6 Corporate Minute Book Maintenance 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 minute book maintenance work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $790,000 Less Tax On Closing — Family Business Adding a, Toronto
Client: A family business adding a second class of shares · Where: Toronto, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$790,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A family business adding a second class of shares in Toronto, Ontario was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a shareholder loan balance that would have been picked up as income on closing, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, reconstructed the minute book with resolutions for each historical dividend and share transaction, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $790,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 2 · Planning that cut the bill
$13,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Consultant Incorporating After Two, Halifax
Client: A consultant incorporating after two years of self-employment · Where: Halifax, Nova Scotia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$13,000
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A consultant incorporating after two years of self-employment in Halifax, Nova Scotia asked for a second opinion on corporate minute book maintenance after three years of rising tax. The review found a corporation dissolved administratively for missed annual returns while still operating.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and then restructured the share capital so dividends could be directed deliberately, respecting the TOSI rules.
The result
First-year saving of $13,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Case Study 3 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $76,000 Reversed — E-Commerce Seller Incorporating Federally, Windsor
An e-commerce seller incorporating federally in Windsor, Ontario had been reassessed for $76,000 and had 13 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 revived the corporation, filed the outstanding annual returns, and set a compliance calendar covering both the corporate registry and the CRA.
The result
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $76,000 was reversed and the account returned to a nil balance.
Case Study 4 · Missed incentive claimed
$14,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Contractor Incorporating for Liability, Mississauga
Client: A contractor incorporating for liability reasons · Where: Mississauga, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$14,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A contractor incorporating for liability reasons in Mississauga, Ontario assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. A corporation dissolved administratively for missed annual returns while still operating meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, 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
$14,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 5 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $62,000 Refunded — Founder Setting Up a, Burnaby
Client: A founder setting up a holding structure · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$62,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a founder setting up a holding structure in Burnaby, British Columbia were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat GST/HST collected for eight months before the RT account was ever opened.
What we did
We reconstructed the minute book with resolutions for each historical dividend and share transaction, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $62,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 6 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $67,000 Saved Each Year — Startup Preparing for Its, Kelowna
Client: A startup preparing for its first investment round · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$67,000
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A startup preparing for its first investment round in Kelowna, 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 $67,000 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
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.
