6 Payroll Remittance 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 payroll remittance services work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $68,000 Across 7 Open Years — Landscaping Company with Seasonal, Ottawa
Client: A landscaping company with seasonal staff · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$68,000
Open years claimed7
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a landscaping company with seasonal staff in Ottawa, Ontario started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 7 years, driven by company vehicles used personally with no logbook and no taxable benefit reported.
What we did
We reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $68,000 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 2 · CRA review defended
$14,500 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — 30-Employee Manufacturer, Regina
A review notice arrived at a 30-employee manufacturer in Regina, Saskatchewan covering payroll remittance services for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $14,500, driven by company vehicles used personally with no logbook and no taxable benefit reported.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We reconstructed vehicle logbooks, calculated the standby charge and operating benefit properly, and amended the affected T4s and submitted a point-by-point response that answered each proposed adjustment with the document behind it.
The result
The auditor accepted the documented position and closed the review without adjustment, protecting $14,500 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Case Study 3 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $148,000 Freed — Construction Firm with Union, Lethbridge
Client: A construction firm with union and non-union crews · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$148,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A construction firm with union and non-union crews in Lethbridge, Alberta was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and long-term contractors who met every test for employment already in the file.
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 and put monthly reporting in place so the owner could see the cash effect of growth while there was still time to act on it.
The result
Growth was absorbed without a compliance failure. $148,000 of cash was released, and the monthly reporting now flags a problem while it is still small.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $11,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Security Services Contractor, Surrey
Client: A security services contractor · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$11,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation
Nothing was wrong at a security services contractor in Surrey, British Columbia — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Remittances still going out monthly after the business had moved to the accelerated threshold had never been reviewed.
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 ran the numbers across both the corporate and personal returns so the saving was real rather than deferred into someone else's hands.
The result
$11,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 5 · Cash and remittance control
Remittance Schedule Corrected, $65,000 Refunded — Logistics Operator with Drivers, Victoria
Client: A logistics operator with drivers in three provinces · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$65,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a logistics operator with drivers in three provinces in Victoria, British Columbia were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat a director facing a personal assessment for unremitted source deductions.
What we did
We reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $65,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 6 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $21,000 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — Home-Care Agency, Vancouver
Client: A home-care agency · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$21,000
Records rebuilt10 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A home-care agency in Vancouver, British Columbia could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because T4s that did not agree to the payroll register or the general ledger 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, $21,000 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
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.
