6 Financial Data Cleanup 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 financial data cleanup work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $24,500 Freed — Boutique Fitness Studio Group, Moncton
Client: A boutique fitness studio group · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$24,500
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A boutique fitness studio group in Moncton, New Brunswick was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and a shareholder loan account that had drifted for three years with no supporting entries already in the file.
What we did
We separated personal and corporate spending, cleared the shareholder loan through a documented salary and dividend mix, and restated the comparative year 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. $24,500 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 2 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $50,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Specialty Food Importer, Halifax
Client: A specialty food importer · Where: Halifax, Nova Scotia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$50,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation
Nothing was wrong at a specialty food importer in Halifax, Nova Scotia — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Year-end statements that arrived four months late and never tied to the bank had never been reviewed.
What we did
We reconciled the inter-company accounts, papered the arrangement with a written agreement, and aligned both corporations’ year-ends, 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
$50,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Client: A growing landscaping company · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$76,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a growing landscaping company in Lethbridge, Alberta were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat two sets of numbers — one in the accounting file, one the owner actually ran the business on.
What we did
We set a monthly close calendar with a fixed cut-off, so the year-end became a review of work already done rather than a twelve-month rebuild, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $76,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 4 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 9 Weeks To 5 Days — Family-Owned Wholesale Distributor, Brampton
The accounting file at a family-owned wholesale distributor in Brampton, Ontario was built on inter-company balances between two related corporations that had never been reconciled. The year-end had taken 9 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We rebuilt the trial balance from source documents, reconciled every bank and credit-card account, and issued a CSRS 4200 compilation with a proper basis-of-accounting note and moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 5 days instead of 9 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
A machine-shop owner-operator in Mississauga, Ontario had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat a bank that refused to renew an operating line without compliant statements, and a penalty of $12,500 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then separated personal and corporate spending, cleared the shareholder loan through a documented salary and dividend mix, and restated the comparative year.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $12,500 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
$27,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Commercial Cleaning Contractor, Victoria
Client: A commercial cleaning contractor · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$27,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $27,000 landed at a commercial cleaning contractor in Victoria, British Columbia following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind a shareholder loan account that had drifted for three years with no supporting entries.
What we did
We reconciled the inter-company accounts, papered the arrangement with a written agreement, and aligned both corporations’ year-ends, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$27,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
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.
