6 worked Outsourced Bookkeeping case studies — the position a client typically comes to us with, what we do, and what it is worth. Each is an illustrative example built on the rules that apply to outsourced bookkeeping work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 11 Weeks To 9 Days — Two-Location Cafe, Winnipeg
The situation — A two-location cafe, Winnipeg, Manitoba
The accounting file at a two-location cafe in Winnipeg, Manitoba was built on a receivables list that included invoices collected eleven months earlier. The year-end had taken 11 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did for A two-location cafe, Winnipeg, Manitoba
We rebuilt sales from the processor settlement reports so gross sales, fees and refunds each landed in an account of their own and moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result — A two-location cafe, Winnipeg, Manitoba
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 9 days instead of 11 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Client: A specialty coffee roaster · Where: Halifax, Nova Scotia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$61,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation — A specialty coffee roaster, Halifax, Nova Scotia
A specialty coffee roaster in Halifax, Nova Scotia was carrying a bookkeeping file where owner draws, payroll and supplier payments all landed in the same account, and every option for fixing it ran through a reorganisation that had to be done without triggering tax.
What we did for A specialty coffee roaster, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Working with the client's lawyer, we recoded the meals and entertainment accounts to the statutory limit and reversed the over-claimed input tax credits before the next return went in and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result — A specialty coffee roaster, Halifax, Nova Scotia
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $61,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 3 · Missed incentive claimed
$87,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Subscription Box Retailer, Burnaby
Client: A subscription box retailer · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$87,000
Years adjusted5
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation — A subscription box retailer, Burnaby, British Columbia
A subscription box retailer in Burnaby, British Columbia had been filing for 5 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat meals and entertainment coded at full cost with the input tax credit claimed on the whole amount.
What we did for A subscription box retailer, Burnaby, British Columbia
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then converted the foreign-currency purchases at transaction-date rates and recorded the exchange difference at settlement instead of burying it in cost of sales.
The result — A subscription box retailer, Burnaby, British Columbia
$87,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
$29,500 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Seasonal Food-Truck Operator, Kitchener
Client: A food-truck operator running two seasonal units · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$29,500
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation — A food-truck operator running two seasonal units, Kitchener, Ontario
A food-truck operator running two seasonal units in Kitchener, Ontario was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left meals and entertainment coded at full cost with the input tax credit claimed on the whole amount on the table.
What we did for A food-truck operator running two seasonal units, Kitchener, Ontario
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then cleared the payroll and sales tax clearing accounts every month and tied each remittance to the liability it settled.
The result — A food-truck operator running two seasonal units, Kitchener, Ontario
The change saved $29,500 in the first year and repeats annually. Nothing about the filings became more aggressive; the position is simply the one the rules already allowed.
Case Study 5 · Deadline rescue
$76,000 Late-Filing Penalty Cancelled On Relief Application — Small Law Practice, Windsor
Client: A small law practice · Where: Windsor, Ontario · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$76,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation — A small law practice, Windsor, Ontario
A small law practice in Windsor, Ontario had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat sales recorded from bank deposits, so processor fees, chargebacks and refunds appeared nowhere in the ledger, and a penalty of $76,000 was accruing.
What we did for A small law practice, Windsor, Ontario
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then rebuilt the ledger from bank and card statements, matched every receipt to a transaction, and removed duplicated input tax credits before they became a review.
The result — A small law practice, Windsor, Ontario
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $76,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 6 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $99,000 Cut From A 4-Year Backlog — Courier Subcontractor, Kelowna
Client: A courier subcontractor paid by the drop · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$99,000
Backlog cleared4 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation — A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Kelowna, British Columbia
By the time a courier subcontractor paid by the drop in Kelowna, British Columbia called, 4 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat three years of returns filed off numbers nobody could trace back to a bank statement.
What we did for A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Kelowna, British Columbia
We reconstructed the records year by year and set up a documented chart of accounts, a receipt-capture workflow and a monthly reconciliation that closes within ten days of month-end. Each filing replaced an arbitrary assessment with a real one.
The result — A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Kelowna, British Columbia
The account is current. Filing on real numbers rather than CRA estimates reduced the balance by $99,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Reviewed for the 2025 tax year by Udit Gupta, Founder and Tax Accountant. These case studies are illustrative worked examples composed from the CRA rules that apply to this type of work, not specific client files; figures are representative and outcomes depend on your own facts.
