6 Cryptocurrency Tax Planning 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 cryptocurrency tax planning work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $16,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Clean-Technology Startup, Saskatoon
Nothing was wrong at a clean-technology startup in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Eligible development work never claimed because nobody thought it counted as research had never been reviewed.
What we did
We identified the eligible projects, documented the technological uncertainty and systematic investigation for each, and filed a claim that survived review without adjustment, 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
$16,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $100,000 Of Cash Released — Game Studio Claiming Digital, Mississauga
Client: A game studio claiming digital media credits · Where: Mississauga, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$100,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation
Revenue at a game studio claiming digital media credits in Mississauga, Ontario 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
$100,000 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 3 · CRA review defended
$83,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Materials Science Company, Barrie
Client: A materials science company · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Adjustment withdrawn$83,000
File closed in5 weeks
Penalties assessedNone
The situation
A materials science company in Barrie, Ontario received a proposal letter opening a review of cryptocurrency tax planning. The CRA had identified a claim filed at the 15% non-refundable rate when CCPC status supported 35% refundable and proposed an adjustment of $83,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. We put contemporaneous tracking in place — project logs tied to time records — so the following year’s claim was defensible by construction, then indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $83,000 of it. The file closed in 5 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
Case Study 4 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $11,500 Across 7 Open Years — Software Company Building a, Brampton
Client: A software company building a new platform · Where: Brampton, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$11,500
Open years claimed7
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a software company building a new platform in Brampton, Ontario started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 7 years, driven by a claim filed at the 15% non-refundable rate when CCPC status supported 35% refundable.
What we did
We layered the applicable provincial credit onto the federal claim in the same filing, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $11,500 across the open years, and the tracking now in place means the following year's claim is documented as the work happens rather than reconstructed afterwards.
Case Study 5 · Sale and succession
Intergenerational Transfer Completed With $395,000 Deferred — Food Producer Reformulating Its, Winnipeg
Client: A food producer reformulating its product line · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Tax deferred$395,000
TransferCompleted
RecordsReview-ready
The situation
A generational transfer at a food producer reformulating its product line in Winnipeg, Manitoba had been discussed for years without a plan. Retained cash well above what the business needed to operate meant the transfer as contemplated would have been fully taxable.
What we did
We identified the eligible projects, documented the technological uncertainty and systematic investigation for each, and filed a claim that survived review without adjustment, sequencing the steps so each one was complete and documented before the next depended on it.
The result
$395,000 of tax was deferred through the transfer, and the successor generation took over a corporation whose records stood up to review.
Case Study 6 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $93,000 Cut From A 5-Year Backlog — Medical Device Developer, Lethbridge
Client: A medical device developer · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$93,000
Backlog cleared5 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a medical device developer in Lethbridge, Alberta called, 5 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat eligible development work never claimed because nobody thought it counted as research.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and confirmed CCPC status and refiled at the enhanced 35% refundable rate. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $93,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
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.
