6 Canada-US Cross-Border Tax Services 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 canada-us cross-border tax services work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $42,000 Refunded — Canadian Corporation with US, Saskatoon
Client: A Canadian corporation with US customers · Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$42,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a Canadian corporation with US customers in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat a departure year filed as a normal resident return with no deemed disposition reported.
What we did
We filed the outstanding T1135 disclosures through the Voluntary Disclosures Program, which eliminated the penalty exposure entirely, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $42,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 2 · Missed incentive claimed
$130,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Non-Resident Owning Canadian Rental, Burnaby
Client: A non-resident owning Canadian rental property · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$130,000
Years adjusted3
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A non-resident owning Canadian rental property in Burnaby, British Columbia had been filing for 3 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat a departure year filed as a normal resident return with no deemed disposition reported.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then filed the section 216 election with the supporting rental statements and recovered the excess withholding as a refund.
The result
$130,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 3 · Sale and succession
$585,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Emigrant Who Left Canada, Regina
Client: An emigrant who left Canada mid-year · Where: Regina, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$585,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation
An emigrant who left Canada mid-year in Regina, Saskatchewan had an offer on the table and 18 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and no valuation on file to support the price the parties had agreed was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then restructured the US holding so the Canadian and US characterisations aligned, ending the double taxation going forward well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $585,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 4 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $105,000 Penalty Avoided — Inbound Transferee on Assignment, Red Deer
Client: An inbound transferee on assignment · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$105,000
Turnaround5 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
An inbound transferee on assignment in Red Deer, Alberta came to us 5 weeks before its filing deadline with a US LLC taxed as a corporation in Canada, producing double tax on the same income. A late filing would have triggered a penalty of roughly $105,000 before interest.
What we did
We worked backwards from the deadline. We reported the deemed disposition properly on the departure return and claimed the foreign tax credits that had been left unused, 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 $105,000 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 5 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $94,000 Of Cash Released — Canadian Resident with a, Windsor
Client: A Canadian resident with a US rental property · Where: Windsor, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$94,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation
Revenue at a Canadian resident with a US rental property in Windsor, Ontario was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat 25% withholding on gross Canadian rent where a section 216 election would have taxed only the net.
What we did
We filed the outstanding T1135 disclosures through the Voluntary Disclosures Program, which eliminated the penalty exposure entirely. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$94,000 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 · CRA review defended
$131,000 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Snowbird Spending Winters in, Barrie
Client: A snowbird spending winters in Arizona · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Reassessment reduced toNil
Tax protected$131,000
Prior filingsUndisturbed
The situation
A review notice arrived at a snowbird spending winters in Arizona in Barrie, Ontario covering canada-us cross-border tax services for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $131,000, driven by a departure year filed as a normal resident return with no deemed disposition reported.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We filed the section 216 election with the supporting rental statements and recovered the excess withholding as a refund 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 $131,000 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
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.
