6 Real Estate Tax Planning 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 real estate tax planning work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Missed incentive claimed
$131,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Manufacturer Developing a Production, Hamilton
Client: A manufacturer developing a production process · Where: Hamilton, Ontario · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$131,000
Years adjusted3
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A manufacturer developing a production process in Hamilton, Ontario had been filing for 3 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat a SR&ED claim prepared eleven months after the fact with no contemporaneous records.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then put contemporaneous tracking in place — project logs tied to time records — so the following year’s claim was defensible by construction.
The result
$131,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 2 · Structure rebuilt
Holding Structure Added, $62,000 Saved Annually — Game Studio Claiming Digital, Moncton
Client: A game studio claiming digital media credits · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 6 weeks, fixed fee
Annual saving$62,000
ReorganisationTax-neutral
StructureMatches operations
The situation
A game studio claiming digital media credits in Moncton, New Brunswick was carrying a filing deadline missed by three weeks, extinguishing the entire claim, and every option for fixing it ran through a reorganisation that had to be done without triggering tax.
What we did
Working with the client's lawyer, we layered the applicable provincial credit onto the federal claim in the same filing and prepared the elections, resolutions and valuations the structure needed to stand up.
The result
The structure now matches the business. Annual saving of $62,000, and the reorganisation itself was tax-neutral.
Case Study 3 · Records and systems rebuilt
31 Months Reconciled And $18,500 Of Input Tax Recovered — Food Producer Reformulating Its, Surrey
Client: A food producer reformulating its product line · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Months reconciled31
Input tax recovered$18,500
Close time5 days
The situation
A food producer reformulating its product line in Surrey, British Columbia was carrying a SR&ED claim prepared eleven months after the fact with no contemporaneous records. Nothing reconciled, and every filing started with 31 months of cleanup.
What we did
We rebuilt from source rather than correcting on top of the existing file. We confirmed CCPC status and refiled at the enhanced 35% refundable rate, then set the routine that keeps it clean.
The result
31 months reconciled to the bank. The close now takes 5 days, and $18,500 of previously unclaimable input tax was recovered in the process.
Case Study 4 · Scaling without breaking
Scaled To 89 Staff With $83,000 Of Working Capital Freed — Agri-Tech Company, Barrie
Client: An agri-tech company · Where: Barrie, Ontario · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Headcount reached89
Working capital freed$83,000
Missed deadlinesZero
The situation
An agri-tech company in Barrie, Ontario was growing fast — headcount to 89 in eighteen months — and the back office had not kept up. A provincial credit left unclaimed alongside a successful federal SR&ED claim was the first thing to break.
What we did
We identified the eligible projects, documented the technological uncertainty and systematic investigation for each, and filed a claim that survived review without adjustment, and built the compliance calendar for the size the business was becoming rather than the size it had been.
The result
The business reached 89 staff with no missed remittance and no late filing. $83,000 of working capital was freed in the process.
Case Study 5 · Sale and succession
Share Sale Restructured, $565,000 Less Tax On Closing — Engineering Firm Solving a, Halifax
Client: An engineering firm solving a technical uncertainty · Where: Halifax, Nova Scotia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Tax saved on closing$565,000
PriceAs agreed
Post-closing adjustmentsNone
The situation
An engineering firm solving a technical uncertainty in Halifax, Nova Scotia was preparing to sell. Due diligence surfaced a shareholder loan balance that would have been picked up as income on closing, which would have reduced the price or killed the deal outright.
What we did
We cleaned up the historical file, put contemporaneous tracking in place — project logs tied to time records — so the following year’s claim was defensible by construction, and prepared the due-diligence package the buyer's advisers actually asked for.
The result
The deal closed at the agreed price. $565,000 of tax was saved against the structure originally proposed, with no post-closing adjustment.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
Desk-Review Assessment Of $74,000 Vacated — Materials Science Company, Kelowna
Client: A materials science company · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Assessment vacated$74,000
Supporting recordsNow on file
AccountCleared
The situation
A materials science company in Kelowna, British Columbia was carrying $74,000 of penalties and interest arising from a claim filed at the 15% non-refundable rate when CCPC status supported 35% refundable, much of it accumulated during a period the CRA itself had delayed.
What we did
We layered the applicable provincial credit onto the federal claim in the same filing and framed the relief application on the specific grounds the CRA guidelines recognise rather than on general hardship.
The result
The assessment was vacated. $74,000 came off the account, and the documentation now on file makes the same position straightforward to defend next time.
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.
