6 Payroll Year-End 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 year-end services work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
Books Rebuilt From Source, $7,300 In Unclaimed Input Tax Found — 30-Employee Manufacturer, Surrey
Client: A 30-employee manufacturer · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Unclaimed tax found$7,300
Records rebuilt12 months
ProcessDocumented
The situation
A 30-employee manufacturer in Surrey, British Columbia could not answer basic questions about its own numbers, because long-term contractors who met every test for employment 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, $7,300 recovered in input tax credits that the old file could not support, and a documented monthly process now in place.
Case Study 2 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $35,500 Saved Each Year — Logistics Operator with Drivers, Victoria
Client: A logistics operator with drivers in three provinces · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$35,500
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A logistics operator with drivers in three provinces in Victoria, British Columbia had outgrown the structure it started with. A director facing a personal assessment for unremitted source deductions was the immediate problem; the longer-term one was that the structure blocked the next step.
What we did
We mapped the current structure, modelled the target, 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 — with the tax-deferred elections filed on time and the supporting valuations documented.
The result
The reorganisation completed without triggering tax, and the new structure saves approximately $35,500 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 3 · Missed incentive claimed
$134,000 Credit Claim Filed And Accepted Without Adjustment — Dental Practice, Vancouver
Client: A dental practice · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Claim value$134,000
AcceptedWithout adjustment
RepeatableAnnually
The situation
A dental practice in Vancouver, British Columbia assumed the credits did not apply to a business its size. Long-term contractors who met every test for employment meant they had applied all along.
What we did
We identified the qualifying activity, built the documentation to support it, and 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.
The result
$134,000 recovered. Because the eligibility analysis is on file, the same claim can be repeated each year with a fraction of the effort.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $68,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Landscaping Company with Seasonal, London
Client: A landscaping company with seasonal staff · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$68,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation
Nothing was wrong at a landscaping company with seasonal staff in London, Ontario — 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 reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips, 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
$68,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
A security services contractor in Barrie, Ontario had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat T4s that did not agree to the payroll register or the general ledger, and a penalty of $37,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then reconstructed vehicle logbooks, calculated the standby charge and operating benefit properly, and amended the affected T4s.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $37,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
Case Study 6 · Backlog brought current
4 Years Filed, $126,000 Removed From The Assessed Balance — Growing Tech Team, Ottawa
Client: A growing tech team with stock options · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Years filed4
Assessed balance removed$126,000
CollectionsStopped
The situation
A growing tech team with stock options in Ottawa, Ontario had not filed for 4 years. The CRA had issued arbitrary assessments, and the business was carrying long-term contractors who met every test for employment on top of a growing interest balance.
What we did
We started with the oldest year and worked forward so each year's closing balances fed the next. 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, filing the years in sequence rather than all at once.
The result
Every year is now filed and assessed on actual figures. The notional assessments were vacated and $126,000 of the estimated balance came off, with a payment arrangement covering the rest.
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.
