6 General Ledger Accounting 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 general ledger accounting work, not a general example.
A commercial cleaning contractor in Windsor, Ontario had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat inter-company balances between two related corporations that had never been reconciled, and a penalty of $135,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then 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.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $135,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 2 · Cash and remittance control
$144,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Machine-Shop Owner-Operator, London
A machine-shop owner-operator in London, Ontario was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. Year-end statements that arrived four months late and never tied to the bank explained most of the gap.
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 built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result
$144,000 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 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $33,500 Of Cash Released — 14-Person Design Agency, Edmonton
Client: A 14-person design agency · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$33,500
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation
Revenue at a 14-person design agency in Edmonton, Alberta was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat a bank that refused to renew an operating line without compliant statements.
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. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$33,500 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 4 · Missed incentive claimed
$46,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Family-Owned Wholesale Distributor, Kelowna
Client: A family-owned wholesale distributor · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$46,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A family-owned wholesale distributor in Kelowna, British Columbia assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. A bank that refused to renew an operating line without compliant statements meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and reconciled the inter-company accounts, papered the arrangement with a written agreement, and aligned both corporations’ year-ends.
The result
$46,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 5 · Backlog brought current
4 Years Filed, $62,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Two-Partner Engineering Firm, Regina
A two-partner engineering firm in Regina, Saskatchewan had not filed for 4 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying a shareholder loan account that had drifted for three years with no supporting entries on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. 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, filing the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $62,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
$25,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Growing Landscaping Company, Hamilton
Client: A growing landscaping company · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$25,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $25,000 landed at a growing landscaping company in Hamilton, Ontario following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind inter-company balances between two related corporations that had never been reconciled.
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, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$25,000 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.
