6 Quebec Payroll 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 quebec payroll services work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $19,500 Cut From A 3-Year Backlog — Home-Care Agency, Edmonton
Client: A home-care agency · Where: Edmonton, Alberta · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$19,500
Backlog cleared3 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a home-care agency in Edmonton, Alberta called, 3 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat T4s that did not agree to the payroll register or the general ledger.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and reconstructed vehicle logbooks, calculated the standby charge and operating benefit properly, and amended the affected T4s. 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 $19,500, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 2 · Planning that cut the bill
Remuneration Review Saved $16,000 Across Corporate And Personal Returns — Retail Chain Across Two, Kitchener
Client: A retail chain across two provinces · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Combined saving$16,000
ScopeCorporate + personal
Future yearsNo rework needed
The situation
Nothing was wrong at a retail chain across two provinces in Kitchener, Ontario — the filings were on time and accurate. What they were not was planned. Long-term contractors who met every test for employment 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
$16,000 came off the combined corporate and personal tax bill, and the structure holds for future years without further work.
Case Study 3 · Structure rebuilt
Reorganisation Completed Tax-Deferred, $10,500 Saved Each Year — Security Services Contractor, Vancouver
Client: A security services contractor · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$10,500
Tax on reorganisationDeferred
Elections filedOn time
The situation
A security services contractor in Vancouver, 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 reconciled the payroll register, general ledger and T4 summary to the cent, then filed the amended slips — 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 $10,500 a year while removing the exposure the old one carried.
Case Study 4 · Scaling without breaking
Growth Handled Without A Missed Filing, $148,000 Freed — Dental Practice, Brampton
Client: A dental practice · Where: Brampton, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Cash freed$148,000
Compliance failuresNone
ReportingMonthly
The situation
A dental practice in Brampton, Ontario was opening in a second province — different filing obligations, a different payroll regime, and company vehicles used personally with no logbook and no taxable benefit reported 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 5 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $85,000 Vacated — 30-Employee Manufacturer, Toronto
A 30-employee manufacturer in Toronto, Ontario was carrying $85,000 of penalties and interest arising from remittances still going out monthly after the business had moved to the accelerated threshold, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We reconstructed vehicle logbooks, calculated the standby charge and operating benefit properly, and amended the affected T4s and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $85,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Case Study 6 · CRA review defended
$128,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Construction Firm with Union, London
Client: A construction firm with union and non-union crews · Where: London, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Adjustment withdrawn$128,000
File closed in11 weeks
Penalties assessedNone
The situation
A construction firm with union and non-union crews in London, Ontario received a proposal letter opening a review of quebec payroll services. The CRA had identified T4s that did not agree to the payroll register or the general ledger and proposed an adjustment of $128,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. 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 indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $128,000 of it. The file closed in 11 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
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.
