6 worked Bookkeeping Cleanup Services 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 bookkeeping cleanup services work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Missed incentive claimed
$99,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Specialty Coffee Roaster, Red Deer
Client: A specialty coffee roaster · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$99,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation — A specialty coffee roaster, Red Deer, Alberta
A specialty coffee roaster in Red Deer, Alberta assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. A bookkeeping file where owner draws, payroll and supplier payments all landed in the same account meant they had applied all along.
What we did for A specialty coffee roaster, Red Deer, Alberta
We identified the qualifying activity and built the documentation to support it. Then we converted the foreign-currency purchases at transaction-date rates and recorded the exchange difference at settlement instead of burying it in cost of sales.
The result — A specialty coffee roaster, Red Deer, Alberta
$99,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 2 · Planning that cut the bill
$12,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Multi-Processor Online Seller, Guelph
Client: An online seller reconciling three payment processors · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$12,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation — An online seller reconciling three payment processors, Guelph, Ontario
An online seller reconciling three payment processors in Guelph, Ontario was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly. It still left sales recorded from bank deposits, so processor fees, chargebacks and refunds appeared nowhere in the ledger on the table.
What we did for An online seller reconciling three payment processors, Guelph, Ontario
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything. Then we rebuilt the ledger from bank and card statements and matched every receipt to a transaction. We removed duplicated input tax credits before they became a review.
The result — An online seller reconciling three payment processors, Guelph, Ontario
The change saved $12,000 in the first year and repeats annually. Nothing about the filings became more aggressive. The position is simply the one the rules already allowed.
Case Study 3 · Deadline rescue
3-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $63,000 — Small Law Practice, Edmonton
Client: A small law practice · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$63,000
Filed with9 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation — A small law practice, Edmonton, Alberta
A small law practice in Edmonton, Alberta was weeks away from the deadline for bookkeeping cleanup services. Behind that sat a receivables list that included invoices collected eleven months earlier. The exposure if the date slipped was around $63,000.
What we did for A small law practice, Edmonton, Alberta
We separated the owner’s personal spending out of the corporate accounts and cleared the resulting shareholder loan properly. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result — A small law practice, Edmonton, Alberta
Filed with 9 days to spare. $63,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Case Study 4 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $74,000 Cut From A 6-Year Backlog — Home-Renovation Contractor, Saskatoon
The situation — A home-renovation contractor, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
By the time a home-renovation contractor in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan called, 6 years were outstanding. The CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat three years of returns filed off numbers nobody could trace back to a bank statement.
What we did for A home-renovation contractor, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
We reconstructed the records year by year. We rebuilt sales from the processor settlement reports so gross sales, fees and refunds each landed in an account of their own. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result — A home-renovation contractor, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $74,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 5 · CRA review defended
Audit Defence Closed In 9 Weeks, $65,000 Cleared — Two-Location Cafe, Victoria
Client: A two-location cafe · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$65,000
Review duration9 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation — A two-location cafe, Victoria, British Columbia
A two-location cafe in Victoria, British Columbia was selected for review. A bookkeeping file where owner draws, payroll and supplier payments all landed in the same account had shown up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on bookkeeping cleanup services came to $65,000.
What we did for A two-location cafe, Victoria, British Columbia
We cleared the payroll and sales tax clearing accounts every month and tied each remittance to the liability it settled. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result — A two-location cafe, Victoria, British Columbia
The review closed with no change. $65,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Client: A residential cleaning franchise · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$128,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation — A residential cleaning franchise, Lethbridge, Alberta
Remittances at a residential cleaning franchise in Lethbridge, Alberta were consistently late by a few days. That was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat input tax credits claimed on receipts that had already been claimed once.
What we did for A residential cleaning franchise, Lethbridge, Alberta
We set up a documented chart of accounts, a receipt-capture workflow and a monthly reconciliation that closes within ten days of month-end. Then we moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result — A residential cleaning franchise, Lethbridge, Alberta
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $128,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
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.
