6 Construction Contractor 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 construction contractor tax services work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $128,000 Of Cash Released — Software Company Building a, Burnaby
Client: A software company building a new platform · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$128,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation
Revenue at a software company building a new platform in Burnaby, British Columbia was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat a SR&ED claim prepared eleven months after the fact with no contemporaneous records.
What we did
We confirmed CCPC status and refiled at the enhanced 35% refundable rate. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$128,000 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 2 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $12,500 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Clean-Technology Startup, Victoria
Client: A clean-technology startup · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$12,500
Records rebuilt29 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A clean-technology startup in Victoria, British Columbia could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because a filing deadline missed by three weeks, extinguishing the entire claim sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We layered the applicable provincial credit onto the federal claim in the same filing, then documented the process so the work does not depend on any one person remembering how it was done.
The result
Records rebuilt and reconciled, $12,500 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 3 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $28,000 Saved Each Year — Materials Science Company, Guelph
Client: A materials science company · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$28,000
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A materials science company in Guelph, Ontario had outgrown the structure it started with. A claim filed at the 15% non-refundable rate when CCPC status supported 35% refundable 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 identified the eligible projects, documented the technological uncertainty and systematic investigation for each, and filed a claim that survived review without adjustment — 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 $28,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 4 · Missed incentive claimed
$133,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Food Producer Reformulating Its, Mississauga
Client: A food producer reformulating its product line · Where: Mississauga, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$133,000
Years adjusted4
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A food producer reformulating its product line in Mississauga, Ontario had been filing for 4 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat a filing deadline missed by three weeks, extinguishing the entire claim.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then put contemporaneous tracking in place — project logs tied to time records — so the following year’s claim was defensible by construction.
The result
$133,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 5 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $60,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Game Studio Claiming Digital, Surrey
Client: A game studio claiming digital media credits · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$60,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation
Nothing was wrong at a game studio claiming digital media credits in Surrey, British Columbia — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. A provincial credit left unclaimed alongside a successful federal SR&ED claim had never been reviewed.
What we did
We confirmed CCPC status and refiled at the enhanced 35% refundable rate, and ran the numbers across both the corporate and personal returns so the saving was real rather than deferred into someone else's hands.
The result
$60,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 6 · Deadline rescue
11-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $72,000 — Manufacturer Developing a Production, Brampton
Client: A manufacturer developing a production process · Where: Brampton, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$72,000
Filed with17 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation
With the deadline for construction contractor tax services weeks away, a manufacturer developing a production process in Brampton, Ontario was carrying a SR&ED claim prepared eleven months after the fact with no contemporaneous records. The exposure if the date slipped was around $72,000.
What we did
We layered the applicable provincial credit onto the federal claim in the same filing. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result
Filed with 17 days to spare. $72,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
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.
