6 worked Corporate Bookkeeping case studies — the position a client typically comes to us with, what we do, and what it is worth. Each is an illustrative example built on the rules that apply to corporate bookkeeping work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
4 Years Filed, $38,500 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Courier Subcontractor, Barrie
Client: A courier subcontractor paid by the drop · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed4
Assessed balance removed$38,500
CollectionsStopped
The situation — A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Barrie, Ontario
A courier subcontractor paid by the drop in Barrie, Ontario had not filed for 4 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments. The business was carrying a bookkeeping file where owner draws, payroll and supplier payments all landed in the same account. That came on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did for A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Barrie, Ontario
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. We separated the owner’s personal spending out of the corporate accounts and cleared the resulting shareholder loan properly. We filed the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result — A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Barrie, Ontario
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $38,500 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 2 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $49,000 Reversed — Wedding Photography Studio, Saskatoon
Client: A wedding photography studio · Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Amount reversed$49,000
ObjectionAllowed in full
Account balanceNil
The situation — A wedding photography studio, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
A wedding photography studio in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan had been reassessed for $49,000. 16 days were left on the objection deadline. The reassessment rested on meals and entertainment coded at full cost with the input tax credit claimed on the whole amount.
What we did for A wedding photography studio, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
We filed the objection inside the deadline with a complete submission rather than a placeholder. Alongside it, we rebuilt the ledger from bank and card statements and matched every receipt to a transaction. We removed duplicated input tax credits before they became a review.
The result — A wedding photography studio, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $49,000 was reversed and the account returned to a nil balance.
Case Study 3 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 11 Weeks To 4 Days — Subscription Box Retailer, Toronto
The situation — A subscription box retailer, Toronto, Ontario
The accounting file at a subscription box retailer in Toronto, Ontario had a weak foundation. It was built on three years of returns filed off numbers nobody could trace back to a bank statement. The year-end had taken 11 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did for A subscription box retailer, Toronto, Ontario
We converted the foreign-currency purchases at transaction-date rates and recorded the exchange difference at settlement instead of burying it in cost of sales. We also moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result — A subscription box retailer, Toronto, Ontario
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 4 days instead of 11 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
$66,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Dental Hygiene Clinic, Regina
The situation — A dental hygiene clinic, Regina, Saskatchewan
A dental hygiene clinic in Regina, Saskatchewan asked for a second opinion on corporate bookkeeping. That followed three years of rising tax. The review found a payroll clearing account that had never been brought to zero, carrying a balance nobody could explain.
What we did for A dental hygiene clinic, Regina, Saskatchewan
We built the comparison first: current structure against two alternatives. Then we rebuilt sales from the processor settlement reports so gross sales, fees and refunds each landed in an account of their own.
The result — A dental hygiene clinic, Regina, Saskatchewan
First-year saving of $66,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Client: An equipment rental yard · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$12,500
Review duration7 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation — An equipment rental yard, Edmonton, Alberta
An equipment rental yard in Edmonton, Alberta was selected for review. A receivables list that included invoices collected eleven months earlier had shown up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on corporate bookkeeping came to $12,500.
What we did for An equipment rental yard, Edmonton, Alberta
We reconciled receivables and payables to source documents and wrote off the balances that were genuinely uncollectible, with support. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result — An equipment rental yard, Edmonton, Alberta
The review closed with no change. $12,500 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Case Study 6 · Sale and succession
$265,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Owner-Operated Trades Business, Windsor
Client: An owner-operated trades business · Where: Windsor, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$265,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation — An owner-operated trades business, Windsor, Ontario
An owner-operated trades business in Windsor, Ontario had an offer on the table and 23 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption. Retained cash well above what the business needed to operate was part of the reason.
What we did for An owner-operated trades business, Windsor, Ontario
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests. We set up a documented chart of accounts, a receipt-capture workflow and a monthly reconciliation that closes within ten days of month-end. All of it was done well ahead of the closing date.
The result — An owner-operated trades business, Windsor, Ontario
The sale closed on schedule with $265,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Reviewed by Udit Gupta, Founder and Tax Accountant for the 2025 tax year. These case studies are illustrative worked examples composed from the CRA rules that apply to this type of work, not specific client files; figures are representative and outcomes depend on your own facts.
