6 Corporate Governance Support 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 corporate governance support work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Cash and remittance control
$106,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Founder Setting Up a, Barrie
Client: A founder setting up a holding structure · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Working capital freed$106,000
On-time remittancesEvery period since
Forecast horizon13 weeks
The situation
A founder setting up a holding structure in Barrie, Ontario was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. A single class of common shares that made income splitting impossible explained most of the gap.
What we did
We reconstructed the minute book with resolutions for each historical dividend and share transaction and built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result
$106,000 was released back into working capital. Remittances have been on time every period since, and the forecast shows the tax outflow before it lands.
Case Study 2 · Backlog brought current
$30,000 Of Arbitrary Assessments Vacated After 5 Years — Partnership Converting to a, Winnipeg
Client: A partnership converting to a corporation · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Arbitrary tax vacated$30,000
Years brought current5
Account statusCurrent
The situation
5 years of unfiled returns had turned into notional assessments at a partnership converting to a corporation in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a December 31 year-end chosen by default that put the balance due at the worst point in the cash cycle underneath. Collections had already started.
What we did
We selected a year-end that put the balance-due date after the seasonal cash peak, then registered every program account the business actually needed, then filed every outstanding year in chronological order so the CRA could vacate the notional assessments cleanly.
The result
All 5 years were accepted as filed. $30,000 of arbitrarily assessed tax was vacated, collections action stopped, and the account is current for the first time in 5 years.
Case Study 3 · Planning that cut the bill
$67,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Consultant Incorporating After Two, Red Deer
Client: A consultant incorporating after two years of self-employment · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$67,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A consultant incorporating after two years of self-employment in Red Deer, Alberta was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left GST/HST collected for eight months before the RT account was ever opened on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then revived the corporation, filed the outstanding annual returns, and set a compliance calendar covering both the corporate registry and the CRA.
The result
The change saved $67,000 in the first year and repeats annually. Nothing about the filings became more aggressive; the position is simply the one the rules already allowed.
Case Study 4 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $50,000 Saved Each Year — Corporation Reviving After Administrative, Vancouver
Client: A corporation reviving after administrative dissolution · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$50,000
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A corporation reviving after administrative dissolution in Vancouver, British Columbia had outgrown the structure it started with. Dividends paid for three years with no directors’ resolutions behind them 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 restructured the share capital so dividends could be directed deliberately, respecting the TOSI rules — 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 $50,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 5 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $77,000 Freed — Contractor Incorporating for Liability, Burnaby
Client: A contractor incorporating for liability reasons · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$77,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A contractor incorporating for liability reasons in Burnaby, British Columbia was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and a corporation dissolved administratively for missed annual returns while still operating already in the file.
What we did
We reconstructed the minute book with resolutions for each historical dividend and share transaction and put monthly reporting in place so the owner could see the cash effect of growth while there was still time to act on it.
The result
Growth was absorbed without a compliance failure. $77,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $57,000 Reversed — Startup Preparing for Its, Guelph
Client: A startup preparing for its first investment round · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Amount reversed$57,000
ObjectionAllowed in full
Account balanceNil
The situation
A startup preparing for its first investment round in Guelph, Ontario had been reassessed for $57,000 and had 17 days left on the objection deadline. The reassessment rested on a single class of common shares that made income splitting impossible.
What we did
We filed the objection inside the deadline with a complete submission rather than a placeholder, and selected a year-end that put the balance-due date after the seasonal cash peak, then registered every program account the business actually needed.
The result
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $57,000 was reversed and the account returned to a nil balance.
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.
