6 Payroll Audit 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 payroll audit support work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Planning that cut the bill
$57,000 Saved By Correcting What Prior Filings Had Missed — Restaurant with Heavy Seasonal, Calgary
Client: A restaurant with heavy seasonal turnover · Where: Calgary, Alberta · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Saving identified$57,000
RecurringYes
Positions documentedAll
The situation
A restaurant with heavy seasonal turnover in Calgary, Alberta asked for a second opinion on payroll audit support after three years of rising tax. The review found company vehicles used personally with no logbook and no taxable benefit reported.
What we did
We built the comparison first — current structure against two alternatives — and then reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips.
The result
First-year saving of $57,000, with the same benefit recurring. Every position taken is documented and supported in the file.
Case Study 2 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $108,000 Across 6 Open Years — Logistics Operator with Drivers, Ottawa
Client: A logistics operator with drivers in three provinces · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$108,000
Open years claimed6
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a logistics operator with drivers in three provinces in Ottawa, Ontario started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 6 years, driven by remittances still going out monthly after the business had moved to the accelerated threshold.
What we did
We reviewed each contractor against the CRA’s control and integration tests, converted those who met the employment tests, and priced the transition before it was forced by a ruling, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $108,000 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.
Case Study 3 · Structure rebuilt
Holding Structure Added, $68,000 Saved Annually — Landscaping Company with Seasonal, Halifax
Client: A landscaping company with seasonal staff · Where: Halifax, Nova Scotia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$68,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation
A landscaping company with seasonal staff in Halifax, Nova Scotia was carrying remittances still going out monthly after the business had moved to the accelerated threshold, 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 moved the account to the correct remitter frequency, caught up the arrears, and filed a taxpayer relief request that cancelled the bulk of the penalty and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $68,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 4 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $13,500 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Growing Tech Team, Brampton
Client: A growing tech team with stock options · Where: Brampton, Ontario · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$13,500
Records rebuilt30 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A growing tech team with stock options in Brampton, Ontario could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because a director facing a personal assessment for unremitted source deductions sat between the bank statements and the ledger.
What we did
We reconstructed vehicle logbooks, calculated the standby charge and operating benefit properly, and amended the affected T4s, 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, $13,500 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 5 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $63,000 Of Cash Released — Construction Firm with Union, Victoria
Client: A construction firm with union and non-union crews · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$63,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation
Revenue at a construction firm with union and non-union crews in Victoria, British Columbia was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat T4s that did not agree to the payroll register or the general ledger.
What we did
We reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result
$63,000 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 6 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $415,000 Less Tax On Closing — Home-Care Agency, Kelowna
Client: A home-care agency · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$415,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A home-care agency in Kelowna, British Columbia was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced passive assets sitting inside the operating company, disqualifying the shares, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, reviewed each contractor against the CRA’s control and integration tests, converted those who met the employment tests, and priced the transition before it was forced by a ruling, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $415,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing 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.
