6 Business Succession Tax Planning 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 succession tax planning work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $295,000 Less Tax On Closing — Incorporated Trades Business, Guelph
Client: An incorporated trades business · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$295,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
An incorporated trades business in Guelph, Ontario was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, mapped the association rules across the group, allocated the business limit deliberately on Schedule 23, and corrected the prior year by adjustment request, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $295,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 2 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $54,000 Saved Each Year — Corporately-Owned Rental Portfolio, Regina
A corporately-owned rental portfolio in Regina, Saskatchewan had outgrown the structure it started with. A small business limit quietly shared across three associated corporations nobody had mapped was the immediate problem; the longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did
We mapped the current structure, modelled the target, and rebuilt the instalment schedule off the current year rather than the prior year, ending the interest accrual — with the tax-deferred elections filed on time and the supporting valuations documented.
The result
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $54,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 3 · Deadline rescue
$74,000 Late-Filing Penalty Cancelled On Relief Application — Franchise Operator with Three, Winnipeg
Client: A franchise operator with three locations · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$74,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A franchise operator with three locations in Winnipeg, Manitoba had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat passive investment income that had crossed the $50,000 grind threshold unnoticed, and a penalty of $74,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then moved passive holdings into a separate structure so the operating company’s small business limit stopped grinding down.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $74,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 4 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $75,000 Refunded — Professional Corporation, Lethbridge
Client: A professional corporation · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$75,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a professional corporation in Lethbridge, Alberta were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat a balance-due date the owner believed was the same as the filing date.
What we did
We modelled salary against dividends across both the corporation and the shareholder’s personal return, then set the remuneration mix for the year, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $75,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 5 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $62,000 Of Cash Released — CCPC with Two Shareholders, Kitchener
Client: A CCPC with two shareholders · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$62,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation
Revenue at a CCPC with two shareholders in Kitchener, Ontario was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat two corporations under common control filing as if each had its own $500,000 limit.
What we did
We mapped the association rules across the group, allocated the business limit deliberately on Schedule 23, and corrected the prior year by adjustment request. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$62,000 of cash was released from the working capital cycle, and the expansion completed with every registration and filing obligation covered from day one.
Case Study 6 · Missed incentive claimed
$51,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Import and Distribution Corporation, Hamilton
Client: An import and distribution corporation · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$51,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
An import and distribution corporation in Hamilton, Ontario assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. Two corporations under common control filing as if each had its own $500,000 limit meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and rebuilt the instalment schedule off the current year rather than the prior year, ending the interest accrual.
The result
$51,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
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.
