6 M&A Tax and Accounting 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 m&a tax and accounting support work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $114,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Manufacturer Planning a Plant, Kitchener
Client: A manufacturer planning a plant expansion · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$114,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A manufacturer planning a plant expansion in Kitchener, Ontario was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. A covenant breach discovered only when the bank called was tying up $114,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and rebuilt the reporting around gross margin by service line, which showed two of five offerings were losing money at the current price.
The result
$114,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
A fast-growing e-commerce brand in Mississauga, Ontario was selected for review after a growth plan with no forecast behind it and no financing lined up showed up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on m&a tax and accounting support came to $78,000.
What we did
We modelled the covenant ratios monthly and restructured the debt before the next test date rather than after it. 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. $78,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Case Study 3 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $74,000 Cut From A 6-Year Backlog — Professional Practice Adding Partners, Red Deer
Client: A professional practice adding partners · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$74,000
Backlog cleared6 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a professional practice adding partners in Red Deer, Alberta called, 6 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat pricing set by feel, with no visibility into margin by service line.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and produced a board-ready monthly package — cash, margin, pipeline and covenant headroom — that replaced a spreadsheet nobody trusted. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $74,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 4 · Deadline rescue
$70,000 Late-Filing Penalty Cancelled On Relief Application — Construction Company Bidding Larger, Edmonton
Client: A construction company bidding larger contracts · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$70,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A construction company bidding larger contracts in Edmonton, Alberta had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat an owner making hiring decisions on last quarter’s bank balance, and a penalty of $70,000 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 $70,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 5 · Planning that cut the bill
$48,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Subscription Business Tracking Churn, Victoria
Client: A subscription business tracking churn · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$48,000
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A subscription business tracking churn in Victoria, British Columbia asked for a second opinion on m&a tax and accounting support after three years of rising tax. The review found revenue up 40% year over year and a bank balance that kept falling.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and 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
First-year saving of $48,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Case Study 6 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $39,500 Across 5 Open Years — Distributor Entering a Second, Ottawa
Client: A distributor entering a second province · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$39,500
Open years claimed5
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a distributor entering a second province in Ottawa, Ontario started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 5 years, driven by pricing set by feel, with no visibility into margin by service line.
What we did
We modelled the covenant ratios monthly and restructured the debt before the next test date rather than after it, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $39,500 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.
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.
