6 Rolling Forecasting 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 rolling forecasting work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Sale and succession
$305,000 Sheltered By The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption — Family Business Planning Succession, Kitchener
Client: A family business planning succession · Where: Kitchener, Ontario · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Gain sheltered$305,000
ClosingOn schedule
Share qualificationMet
The situation
A family business planning succession in Kitchener, Ontario had an offer on the table and 15 months to close. The shares did not qualify for the capital gains exemption, and a minute book with no resolutions behind a decade of dividends was part of the reason.
What we did
We purified the corporation so the shares met the qualifying tests, then rebuilt the reporting around gross margin by service line, which showed two of five offerings were losing money at the current price well ahead of the closing date.
The result
The sale closed on schedule with $305,000 sheltered by the lifetime capital gains exemption across the shareholders.
Case Study 2 · Records and systems rebuilt
Month-End Close Cut From 9 Weeks To 9 Days — Mid-Sized Professional Services Firm, Victoria
Client: A mid-sized professional services firm · Where: Victoria, British Columbia · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Close time before9 weeks
Close time after9 days
Year-endReview, not rebuild
The situation
The accounting file at a mid-sized professional services firm in Victoria, British Columbia was built on a covenant breach discovered only when the bank called. The year-end had taken 9 weeks each of the last three years.
What we did
We modelled the covenant ratios monthly and restructured the debt before the next test date rather than after it and moved the reconciliations into the monthly cycle, so the year-end stopped being a rebuild.
The result
The file reconciles. Month-end closes in 9 days instead of 9 weeks, and the year-end is a review rather than a reconstruction.
Case Study 3 · Missed incentive claimed
$79,000 In Credits Claimed That Prior Filings Had Missed — Manufacturer Planning a Plant, Moncton
Client: A manufacturer planning a plant expansion · Where: Moncton, New Brunswick · Engagement: 10 weeks, fixed fee
Credits claimed$79,000
Years adjusted7
Review outcomeNo adjustment
The situation
A manufacturer planning a plant expansion in Moncton, New Brunswick had been filing for 7 years without ever claiming the incentives its activity qualified for. Behind that sat an owner making hiring decisions on last quarter’s bank balance.
What we did
We tested each activity against the eligibility criteria rather than the description on the invoice, then produced a board-ready monthly package — cash, margin, pipeline and covenant headroom — that replaced a spreadsheet nobody trusted.
The result
$79,000 in credits claimed, with the open prior years adjusted as well. The claim passed review without adjustment.
Case Study 4 · Deadline rescue
3-Week Turnaround Beat The Deadline And Saved $96,000 — Fast-Growing E-Commerce Brand, Kelowna
Client: A fast-growing e-commerce brand · Where: Kelowna, British Columbia · Engagement: 3 weeks, fixed fee
Late-filing penalty avoided$96,000
Filed with13 days to spare
Next yearPapers ready
The situation
With the deadline for rolling forecasting weeks away, a fast-growing e-commerce brand in Kelowna, British Columbia was carrying pricing set by feel, with no visibility into margin by service line. The exposure if the date slipped was around $96,000.
What we did
We built a rolling thirteen-week cash-flow model, tightened collections, and renegotiated supplier terms so the growth stopped consuming the bank balance. The filing went in complete rather than provisional, so there was no amended return to follow.
The result
Filed with 13 days to spare. $96,000 in late-filing penalties avoided, and the working papers are ready for the following year.
Case Study 5 · CRA review defended
$137,000 Proposed Adjustment Withdrawn In Full — Professional Practice Adding Partners, Lethbridge
Client: A professional practice adding partners · Where: Lethbridge, Alberta · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Adjustment withdrawn$137,000
File closed in7 weeks
Penalties assessedNone
The situation
A professional practice adding partners in Lethbridge, Alberta received a proposal letter opening a review of rolling forecasting. The CRA had identified an owner making hiring decisions on last quarter’s bank balance and proposed an adjustment of $137,000, with 30 days to respond.
What we did
We treated the response as an evidence exercise rather than an argument. We rebuilt the reporting around gross margin by service line, which showed two of five offerings were losing money at the current price, then indexed every supporting document against the specific line the auditor had questioned.
The result
The proposed adjustment was withdrawn in full — all $137,000 of it. The file closed in 7 weeks with no change to the assessed amounts and no penalty.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $120,000 Reversed — Construction Company Bidding Larger, Calgary
Client: A construction company bidding larger contracts · Where: Calgary, Alberta · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
Amount reversed$120,000
ObjectionAllowed in full
Account balanceNil
The situation
A construction company bidding larger contracts in Calgary, Alberta had been reassessed for $120,000 and had 11 days left on the objection deadline. The reassessment rested on revenue up 40% year over year and a bank balance that kept falling.
What we did
We filed the objection inside the deadline with a complete submission rather than a placeholder, and modelled the covenant ratios monthly and restructured the debt before the next test date rather than after it.
The result
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $120,000 was reversed and the account returned to a nil balance.
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.
