6 Quality-of-Earnings 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 quality-of-earnings support work, not a general example.
Client: A subscription business tracking churn · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$71,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a subscription business tracking churn in Moncton, New Brunswick were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat pricing set by feel, with no visibility into margin by service line.
What we did
We rebuilt the reporting around gross margin by service line, which showed two of five offerings were losing money at the current price, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $71,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 2 · Missed incentive claimed
Incentive Review Recovered $63,000 Across 6 Open Years — Clinic Group Acquiring a, Brampton
Client: A clinic group acquiring a competitor · Where: Brampton, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Recovered$63,000
Open years claimed6
Ongoing trackingIn place
The situation
An incentive review at a clinic group acquiring a competitor in Brampton, Ontario started from a simple question: what has never been claimed? The answer ran to 6 years, driven by a covenant breach discovered only when the bank called.
What we did
We produced a board-ready monthly package — cash, margin, pipeline and covenant headroom — that replaced a spreadsheet nobody trusted, documenting eligibility to the standard a reviewer would apply rather than the standard a claim form requires.
The result
The credits produced $63,000 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 · Objection and relief
$45,000 Of Penalties And Interest Cancelled On Relief — Family Business Planning Succession, Hamilton
Client: A family business planning succession · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Penalties and interest cancelled$45,000
Relief groundsAccepted
AssessmentAdjusted to filed position
The situation
An assessment of $45,000 landed at a family business planning succession in Hamilton, Ontario following a desk review. The auditor had not seen the records behind revenue up 40% year over year and a bank balance that kept falling.
What we did
We modelled the covenant ratios monthly and restructured the debt before the next test date rather than after it, then set out the legislative basis for the position alongside the documents supporting it.
The result
$45,000 of penalties and interest was cancelled under the taxpayer relief provisions, and the underlying assessment was adjusted to match the filed position.
Case Study 4 · Planning that cut the bill
$55,000 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Manufacturer Planning a Plant, Calgary
Client: A manufacturer planning a plant expansion · Where: Calgary, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$55,000
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A manufacturer planning a plant expansion in Calgary, Alberta was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left a covenant breach discovered only when the bank called on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then built a rolling thirteen-week cash-flow model, tightened collections, and renegotiated supplier terms so the growth stopped consuming the bank balance.
The result
The change saved $55,000 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 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $610,000 Less Tax On Closing — Professional Practice Adding Partners, Barrie
Client: A professional practice adding partners · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$610,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
A professional practice adding partners in Barrie, Ontario was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a minute book with no resolutions behind a decade of dividends, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, rebuilt the reporting around gross margin by service line, which showed two of five offerings were losing money at the current price, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $610,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 6 · Deadline rescue
$60,000 Late-Filing Penalty Cancelled On Relief Application — Distributor Entering a Second, Regina
Client: A distributor entering a second province · Where: Regina, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty cancelled$60,000
Relief applicationGranted
ReturnAccepted as filed
The situation
A distributor entering a second province in Regina, Saskatchewan had already missed one deadline and was about to miss a second. Behind it sat pricing set by feel, with no visibility into margin by service line, and a penalty of $60,000 was accruing.
What we did
We split the work into what had to happen before the deadline and what could follow it, then produced a board-ready monthly package — cash, margin, pipeline and covenant headroom — that replaced a spreadsheet nobody trusted.
The result
The outstanding return was accepted as filed, and the taxpayer relief application cancelled $60,000 of the penalty already assessed on the earlier year.
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.
