6 Fishing Tax Returns 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 fishing tax returns work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · CRA review defended
Audit Defence Closed In 4 Weeks, $50,000 Cleared — Software Company Building a, Guelph
Client: A software company building a new platform · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Proposed tax cleared$50,000
Review duration4 weeks
OutcomeNo change
The situation
A software company building a new platform in Guelph, Ontario was selected for review after a SR&ED claim prepared eleven months after the fact with no contemporaneous records showed up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on fishing tax returns came to $50,000.
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. 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. $50,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Case Study 2 · Cash and remittance control
$135,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Medical Device Developer, Red Deer
Client: A medical device developer · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Working capital freed$135,000
On-time remittancesEvery period since
Forecast horizon13 weeks
The situation
A medical device developer in Red Deer, Alberta was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. A claim filed at the 15% non-refundable rate when CCPC status supported 35% refundable explained most of the gap.
What we did
We confirmed CCPC status and refiled at the enhanced 35% refundable rate and built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result
$135,000 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 3 · Objection and relief
$88,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Manufacturer Developing a Production, Saskatoon
Client: A manufacturer developing a production process · Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$88,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $88,000 landed at a manufacturer developing a production process in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind a provincial credit left unclaimed alongside a successful federal SR&ED claim.
What we did
We put contemporaneous tracking in place — project logs tied to time records — so the following year’s claim was defensible by construction, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$88,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
Case Study 4 · Sale and succession
$895,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Game Studio Claiming Digital, Edmonton
Client: A game studio claiming digital media credits · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$895,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation
A game studio claiming digital media credits in Edmonton, Alberta had an offer on the table and 13 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and no valuation on file to support the price the parties had agreed was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then layered the applicable provincial credit onto the federal claim in the same filing well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $895,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 5 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 35 Staff With $76,000 Of Working Capital Freed — Food Producer Reformulating Its, Lethbridge
Client: A food producer reformulating its product line · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Headcount reached35
Working capital freed$76,000
Missed deadlinesZero
The situation
A food producer reformulating its product line in Lethbridge, Alberta was growing fast — headcount to 35 in eighteen months — and the back office had not kept up. Eligible development work never claimed because nobody thought it counted as research was the first thing to break.
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 built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result
The business reached 35 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $76,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
Case Study 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
17 Months Reconciled And $7,700 Of Input Tax Recovered — Agri-Tech Company, Victoria
Client: An agri-tech company · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled17
Input tax recovered$7,700
Close time8 days
The situation
An agri-tech company in Victoria, British Columbia was carrying a SR&ED claim prepared eleven months after the fact with no contemporaneous records. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 17 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We confirmed CCPC status and refiled at the enhanced 35% refundable rate, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
17 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 8 days, and $7,700 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
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.
