6 Online Accounting Services 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 online accounting services work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Structure rebuilt
Corporate Structure Rebuilt For $55,000 Of Annual Savings — Two-Partner Engineering Firm, Edmonton
Client: A two-partner engineering firm · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Saving per year$55,000
DocumentationComplete
Transfer basisRollover
The situation
The structure at a two-partner engineering firm in Edmonton, Alberta had been set up years earlier for a business that no longer existed, and a shareholder loan account that had drifted for three years with no supporting entries had become expensive.
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. The reorganisation used the rollover provisions rather than a taxable transfer, so no tax fell due on the restructuring itself.
The result
$55,000 of annual saving, achieved on a tax-deferred basis. The minute book, elections and valuations are all in the file.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $57,000 Of Cash Released — Independent Pharmacy, Windsor
Revenue at an independent pharmacy in Windsor, Ontario 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 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. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$57,000 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 3 · Objection and relief
$83,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Regional Courier Operator, Surrey
Client: A regional courier operator · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$83,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $83,000 landed at a regional courier operator in Surrey, British Columbia 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 reconciled the inter-company accounts, papered the arrangement with a written agreement, and aligned both corporations’ year-ends, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$83,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
A commercial cleaning contractor in Guelph, Ontario was selected for review after two sets of numbers — one in the accounting file, one the owner actually ran the business on showed up in the CRA's automated matching. The proposed adjustment on online accounting services came to $79,000.
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. 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. $79,000 of proposed tax came off the table, and the documentation now in place makes the next review a short one.
Client: A 14-person design agency · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$32,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A 14-person design agency in Burnaby, British Columbia had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat year-end statements that arrived four months late and never tied to the bank, and a penalty of $32,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then 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.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $32,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 6 · Missed incentive claimed
$81,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Growing Landscaping Company, Vancouver
Client: A growing landscaping company · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$81,000
Years adjusted7
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A growing landscaping company in Vancouver, British Columbia had been filing for 7 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat two sets of numbers — one in the accounting file, one the owner actually ran the business on.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, 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
$81,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
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.
