6 Business Sale 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 business sale accounting work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $21,500 Penalty Avoided — Technology Company Preparing to, Vancouver
Client: A technology company preparing to raise · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$21,500
Turnaround7 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
A technology company preparing to raise in Vancouver, British Columbia came to us 7 weeks before its filing deadline with a growth plan with no forecast behind it and no financing lined up. A late filing would have triggered a penalty of roughly $21,500 before interest.
What we did
We worked backwards from the deadline. We built a rolling thirteen-week cash-flow model, tightened collections, and renegotiated supplier terms so the growth stopped consuming the bank balance, 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 $21,500 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 2 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $77,000 Refunded — Construction Company Bidding Larger, Moncton
Client: A construction company bidding larger contracts · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$77,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a construction company bidding larger contracts in Moncton, New Brunswick were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat revenue up 40% year over year and a bank balance that kept falling.
What we did
We produced a board-ready monthly package — cash, margin, pipeline and covenant headroom — that replaced a spreadsheet nobody trusted, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $77,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 3 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $147,000 Freed — Mid-Sized Professional Services Firm, Burnaby
Client: A mid-sized professional services firm · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$147,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A mid-sized professional services firm in Burnaby, British Columbia was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and pricing set by feel, with no visibility into margin by service line already in the file.
What we did
We modelled the covenant ratios monthly and restructured the debt before the next test date rather than after it and put monthly reporting in place so the owner could see the cash effect of growth while there was still time to act on it.
The result
Growth was absorbed without a compliance failure. $147,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 4 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $43,000 Across 6 Open Years — Distributor Entering a Second, Ottawa
Client: A distributor entering a second province · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$43,000
Open years claimed6
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a distributor entering a second province in Ottawa, Ontario started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 6 years, driven by pricing set by feel, with no visibility into margin by service line.
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, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $43,000 across the open years, and the tracking now in place means the following year's claim is documented as the work happens rather than reconstructed afterwards.
Case Study 5 · Backlog brought current
4 Years Filed, $96,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Fast-Growing E-Commerce Brand, Guelph
A fast-growing e-commerce brand in Guelph, Ontario had not filed for 4 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying an owner making hiring decisions on last quarter’s bank balance on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. We built a rolling thirteen-week cash-flow model, tightened collections, and renegotiated supplier terms so the growth stopped consuming the bank balance, filing the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $96,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
$124,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Family Business Planning Succession, Kitchener
Client: A family business planning succession · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$124,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $124,000 landed at a family business planning succession in Kitchener, Ontario following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind a growth plan with no forecast behind it and no financing lined up.
What we did
We produced a board-ready monthly package — cash, margin, pipeline and covenant headroom — that replaced a spreadsheet nobody trusted, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$124,000 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.
