6 worked QuickBooks Setup and Support case studies — the position a client typically comes to us with, what we do, and what it is worth. Each is an illustrative example built on the rules that apply to quickbooks setup and support work, not a specific client's file.
Case Study 1 · Records and systems rebuilt
33 Months Reconciled And $2,700 Of Input Tax Recovered — Multi-Processor Online Seller, Kitchener
Client: An online seller reconciling three payment processors · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 11 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled33
Input tax recovered$2,700
Close time4 days
The situation — An online seller reconciling three payment processors, Kitchener, Ontario
An online seller reconciling three payment processors in Kitchener, Ontario was carrying sales recorded from bank deposits, so processor fees, chargebacks and refunds appeared nowhere in the ledger. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 33 months of cleanup.
What we did for An online seller reconciling three payment processors, Kitchener, Ontario
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We recoded the meals and entertainment accounts to the statutory limit and reversed the over-claimed input tax credits before the next return went in, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result — An online seller reconciling three payment processors, Kitchener, Ontario
33 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 4 days, and $2,700 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Case Study 2 · Scaling without breaking
Second-Province Expansion Handled, $44,000 Of Cash Released — Seasonal Food-Truck Operator, Guelph
Client: A food-truck operator running two seasonal units · Where: Guelph, Ontario · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Cash released$44,000
New registrationsComplete on day one
Compliance gapsNone
The situation — A food-truck operator running two seasonal units, Guelph, Ontario
Revenue at a food-truck operator running two seasonal units in Guelph, Ontario was up sharply and cash was tighter than ever. Underneath it sat a bookkeeping file where owner draws, payroll and supplier payments all landed in the same account.
What we did for A food-truck operator running two seasonal units, Guelph, Ontario
We rebuilt sales from the processor settlement reports so gross sales, fees and refunds each landed in an account of their own. Every new obligation — registration, remittance frequency, provincial filing — was set up before it was triggered, not after.
The result — A food-truck operator running two seasonal units, Guelph, Ontario
$44,000 of cash was released from the working capital cycle, and the expansion completed with every registration and filing obligation covered from day one.
Case Study 3 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $255,000 Less Tax On Closing — Wedding Photography Studio, Ottawa
Client: A wedding photography studio · Where: Ottawa, Ontario · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$255,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation — A wedding photography studio, Ottawa, Ontario
A wedding photography studio in Ottawa, Ontario was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a single shareholder holding every share, with no room to multiply the exemption, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did for A wedding photography studio, Ottawa, Ontario
We cleaned up the historical file, reconciled receivables and payables to source documents and wrote off the balances that were genuinely uncollectible, with support, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result — A wedding photography studio, Ottawa, Ontario
The deal closed at the agreed price. $255,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 4 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $32,500 Vacated — Small Law Practice, Burnaby
Client: A small law practice · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$32,500
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation — A small law practice, Burnaby, British Columbia
A small law practice in Burnaby, British Columbia was carrying $32,500 of penalties and interest arising from a receivables list that included invoices collected eleven months earlier, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did for A small law practice, Burnaby, British Columbia
We separated the owner’s personal spending out of the corporate accounts and cleared the resulting shareholder loan properly and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result — A small law practice, Burnaby, British Columbia
The assessment was vacated. $32,500 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
Client: An owner-operated trades business · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$71,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation — An owner-operated trades business, Moncton, New Brunswick
Remittances at an owner-operated trades business in Moncton, New Brunswick were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat input tax credits claimed on receipts that had already been claimed once.
What we did for An owner-operated trades business, Moncton, New Brunswick
We set up a documented chart of accounts, a receipt-capture workflow and a monthly reconciliation that closes within ten days of month-end, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result — An owner-operated trades business, Moncton, New Brunswick
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $71,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 6 · CRA review defended
$70,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Courier Subcontractor, Vancouver
Client: A courier subcontractor paid by the drop · Where: Vancouver, British Columbia · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Adjustment withdrawn$70,000
File closed in10 weeks
Penalties assessedNone
The situation — A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Vancouver, British Columbia
A courier subcontractor paid by the drop in Vancouver, British Columbia received a proposal letter opening a review of quickbooks setup and support. The CRA had identified meals and entertainment coded at full cost with the input tax credit claimed on the whole amount and proposed an adjustment of $70,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did for A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Vancouver, British Columbia
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. We rebuilt the ledger from bank and card statements, matched every receipt to a transaction, and removed duplicated input tax credits before they became a review, then indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result — A courier subcontractor paid by the drop, Vancouver, British Columbia
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $70,000 of it. The file closed in 10 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
Reviewed for the 2025 tax year by Udit Gupta, Founder and Tax Accountant. These case studies are illustrative worked examples composed from the CRA rules that apply to this type of work, not specific client files; figures are representative and outcomes depend on your own facts.
