6 Corporate Records 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 records maintenance work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Planning that cut the bill
$34,500 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Family Business Adding a, Red Deer
Client: A family business adding a second class of shares · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$34,500
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A family business adding a second class of shares in Red Deer, Alberta was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left dividends paid for three years with no directors’ resolutions behind them on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then reconstructed the minute book with resolutions for each historical dividend and share transaction.
The result
The change saved $34,500 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 2 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $47,000 Vacated — Partnership Converting to a, Kitchener
Client: A partnership converting to a corporation · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$47,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
A partnership converting to a corporation in Kitchener, Ontario was carrying $47,000 of penalties and interest arising from a corporation dissolved administratively for missed annual returns while still operating, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We revived the corporation, filed the outstanding annual returns, and set a compliance calendar covering both the corporate registry and the CRA and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $47,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 3 · Missed incentive claimed
$91,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Startup Preparing for Its, Regina
Client: A startup preparing for its first investment round · Where: Regina, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$91,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A startup preparing for its first investment round in Regina, Saskatchewan assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. Dividends paid for three years with no directors’ resolutions behind them meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and restructured the share capital so dividends could be directed deliberately, respecting the TOSI rules.
The result
$91,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 4 · Cash and remittance control
$54,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Founder Setting Up a, Brampton
Client: A founder setting up a holding structure · Where: Brampton, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Working capital freed$54,000
On-time remittancesEvery period since
Forecast horizon13 weeks
The situation
A founder setting up a holding structure in Brampton, Ontario was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. A December 31 year-end chosen by default that put the balance due at the worst point in the cash cycle explained most of the gap.
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 and built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result
$54,000 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 5 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $32,500 Saved Each Year — Contractor Incorporating for Liability, Burnaby
Client: A contractor incorporating for liability reasons · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$32,500
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A contractor incorporating for liability reasons in Burnaby, British Columbia had outgrown the structure it started with. GST/HST collected for eight months before the RT account was ever opened 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 reconstructed the minute book with resolutions for each historical dividend and share transaction — 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 $32,500 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 6 · CRA review defended
Audit Defence Closed In 9 Weeks, $118,000 Cleared — Trades Business Incorporating Provincially, London
Client: A trades business incorporating provincially · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$118,000
Review duration9 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation
A trades business incorporating provincially in London, Ontario was selected for review after dividends paid for three years with no directors’ resolutions behind them showed up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on corporate records maintenance came to $118,000.
What we did
We revived the corporation, filed the outstanding annual returns, and set a compliance calendar covering both the corporate registry and the CRA. Every figure in the response traced to a source record the auditor could verify without asking a second question.
The result
The review closed with no change. $118,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
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.
