6 Payroll Cleanup 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 cleanup work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Cash and remittance control
$101,000 Of Working Capital Freed From The Tax Cycle — Dental Practice, Vancouver
Client: A dental practice · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Working capital freed$101,000
On-time remittancesEvery period since
Forecast horizon13 weeks
The situation
A dental practice in Vancouver, British Columbia was profitable on paper and short of cash every month. A director facing a personal assessment for unremitted source deductions explained most of the gap.
What we did
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 built a thirteen-week cash view so tax payments stopped competing with payroll for the same dollars.
The result
$101,000 was released back into working capital. Remittances have been on time every period since, and the forecast shows the tax outflow before it lands.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 64 Staff With $58,000 Of Working Capital Freed — Restaurant with Heavy Seasonal, Kelowna
Client: A restaurant with heavy seasonal turnover · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Headcount reached64
Working capital freed$58,000
Missed deadlinesZero
The situation
A restaurant with heavy seasonal turnover in Kelowna, British Columbia was growing fast — headcount to 64 in eighteen months — and the back office had not kept up. Remittances still going out monthly after the business had moved to the accelerated threshold was the first thing to break.
What we did
We reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips, and built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result
The business reached 64 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $58,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
Case Study 3 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $126,000 Across 6 Open Years — Retail Chain Across Two, Red Deer
Client: A retail chain across two provinces · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$126,000
Open years claimed6
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a retail chain across two provinces in Red Deer, Alberta 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 reconstructed vehicle logbooks, calculated the standby charge and operating benefit properly, and amended the affected T4s, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $126,000 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 4 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $82,000 Cut From A 3-Year Backlog — Landscaping Company with Seasonal, London
Client: A landscaping company with seasonal staff · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$82,000
Backlog cleared3 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a landscaping company with seasonal staff in London, Ontario called, 3 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat company vehicles used personally with no logbook and no taxable benefit reported.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and 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. 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 $82,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 5 · Objection and relief
$139,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — 30-Employee Manufacturer, Winnipeg
An assessment of $139,000 landed at a 30-employee manufacturer in Winnipeg, Manitoba following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind T4s that did not agree to the payroll register or the general ledger.
What we did
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, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$139,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
Case Study 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
21 Months Reconciled And $12,000 Of Input Tax Recovered — Construction Firm with Union, Calgary
Client: A construction firm with union and non-union crews · Where: Calgary, Alberta · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled21
Input tax recovered$12,000
Close time6 days
The situation
A construction firm with union and non-union crews in Calgary, Alberta was carrying a director facing a personal assessment for unremitted source deductions. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 21 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
21 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 6 days, and $12,000 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
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.
