6 Government Grant Financial Support 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 government grant financial support work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
4 Years Filed, $115,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Game Studio Claiming Digital, Vancouver
Client: A game studio claiming digital media credits · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed4
Assessed balance removed$115,000
CollectionsStopped
The situation
A game studio claiming digital media credits in Vancouver, British Columbia had not filed for 4 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying a claim filed at the 15% non-refundable rate when CCPC status supported 35% refundable 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 identified the eligible projects, documented the technological uncertainty and systematic investigation for each, and filed a claim that survived review without adjustment, 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 $115,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $48,000 Freed — Medical Device Developer, Kelowna
Client: A medical device developer · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$48,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A medical device developer in Kelowna, British Columbia was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and a provincial credit left unclaimed alongside a successful federal SR&ED claim already in the file.
What we did
We layered the applicable provincial credit onto the federal claim in the same filing 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. $48,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 3 · Deadline rescue
6-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $42,000 — Clean-Technology Startup, Red Deer
Client: A clean-technology startup · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$42,000
Filed with22 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation
With the deadline for government grant financial support weeks away, a clean-technology startup in Red Deer, Alberta was carrying a filing deadline missed by three weeks, extinguishing the entire claim. The exposure if the date slipped was around $42,000.
What we did
We confirmed CCPC status and refiled at the enhanced 35% refundable rate. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result
Filed with 22 days to spare. $42,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Case Study 4 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $425,000 Less Tax On Closing — Engineering Firm Solving a, London
Client: An engineering firm solving a technical uncertainty · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$425,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
An engineering firm solving a technical uncertainty in London, Ontario was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a minute book with no resolutions behind a decade of dividends, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, put contemporaneous tracking in place — project logs tied to time records — so the following year’s claim was defensible by construction, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $425,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 5 · Planning that cut the bill
$10,500 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Food Producer Reformulating Its, Winnipeg
Client: A food producer reformulating its product line · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$10,500
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A food producer reformulating its product line in Winnipeg, Manitoba asked for a second opinion on government grant financial support after three years of rising tax. The review found a SR&ED claim prepared eleven months after the fact with no contemporaneous records.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and then identified the eligible projects, documented the technological uncertainty and systematic investigation for each, and filed a claim that survived review without adjustment.
The result
First-year saving of $10,500, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $50,000 Reversed — Manufacturer Developing a Production, Calgary
Client: A manufacturer developing a production process · Where: Calgary, Alberta · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Amount reversed$50,000
ObjectionAllowed in full
Account balanceNil
The situation
A manufacturer developing a production process in Calgary, Alberta had been reassessed for $50,000 and had 13 days left on the objection deadline. The reassessment rested on a claim filed at the 15% non-refundable rate when CCPC status supported 35% refundable.
What we did
We filed the objection inside the deadline with a complete submission rather than a placeholder, and layered the applicable provincial credit onto the federal claim in the same filing.
The result
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $50,000 was reversed and the account returned to a nil balance.
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.
