6 Notice to Reader Assistance 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 notice to reader assistance work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
$78,000 Of Arbitrary Assessments Vacated After 7 Years — Franchisee Reporting to Its, Kelowna
Client: A franchisee reporting to its franchisor · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Arbitrary tax vacated$78,000
Years brought current7
Account statusCurrent
The situation
7 years of unfiled returns had turned into notional assessments at a franchisee reporting to its franchisor in Kelowna, British Columbia, with statements delivered five months after year-end, past the covenant deadline underneath. Collections had already started.
What we did
We prepared a due-diligence-ready statement set with supporting schedules for each material balance, then filed every outstanding year in chronological order so the CRA could vacate the notional assessments cleanly.
The result
All 7 years were accepted as filed. $78,000 of arbitrarily assessed tax was vacated, collections action stopped, and the account is current for the first time in 7 years.
Case Study 2 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $18,500 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Not-For-Profit with a Bylaw, Surrey
Client: A not-for-profit with a bylaw audit requirement · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$18,500
Records rebuilt16 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A not-for-profit with a bylaw audit requirement in Surrey, British Columbia could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because a bank asking for a review engagement while the file only supported a compilation sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We upgraded the engagement to a CSRE 2400 review, completed the additional procedures, and delivered a package the lender accepted without conditions, 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, $18,500 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 3 · CRA review defended
$49,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Corporation Entering a Shareholder, Moncton
Client: A corporation entering a shareholder buyout · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Adjustment withdrawn$49,000
File closed in4 weeks
Penalties assessedNone
The situation
A corporation entering a shareholder buyout in Moncton, New Brunswick received a proposal letter opening a review of notice to reader assistance. The CRA had identified a buyer’s due-diligence list that the existing statement package could not answer and proposed an adjustment of $49,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. We converted the records to the accrual basis, restated the comparative year with proper disclosure, and rebuilt the statement package around the bonding company’s requirements, then indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $49,000 of it. The file closed in 4 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
Case Study 4 · Structure rebuilt
Holding Structure Added, $51,000 Saved Annually — Business Applying for Government, Winnipeg
Client: A business applying for government funding · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$51,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation
A business applying for government funding in Winnipeg, Manitoba was carrying a prior-year restatement with no note explaining what changed, and every option for fixing it ran through a reorganisation that had to be done without triggering tax.
What we did
Working with the client's lawyer, we compressed the close to 45 days by moving reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the covenant deadline stopped being a scramble and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $51,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 5 · Cash and remittance control
Instalments Rebased, $140,000 Of Cash Returned To The Business — Contractor Bidding on Bonded, Victoria
Client: A contractor bidding on bonded work · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Cash returned$140,000
Instalment basisCurrent year
ReviewedQuarterly
The situation
A contractor bidding on bonded work in Victoria, British Columbia was paying instalments calculated on a prior year that no longer reflected the business. A bonding limit capped because the last statements were prepared on a cash basis was tying up $140,000 of cash.
What we did
We rebased the instalments on the current-year estimate rather than the prior-year default, and prepared a due-diligence-ready statement set with supporting schedules for each material balance.
The result
$140,000 of cash stayed in the business, the penalty cycle ended, and the instalment position is reviewed each quarter against actual results.
Case Study 6 · Missed incentive claimed
$135,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Company Refinancing Its Operating, Edmonton
Client: A company refinancing its operating line · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$135,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A company refinancing its operating line in Edmonton, Alberta assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. A bank asking for a review engagement while the file only supported a compilation meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and upgraded the engagement to a CSRE 2400 review, completed the additional procedures, and delivered a package the lender accepted without conditions.
The result
$135,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
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.
