6 RRSP Deduction Review 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 rrsp deduction review work, not a general example.
Case Study 1 · Planning that cut the bill
$19,500 Cut From The Annual Tax Bill — Retiree Drawing From Three, Red Deer
Client: A retiree drawing from three sources · Where: Red Deer, Alberta · Engagement: 8 weeks, fixed fee
First-year saving$19,500
RepeatsAnnually
Filing positionUnchanged in risk
The situation
A retiree drawing from three sources in Red Deer, Alberta was compliant but paying more than it needed to. The prior year had been filed correctly and still left three years of returns filed without the slips that had been mailed to an old address on the table.
What we did
We modelled the current position against the alternatives before changing anything, then carried the capital loss back against gains reported in the prior three years and generated a refund rather than a carry-forward balance.
The result
The change saved $19,500 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 2 · Deadline rescue
Filed On Time From A Standing Start, $43,000 Penalty Avoided — Employee with Foreign Investment, Regina
Client: An employee with foreign investment accounts · Where: Regina, Saskatchewan · Engagement: 5 weeks, fixed fee
Penalty avoided$43,000
Turnaround5 weeks
FiledOn time
The situation
An employee with foreign investment accounts in Regina, Saskatchewan came to us 5 weeks before its filing deadline with RRSP room accumulated over eight years and never used in a high-income year. A late filing would have triggered a penalty of roughly $43,000 before interest.
What we did
We worked backwards from the deadline. We pulled the full slip history from the CRA record, refiled the affected years by adjustment request, and recovered the credits that had been missed, prioritising the items that actually gated the filing and deferring everything that did not.
The result
The return was filed on time and complete. The $43,000 penalty never arose, and the compliance calendar we set means the next deadline is scheduled rather than discovered.
Case Study 3 · Backlog brought current
Collections Halted And $46,000 Cut From A 3-Year Backlog — Physician in Their First, Burnaby
Client: A physician in their first year of practice · Where: Burnaby, British Columbia · Engagement: 7 weeks, fixed fee
Balance reduced by$46,000
Backlog cleared3 years
CollectionsHalted
The situation
By the time a physician in their first year of practice in Burnaby, British Columbia called, 3 years were outstanding and the CRA had assessed on estimates. Underneath it sat medical expenses claimed on a calendar-year basis when a shifted window was worth far more.
What we did
We reconstructed the records year by year and filed the outstanding T1135 disclosures under the voluntary disclosure route before the CRA raised them. 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 $46,000, and a relief application addressed part of the accumulated interest.
Case Study 4 · CRA review defended
$15,500 Reassessment Reduced To Nil On Review — Self-Employed Consultant, Saskatoon
A review notice arrived at a self-employed consultant in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan covering rrsp deduction review for two tax years. The auditor's working position was an adjustment of $15,500, driven by foreign accounts that had crossed the T1135 threshold two years earlier.
What we did
Rather than negotiate, we rebuilt the record. We reset the medical expense claim window, transferred credits between spouses, and applied the tuition and disability amounts to the return that used them and submitted a point-by-point response that answered each proposed adjustment with the document behind it.
The result
The auditor accepted the documented position and closed the review without adjustment, protecting $15,500 and leaving the prior filings undisturbed.
Client: A commissioned salesperson · Where: Surrey, British Columbia · Engagement: 9 weeks, fixed fee
Overpayment refunded$108,000
Late remittances sinceZero
ScheduleAutomated
The situation
Remittances at a commissioned salesperson in Surrey, British Columbia were consistently late by a few days, which was enough to trigger penalties every quarter. Behind it sat a rental property reported without any capital cost allowance analysis.
What we did
We carried the capital loss back against gains reported in the prior three years and generated a refund rather than a carry-forward balance, then moved the remittance dates into a scheduled process rather than a monthly decision.
The result
Penalties stopped from the following remittance onwards, and $108,000 of overpaid instalments was refunded.
Case Study 6 · Objection and relief
Notice Of Objection Allowed In Full, $41,000 Reversed — First-Time Home Buyer, Winnipeg
Client: A first-time home buyer · Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba · Engagement: 4 weeks, fixed fee
Amount reversed$41,000
ObjectionAllowed in full
Account balanceNil
The situation
A first-time home buyer in Winnipeg, Manitoba had been reassessed for $41,000 and had 23 days left on the objection deadline. The reassessment rested on three years of returns filed without the slips that had been mailed to an old address.
What we did
We filed the objection inside the deadline with a complete submission rather than a placeholder, and pulled the full slip history from the CRA record, refiled the affected years by adjustment request, and recovered the credits that had been missed.
The result
The appeals officer allowed the objection in full. $41,000 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.
