6 Capital Dividend Election Assistance 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 capital dividend election assistance work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Missed incentive claimed
$34,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Second-Generation Family Manufacturer, Victoria
Client: A second-generation family manufacturer · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$34,000
Years adjusted4
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A second-generation family manufacturer in Victoria, British Columbia had been filing for 4 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat two corporations under common control filing as if each had its own $500,000 limit.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then modelled salary against dividends across both the corporation and the shareholder’s personal return, then set the remuneration mix for the year.
The result
$34,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $101,000 Of Cash Released — Professional Corporation, Windsor
Client: A professional corporation · Where: Windsor, Ontario · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$101,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation
Revenue at a professional corporation in Windsor, 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 rebuilt the instalment schedule off the current year rather than the prior year, ending the interest accrual. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$101,000 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 3 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $32,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Holding Company and Its, Moncton
Client: A holding company and its operating subsidiary · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$32,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A holding company and its operating subsidiary in Moncton, New Brunswick was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. A balance-due date the owner believed was the same as the filing date was tying up $32,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and moved passive holdings into a separate structure so the operating company’s small business limit stopped grinding down.
The result
$32,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 4 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $125,000 Penalty Avoided — CCPC with Two Shareholders, Barrie
Client: A CCPC with two shareholders · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$125,000
Turnaround4 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
A CCPC with two shareholders in Barrie, Ontario came to us 4 weeks before its filing deadline with passive investment income that had crossed the $50,000 grind threshold unnoticed. A late filing would have triggered a penalty of roughly $125,000 before interest.
What we did
We worked backwards from the deadline. We mapped the association rules across the group, allocated the business limit deliberately on Schedule 23, and corrected the prior year by adjustment request, 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 $125,000 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 5 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $54,000 Saved Each Year — Import and Distribution Corporation, Kelowna
Client: An import and distribution corporation · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$54,000
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
An import and distribution corporation in Kelowna, British Columbia 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 modelled salary against dividends across both the corporation and the shareholder’s personal return, then set the remuneration mix for the year — 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 6 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $290,000 Less Tax On Closing — Incorporated Trades Business, Guelph
Client: An incorporated trades business · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$290,000
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, rebuilt the instalment schedule off the current year rather than the prior year, ending the interest accrual, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $290,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
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.
