauga, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled29
Input tax recovered$12,000
Close time7 days
The situation — A boutique fitness studio group, Mississauga, Ontario
A boutique fitness studio group 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 for A boutique fitness studio group, Mississauga, Ontario
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 — A boutique fitness studio group, Mississauga, Ontario
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 — Family Wholesale Distributor, Hamilton
The situation — A family-owned wholesale distributor, Hamilton, Ontario
A review notice arrived at a family-owned wholesale distributor in Hamilton, Ontario covering accounting for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $54,000, driven by a year-end moved informally, leaving twelve months of trading reported as though nothing had changed.
What we did for A family-owned wholesale distributor, Hamilton, Ontario
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 — A family-owned wholesale distributor, Hamilton, Ontario
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 — Machine-Shop Owner-Operator, London
The situation — A machine-shop owner-operator, London, Ontario
The structure at a machine-shop owner-operator in London, Ontario had been set up years earlier for a business that no longer existed, and capital assets written off in full in the year of purchase, with no fixed-asset schedule behind the deduction had become expensive.
What we did for A machine-shop owner-operator, London, Ontario
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 — A machine-shop owner-operator, London, Ontario
$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 — Landscaping Company, Kitchener
Client: A growing landscaping company · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$122,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation — A growing landscaping company, Kitchener, Ontario
A growing landscaping company in Kitchener, Ontario was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. A shareholder loan account that had drifted for three years with no supporting entries was tying up $122,000 of cash.
What we did for A growing landscaping company, Kitchener, Ontario
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and built a fixed-asset continuity schedule from the purchase invoices and set the capital cost allowance claim class by class rather than claiming the maximum by default.
The result — A growing landscaping company, Kitchener, Ontario
$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 — First Year-End Corporation, Moncton
Client: An owner-managed corporation preparing its first year-end · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$88,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation — An owner-managed corporation preparing its first year-end, Moncton, New Brunswick
An owner-managed corporation preparing its first year-end in Moncton, New Brunswick assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. A bank that refused to renew an operating line without compliant statements meant they had applied all along.
What we did for An owner-managed corporation preparing its first year-end, Moncton, New Brunswick
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and valued work in progress on one consistent basis and documented the method, so the comparative year could be relied on.
The result — An owner-managed corporation preparing its first year-end, Moncton, New Brunswick
$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 — Specialty Food Importer, Lethbridge
Client: A specialty food importer · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$35,500
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation — A specialty food importer, Lethbridge, Alberta
An assessment of $35,500 landed at a specialty food importer in Lethbridge, Alberta following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind year-end statements that arrived four months late and never tied to the bank.
What we did for A specialty food importer, Lethbridge, Alberta
We reconciled the general ledger to the GIFI schedules filed for each open year and corrected the two years where they disagreed, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result — A specialty food importer, Lethbridge, Alberta
$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, Founder and Tax Accountant. 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.
