6 Internal Controls Design 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 internal controls design work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Missed incentive claimed
$98,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Professional Practice Adding Partners, Moncton
Client: A professional practice adding partners · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$98,000
Years adjusted4
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A professional practice adding partners in Moncton, New Brunswick had been filing for 4 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat an owner making hiring decisions on last quarter’s bank balance.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then rebuilt the reporting around gross margin by service line, which showed two of five offerings were losing money at the current price.
The result
$98,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $56,000 Freed — Technology Company Preparing to, Ottawa
Client: A technology company preparing to raise · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$56,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A technology company preparing to raise in Ottawa, Ontario was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and pricing set by feel, with no visibility into margin by service line already in the file.
What we did
We produced a board-ready monthly package — cash, margin, pipeline and covenant headroom — that replaced a spreadsheet nobody trusted 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. $56,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 3 · Cash and remittance control
$25,500 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Construction Company Bidding Larger, Kitchener
Client: A construction company bidding larger contracts · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Working capital freed$25,500
On-time remittancesEvery period since
Forecast horizon13 weeks
The situation
A construction company bidding larger contracts in Kitchener, Ontario was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. An owner making hiring decisions on last quarter’s bank balance explained most of the gap.
What we did
We modelled the covenant ratios monthly and restructured the debt before the next test date rather than after it and built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result
$25,500 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 4 · Deadline rescue
$99,000 Late-Filing Penalty Cancelled On Relief Application — Family Business Planning Succession, Calgary
Client: A family business planning succession · Where: Calgary, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$99,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A family business planning succession in Calgary, Alberta had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat revenue up 40% year over year and a bank balance that kept falling, and a penalty of $99,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then built a rolling thirteen-week cash-flow model, tightened collections, and renegotiated supplier terms so the growth stopped consuming the bank balance.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $99,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 5 · Structure rebuilt
Corporate Structure Rebuilt For $51,000 Of Annual Savings — Subscription Business Tracking Churn, London
Client: A subscription business tracking churn · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Saving per year$51,000
DocumentationComplete
Transfer basisRollover
The situation
The structure at a subscription business tracking churn in London, Ontario had been set up years earlier for a business that no longer existed, and a covenant breach discovered only when the bank called had become expensive.
What we did
We rebuilt the reporting around gross margin by service line, which showed two of five offerings were losing money at the current price. The reorganisation used the rollover provisions rather than a taxable transfer, so no tax fell due on the restructuring itself.
The result
$51,000 of annual saving, achieved on a tax-deferred basis. The minute book, elections and valuations are all in the file.
Case Study 6 · Sale and succession
$400,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Mid-Sized Professional Services Firm, Kelowna
Client: A mid-sized professional services firm · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$400,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation
A mid-sized professional services firm in Kelowna, British Columbia had an offer on the table and 20 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and a shareholder loan balance that would have been picked up as income on closing was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then produced a board-ready monthly package — cash, margin, pipeline and covenant headroom — that replaced a spreadsheet nobody trusted well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $400,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
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.
