6 Foundation Accounting and 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 foundation accounting and tax work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $14,000 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Foundation Making Grants, Kitchener
Client: A foundation making grants · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$14,000
Records rebuilt15 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A foundation making grants in Kitchener, Ontario could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because restricted grant funds recognised as revenue in the year received rather than as spent sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We calculated and claimed the public service body rebate for every open period, recovering tax the organisation had been absorbing, then documented the process so the work does not depend on any one person remembering how it was done.
The result
Records rebuilt and reconciled, $14,000 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 2 · Objection and relief
$92,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Community Sports Association, Winnipeg
Client: A community sports association · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$92,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $92,000 landed at a community sports association in Winnipeg, Manitoba following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind a T3010 filed eleven months after year-end for the third year running.
What we did
We reissued compliant donation receipts and rebuilt the receipting template against the regulation requirements, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$92,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
Case Study 3 · CRA review defended
$12,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Professional Member Association, Kelowna
Client: A professional member association · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Adjustment withdrawn$12,000
File closed in11 weeks
Penalties assessedNone
The situation
A professional member association in Kelowna, British Columbia received a proposal letter opening a review of foundation accounting and tax. The CRA had identified donation receipts issued without the required registration number and proposed an adjustment of $12,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. We reclassified restricted contributions under the deferral method so revenue matched the year the funds were actually spent, then indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $12,000 of it. The file closed in 11 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
Case Study 4 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $71,000 Penalty Avoided — Environmental Charity with Restricted, Burnaby
Client: An environmental charity with restricted funds · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$71,000
Turnaround10 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
An environmental charity with restricted funds in Burnaby, British Columbia came to us 10 weeks before its filing deadline with a disbursement quota shortfall discovered during a CRA charity audit. A late filing would have triggered a penalty of roughly $71,000 before interest.
What we did
We worked backwards from the deadline. We brought the T3010 filings current, corrected the prior-year schedules, and set an internal deadline 90 days after year-end so the filing stopped being late, prioritising the items that actually gated the filing and deferring everything that did not.
The result
The return was filed on time and complete. The $71,000 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 5 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $77,000 Across 4 Open Years — Arts Organisation with Grant, Mississauga
Client: An arts organisation with grant funding · Where: Mississauga, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$77,000
Open years claimed4
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at an arts organisation with grant funding in Mississauga, Ontario started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 4 years, driven by a T3010 filed eleven months after year-end for the third year running.
What we did
We calculated and claimed the public service body rebate for every open period, recovering tax the organisation had been absorbing, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $77,000 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 6 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $115,000 Of Cash Released — Social Services Agency, Windsor
Client: A social services agency · Where: Windsor, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$115,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation
Revenue at a social services agency in Windsor, Ontario was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat restricted grant funds recognised as revenue in the year received rather than as spent.
What we did
We reissued compliant donation receipts and rebuilt the receipting template against the regulation requirements. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$115,000 of cash was released from the working capital cycle, and the expansion completed with every registration and filing obligation covered from day 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.
